2 . When gardeners grow varieties of plants in their beautiful gardens, they are happy to see beneficial insects like bees and butterflies surrounding the flowers. But as they take a closer look, they may find some plants are covered in black dots and filled with harmful insects or pests. Some gardeners may immediately reach for chemicals.     1     Although it may stop the insect problem, it will also threaten bees and butterflies which help the plants reproduce.

If you are wise gardeners, you should first take preventive measures to control the harmful insects.     2     Only when there are too many harmful insects, should pest control be considered. The first defense should always be the safest method available.

Prevention

As a rule, prevention is the best treatment. Inspect plants closely, including their leaves, before buying them from the store.     3    

When planting, space plants out to permit them to grow to their full size. Plants too close together can breed harmful organisms, like bacteria.

    4     They invite pests if permitted to remain on the ground. When you do see pests, wash them away. Use rubbing alcohol to remove some insects, or pick them off the plants.

Pesticides

If you decide a pesticide is necessary, choose it carefully and follow the directions and warnings on the product. Avoid using pesticides in extreme heat, on windy days, or when the plants are wet.     5     At the time, beneficial insects are inactive. You can consider removing flowers from the plants to lessen the risk that beneficial insects will come in contact with the pesticides.

A．But this is not wise.

B．In most cases, chemicals don’t help.

C．Treat the plants early in the morning or at night.

D．Also do remember the plants need nutrition and care.

E．Keep your garden free of fallen leaves, fruits and other wastes.

F．Do not bring any plants home that show signs of disease or pests.

G．The process starts with the idea that having some pests is acceptable.

4 . After a tiring day at the office, you find it hard not to smile when you’re greeted by an exciting and joyful dog. But it’s not just the happy shouting and wriggling (扭动) tail that strike our heartstrings. A new study shows that dogs’eyes filled with tears when reunited with their owners cause effect that brings out our love. The findings appear in Current Biology.

Takefumi Kikusui watched with interest when his dog was feeding her puppies, her face became so cute. Kikusui, a professor of veterinary(兽医) medicine at Azabu University in Japan, realized that his lovely mama dog had tears in her eyes. That possible connection between unbearable cuteness and tears sent him to the lab.

In the test, he and his team first measured the baseline tear volumes when dogs were together with the owner in their house. Then quickly, the owner would leave and stay hidden away from it for five or six hours. When the owner came back, they measured tear volume again. And found that the reunion with the owner raised tear volume. But it only worked with the dog’s owner. If reunited with the familiar caretaker in the dog care center, there was no increase in tears.

The researchers doubted that the tearful reaction was caused by oxytocin, a hormone(荷尔蒙) linked with social bonding. So they applied oxytocin to the dogs’ eyes. And, the dogs grew weepy. But why? To find out the reason for this easy-crying behavior, they showed volunteers a couple of dog head pictures. One was a normal dog face. And the other was a teary dog face in which they added man-made tears. The volunteers were more likely to want to hug and care for the one with big, wet puppy-dog eyes.

Dogs turn on the waterworks and their owners roll over. Now, that’s quite a clever trick!

1. What is Current Biology in Paragragh 1 likely to be?

A．A science journal.	B．A celebrity biography.
C．A science fiction.	D．A biology textbook.

2. When did Takefumi have the idea of doing his research?

A．When greeted by his dog excitedly.

B．When watching his dog feeding her kids.

C．When staying hidden from his dog for several hours.

D．When he and his dog got reunited in the care center.

3. Which can be the main idea of the passage?

A．Never abandon dogs because they’ll cry.	B．Dogs play tricks to win the caregivers’ love.
C．Dogs show love for owners with tears in eyes.	D．Dogs arrest owners’ love with tearful eyes.

4. What does the writer think of the dogs with teary eyes?

A．Lovely.

B．Loyal.

C．Sad.

D．Surprising.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Caught in a flood

Mary and her parents were downstairs in the living room. Mary was looking through the windows at the endless rain outside. It had been raining non-stop for three days. She had never seen a storm this bad. It was making her nervous. The wind roared and the rain beat on the roof and windows. Dad was listening to a weather report on the radio, while Mum was putting their important documents and disaster supplies into a bag.

“Mum, Dad,” said Mary suddenly, “I think we should leave here right away!”

“No,” said Dad. “It’s too late: The radio says the city has already been flooded.”

“We can drive our car through the floodwater. Let’s us leave! I’m really scared!” cried Mary. “We can’t do that, honey,” explained Mum, “otherwise the moving water could wash the car away!”

Mary walked to the door. She was curious to see how much water there was outside.

“Don’t open the door!” shouted Mum and Dad at the same time. “The water may flood in!”

Dad moved the dinner table against the door, in case the floodwater forced the door open. Mum waved to Mary to sit on the sofa. “Mary, don’t worry. Everything’s going to be OK,” she said softly, trying her best to comfort Mary. Her voice was calm, but Mary could tell she was worried too.

Without saying a single word, Dad walked to the sofa, sat down and hugged his wife and daughter. The sudden silence in the house seemed to make the wind and rain more frightening outside. What could they do?

注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:

All of a sudden, the floodwater forced the door open.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

Being upstairs, they breathed a sigh of relief.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . The amount of sea ice surrounding Antarctica has reached its lowest level since modern records began, for the second year in a row. Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on the ocean’s surface around the planet’s polar regions. It forms at much lower sustained temperatures than freshwater ice does, at around-1.8 degrees Celsius. Sea ice builds up during the winter until it reaches its maximum extent, and then melts (融化) away in the spring and summer until it reaches its minimum extent.

In Antarctica, where summer and winter are relative to the Northern Hemisphere, sea ice normally reaches its maximum extent in September when sea ice covers around 7 million square miles. At its minimum extent at the end of February, historically only around I million square miles remains. Last year the minimum sea ice extent was less than 772, 000 square miles, the lowest total since scientists began recording sea ice extent with satellites in 1979. On 21 February this year, that number had reduced to just 691, 000 square miles, which is roughly 40 per cent less than the average between 1981 and 2010.

The record-breaking minimum was expected after an extraordinarily hot January which was the seventh-warmest since records began 174 years ago. “By the end of January, we could tell it was only a matter of time until the record was broken,” said Will Hobbs, an Antarctic sea ice expert at the University of Tasmania and the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership. Antarctica’s minimum sea ice extent will likely continue to decrease in the coming decades as global temperatures rise as a result of human-caused climate change and more multiyear ice, which acts as a seed for new ice growth, melts away.

Sea ice is crucial for polar predators(捕食性动物) such as penguins in Antarctica and polar bears in the Arctic, which use the ice as a platform for hunting. But the sea ice also helps stabilise ice on Antarctica. “Lower sea ice extent means that ocean waves will pound the coast of the giant ice sheet，further reducing ice shelves around Antarctic,” said Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

1. What can we know about sea ice?

A．It can be seen on any ocean’s surface.	B．It forms at about -1.8 ℃.
C．It melts all the year round.	D．There is more sea ice than freshwater ice.

2. What can we infer from the data in Paragraph 2?

A．There are two seasons in Antarctica.

B．Scientists have been recording the change of sea ice.

C．Sea ice in Antarctica has been on decline in the past decades.

D．The ecology in Antarctica needs to be improved.

3. Why will sea ice possibly go on to reduce?

A．The earth becomes warmer.	B．Multiyear ice disappears completely.
C．Ocean waves destroy the giant ice sheet.	D．Human beings occupy Antarctica.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Human activities have caused global warming

B．Measures should be taken to stop sea ice decreasing

C．Sea ice is significant for polar animals

D．Antarctica’s sea ice reaches its lowest level since records began

7 . Pet owners have a big responsibility when it comes to taking care of their furry friends Unfortunately, many pet owners make common mistakes as follows.

● Not providing enough exercise or mental stimulation for your pet

All pets need regular exercise and mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy.     1     Mental stimulation is also essential to keep your pet fit. You can give your pet puzzle toys, play new games with them, or teach them new tricks.

● Over feeding

You might think you’re doing your pet a favor by giving them extra treats, but overfeeding can do more harm than good.     2    . Therefore,ensure you’re following the feeding guideline on the bag and not giving in to those puppy-dog eyes too often.

● Not socializing your puppy

Socialization is key to a well-behaved and happy dog. Make sure to introduce your puppy to different people, animals and situations.     3    

    4    

Pets are great at hiding their pain and discomfort, so it’s important to watch for any change in behavior or appetite. Don’t hesitate to bring something up with your vet if you notice something off.

To help avoid these types of errors,Wanda Morgan, Chief Editor of Workout Lunatic, gives the following tips.

● Positive reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is always the way to go when training your pet. Use treats and verbal praise to encourage good behavior instead of punishment or scolding.

● Addressing underlying anxiety causes

    5    . Give your pet plenty of engaging activities and playtime to keep their minds and bodies active and happy.

A．Ignoring signs of illness

B．Not trusting your puppy

C．It can help them grow confident and well-adjusted

D．It can lead to obesity and other serious medical conditions

E．Mental exercise is crucial to your pet as much as physical exercise

F．Anxiety-based behavior can stem from a lack of attention or stimulation

G．Without enough physical activity, your pet may become overweight or bored

8 . A worldwide shift from fossil fuel-powered cars to electric vehicles could significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that humans emit to the atmosphere. But current strategies for vehicle electrification (电气化) can also shift some pollution to communities already suffering under higher economic, health and environmental burdens, researchers warn.

California, which leads the United States by a mile when it comes to EV adoption, offers a window into this evolving problem. The state is aggressively seeking to reduce its carbon footprint and has made substantial increases in wind and solar power generation as well as in the promotion of electric vehicle purchases. One tool the state has used is the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, or CVRP, which kicked off in 2010 and offers consumers money back for the purchase of new EVs.

Now, an analysis of the CVRP’s impact on the state’s air quality from 2010 to 2021 reveals both good and bad news, researchers report May 3 in PLOS Climate.

The good news is that the CVRP is responsible for making a dent in the state’s overall CO2 emissions, reducing them by about 280,000 metric tons per year on average. The bad news is that the most disadvantaged communities in the state didn’t see the same overall improvement in air quality. Those communities in fact saw an increase in one type of air pollution, tiny particulates known as PM2.5. That increase may be indirectly related to putting more EVs on the road. Although electric vehicles themselves don’t produce PM2.5 from their tailpipes, increased electricity generation, if it’s not fossil fuel-free, can. Renewable resources, including rooftop solar cells, supplied about half of California’s electricity in 2022. But natural gas-fired power plants still provide a large part of the state’s power.

“Electric vehicles are often incorrectly referred to as ‘zero-emission vehicles’, but they’re only as clean as the underlying electric grid (电网) from which the energy is sourced,” Mejía-Duwan says. The most disadvantaged 25 percent of the state’s communities also contain 50 percent of the power plants, the team found.

1. What do we know from paragraph 2?

A．California takes the lead in environmental protection.

B．Wind and solar power generation has dominated California.

C．California’s carbon footprint has been reduced as planned.

D．The launch of CVRP is intended to promote electric vehicle purchases.

2. What does the underlined “dent” mean in paragraph 4?

A．adjustment.

B．shift.

C．reduction.

D．increase

3. What is the direct cause of an increase in PM 2.5?

A．Putting more EVs on the road.	B．Increased electricity generation.
C．Warming climate.	D．Increased rooftop solar cells.

4. What will Mejía-Duwan probably agree with?

A．Zero emission for EVs can’t be ensured nowadays.

B．‘Zero emission’ isn’t good enough to describe EVs.

C．EVs, with no zero emission, shouldn’t be advocated.

D．EVs have a promising future as zero emission vehicles.