1 . Bred to be more sweeter, today’s cherries, bananas and apples taste different than they used — to but not necessarily better. Among fruit farmers, the word “quality” is now routinely used as a standard for “high in sugar”, though firmness, color and size are also considerations. In a recent study about ways to enhance the sweetness of fruit using “molecular (分子的) approaches”, a group of plant scientists wrote that, in general, the sugar content of many fruits are now higher than before owing to continuous selection and breeding. Modern apple varieties, the scientists stressed, were on average sweeter than older ones.

The sweetness of fruit depends not just on how it is bred but also on growing conditions, yield and harvest. The lead researcher, Sugiura, said, “If you could taste an apple harvested 30 years ago, you would feel the difference.” He believed that modern apples are picked so early that even if they are bred for sweetness, they often don’t develop their full character. The fragrance (香味) never develops in fruit that is harvested too early.

Jim Cooper, an apple farmer in England, is regretful to admit the fact that many people will never taste the “strawberry hint” in a really ripe Pearmain, a type of heritage apple. In a way, the rise of consistently sweeter fruit in our lifetimes has been a victory of plant breeding. After all, it’s a rare person who would seek out bitter grapes if they could have sweet ones instead.

But the sweetness of modern fruit is not without its problems, especially for people with diabetes (糖尿病), who have to reduce their intake of higher-sugar fruits. Fruit that is bred sweeter also tends to be lower in the chemicals that make it healthy. Considering health, maybe the real problem with modern fruit is that it has become yet another sweet thing in a world with sugar. Even grapefruits, which used to be quite bitter, are sometimes now as sweet as oranges. If you’ve never tasted a sour cherry, how can you fully appreciate a sweet one?

1. In what aspect is many fruits different from before?

A．Sugar content.

B．Soft skin.

C．Bright color.

D．High yield.

2. Why did Sugiura express discontent with the present fruits?

A．They are bred too early.	B．They taste so sweet.
C．They are losing a good flavor.	D．They need a higher yield.

3. What is Cooper’s attitude towards modern fruit breeding?

A．Favorable.

B．Critical.

C．Ambiguous.

D．Indifferent.

4. What does the last paragraph mean?

A．It’s a wise choice to breed fruits for sweetness.

B．Breeding sweet fruits improves the quality of fruits.

C．Some fruits like grapes and cherries taste the same.

D．The sweetness of fruits will cause health issues.

2 . Wild turkeys are a familiar sight throughout New Hampshire, where flocks wander along roadsides and through backyards.

In 1975, Ted Walski, the biologist for New Hampshire Fish and Game, released 25 turkeys from the back of his truck in Walpole, a town in the western part of the state. It was part of a reintroduction effort to bring back a species that had been wiped out in New England before the Civil War, where it used to suffer heavy blows — forests vanished for unknown reasons and people got their own way to hunt.

“Originally, I never thought it would get beyond a few thousand turkeys,” says Walski, who spent nearly 50 years working with the birds before retiring in 2019.

Instead, New Hampshire’s turkey population has exploded beyond all expectations, now around 45,000 animals — the highest since the reintroduction, and probably the most the state can approach. Reintroduction efforts in neighboring states and around the country have created a similar story — there are 70,000 wild turkeys in Maine, up to 50,000 in Vermont, and more than 30,000 in Massachusetts — all of which total up to about six million animals reproducing in all states but Alaska.

So what made the wild turkey one of the most successful wildlife reintroduction programs in American history? Most likely, it’s due to the bird’s surprising and unexpected ability to live among humans. In the suburbs, turkeys can take advantage of edge habitat, like woods and open spaces, and dine on a never-ending buffet of food provided by people — particularly birdseed. Besides, it doesn’t hurt that native predators, such as wolves and cougars, have largely disappeared from most parts of the turkey’s range.

But everyone is not thankful for the New England turkey boom. The infamously bold birds are troublesome, disturbing traffic and pecking at front doors, as well as potentially dangerous. In 2019, a 35-year-old pregnant woman was attacked by turkeys on the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts — twice. As conflicts between these 20-pound birds and people are on the rise, particularly during the spring breeding season, wildlife officials are trying to cope with the reality that the turkey is here to stay.

1. What had made turkeys extinct in New England before the Civil War?

A．Disappearing forests and unrestricted hunting.

B．Ted Walski’s reintroduction policy and its effects.

C．Turkeys’ inability to reproduce and coexist with humans.

D．Native predators’ occupation of most parts of turkeys’ range.

2. According to the text, which of the following statements is true about wild turkeys?

A．Their explosive population is completely out of the control of New Hampshire.

B．The number of wild turkeys amounts to around six million in Alaska.

C．Their abilities to reproduce fall short of people’s expectations.

D．They feed on adequate food from human beings.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．It is urgent to protect wild turkeys from being attacked.

B．Turkeys are posing a potential threat to natural environment.

C．Nobody appreciates the increase in turkeys due to their evil deeds.

D．Measures will be taken to tackle conflicts between turkeys and humans.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．New England witnesses a turkey boom but not all appreciate it.

B．The wildlife reintroduction program of wild turkeys is quite successful.

C．Wild turkeys’ sharp increase does harm to human beings and environment.

D．There is a contradictory relationship between wild turkeys and human beings.

3 . On Christmas Eve, a team of reindeer (驯鹿) will help Santa Claus deliver gifts to children all around the world. The reindeer, led by their fearless leader Rudolph, won’t be the only ones doing something special. Back in the highest Arctic, their cousins have a remarkable ability changing their eye color.

During the summer months, when the days are long and the sun is bright, reindeer’s tapetum lucidum (荧光膜), a mirror-like layer at the back of their eye, appears golden, which helps bounce the majority of light off the eyes, effectively acting like a pair of natural sunglasses. As winter comes, and the days become shorter and darker, the tapetum lucidum turns blue to absorb more light, allowing reindeer to improve their night vision and see clear in low light conditions.

With these adaptations, reindeer can adapt and thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Unlike humans, reindeer can see well into the shorter Ultra Violet (UV) range. This UV vision enables them to spot food and predators more effectively in the snowy landscape. Lichens, a key part of their winter diet, absorb UV, so they show up dark against UV-reflecting white snow. Wolf and polar bear fur also absorb UV, so instead of disappearing against snow they pop out in high contrast, allowing reindeer to spot potential threats from a distance.

Reindeer change their eyes by adjusting their tapetum lucidum, which is made of collagen fibers. In winter, the collagen fibers become packed tighter, causing the tapetum lucidum to mainly reflect blue light. This change happens when reindeer dilate their pupils (瞳孔). In summer, the reindeer’s pupils return to a smaller size, which helps reindeer reduce the amount of light entering the eye.

But their unique adaptation may hurt them. Today, the increasing use of artificial lighting, especially during the winter months, poses a potential threat to their sensitive eyes. It can make reindeer lose their way, affecting their ability to survive in their challenging environment. So it is crucial for us to be mindful of our use of electricity and make efforts to minimize light pollution to ensure the well-being and survival of these magnificent creatures.

1. What do we know from paragraph 2?

A．The shape of reindeer’s eyes varies with seasons.

B．It is difficult for reindeer to live in low light conditions.

C．The tapetum lucidum helps reindeer adapt to seasonal changes.

D．Reindeer’s eyes appear golden in winter while blue in summer.

2. What is the use of UV vision for reindeer?

A．To help them see clear in dark nights.

B．To distinguish food of different colors quickly.

C．To protect their eyes from harsh sunlight in summer.

D．To better locate food and enemies during snowy days.

3. What does the underlined word “dilate” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Relax.

B．Expand.

C．Narrow.

D．Hide.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To call on people to protect reindeer from light pollution.

B．To show the reasons for the decline in reindeer population.

C．To present humans’ great efforts to reduce artificial lighting.

D．To prove reindeer’s strong adaptability to harsh environments.

4 . New animals

In northern Vietnam, in thick forests in the North Annamite Mountains, there is a wildlife park called Vu Quang. In 1986, the area was made an official forest reserve. In 2002, 550 square kilometers of the area were declared a National Park.     1    . It is in an area that is hard to get to, for one thing. And it’s an area that’s difficult to walk through because the rocks are covered with algae and are very slippery.

    2    . In the last twenty years, several new species of animals that have never been seen anywhere in the world before have been discovered there. Some of them are so new that scientists haven’t given them official names yet!

The new animals discovered at the park include the Vu Quang ox or Saola, a “slow” deer, a giant muntjac (the world’s largest, in fact), a black deer and a “holy” goat.     3    , as well as two species of amphibians and 15 species of reptiles.

The Saola was the first new species of large mammal to be discovered in more than fifty years, so it caused a lot of excitement in the scientific world. It is a strange goat-like creature that looks as if it is somehow related to cattle. It has horns that can be between one and two feet long, and that seem to come out of the animal’s head at slightly different angles.     4    .

The creature had hidden safely for generations in the Vu Quang area. But once it was discovered, it was in danger.     5    . Sadly, the Saola is now being hunted and may well end up as another endangered species.

A．That’s why it attracts hunters

B．Vu Quang is no ordinary park, though

C．Hunters have no respect for new species

D．But that’s not all that is unusual about Vu Quang

E．Five new species of fish have also been found there

F．This was the first time so many new species had been found in this area

G．That’s why it is called “Saola”, meaning “spinning wheel posts” in Vietnamese

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

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,     1     gives you boundless views. The name Hulun Buir, which means “the land of lakes and rivers”,     2     (date) back to a legend long long ago. It is the best-preserved grassland in China     3     recognized as “The Grass Kingdom”.

With the most plentiful and excellent pastures in China, Hulun Buir Grassland also has the name The Purest Grassland     4     there is hardly any pollution there. Its animal products, like meat, milk, leather, and wool     5     (favor) by people both at home and abroad. It’s a famous tourist destination now.

With the irrigation of thousands of rivers, the grassland presents     6     (it) as a green carpet underneath the blue sky and white clouds. You can ride on camels and horses, watch wrestling and horse racing, and enjoy a bonfire party—the unique lifestyle of nomads can be     7     (full) appreciated.

The region’s location makes it warm and pleasant in the summer, while cold and     8     (snow)in the winter. During the summer, the meadows are covered with     9     blanket of multicolored wildflowers. Even in ancient times, the beautiful scenery of this place gained     10     (popular)with poets and writers and was described in their literary works.

6 . It turns out our plants are just like us in some ways. We turn to medicines to relieve a minor flu or headache, and plants too have their ways of self-medicating. They protect themselves from environmental hazards like insects, drought and heat by producing salicylic acid (水杨酸). It is responsible for the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin, a drug which has been used by humans for centuries to counter pain and inflammation.

Researchers have found that plants’ salicylic acid, which is produced in chloroplasts (叶绿体), is usually generated in response to the stress caused by climate change. “It’s like plants use a painkiller for aches and pains, just like we do,” said plant biologist Wilhelmina van de ven from the University of California, River-side (U. C. R)

“We’d like to be able to use the finding to improve crop resistance (作物抗性),” said U. C. R.plant geneticist Jin-Zheng Wang. “That will be crucial for the food supply in our increasingly hot, bright world.”

Human skin produces ROS (Reactive oxygen species) (活性氧) in the absence of sunscreen. This causes freckles and burns. Similarly, environmental stresses result in the formation of ROS in plants which, at high levels, can cause death.

At low levels, however, ROS serves an essential function in plant cells. “ROS is a double-edged sword,” said Wang. “At non-lethal levels, ROS are like an emergency call to action, enabling the production of protective hormones ( 激素) such as salicylic acid.” The acid then acts to protect the plants’ chloroplasts, known to be the site of photosynthesis.

“With climate change, things like salicylic acid:   helping plants stand up to stresses have become more common. So, being able to increase plants’ ability to produce it represents a step forward in challenging the impacts of climate change on everyday life,” said Katayoon Dehesh, UCR professor of molecular biochemistry.

“Those impacts go beyond our food. Plants being in trouble are a sign of what the future holds for us,”   she continued. “Plants clean our air by removing the carbon dioxide from it while also offering us shade, and providing habitats for numerous animals. For humankind,   the benefits of boosting plants’ ability to survive are becoming increasingly essential.”

1. What is the main function of salicylic acid in plants?

A．To secure plants.	B．To produce chloroplasts.
C．To relieve pain and inflammation.	D．To generate hormones.

2. What is the main cause of ROS formation in plants?

A．Lack of sunscreen.	B．Chloroplastic acid.
C．Environmental stresses.	D．Use of Photosynthesis.

3. What is the main goal of the researchers at UCR?

A．To explore the history and significance of aspirin in human medicine.

B．To invent a device that can make plants do self-medicating.

C．To compare the differences between plants and humans in self-medicating.

D．To improve crop resistance by increasing plants’ ability to produce salicylic acid.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Plants can be improved to resist environmental hazards.

B．Plants produce their own aspirin to cope with stress.

C．Plants and humans share some common features and needs.

D．Plants contribute to the well-being of humans and animals.

7 . It was a typical summer day in my small town, with the sun shining and the sky clear. I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the peaceful view of the rolling hills and the calm lake, when suddenly a strong wind blew in from the west. The peaceful sky turned dark as a storm approached.

I went inside, grabbing my raincoat and heading to the barn to secure the animals. The cows were nervous, sensing the approaching storm. I quickly tied them up and ran back to the house, just as the rain started to pour down. The wind was howling and the rain was pounding against the windows. Lightning and thunder followed, making the atmosphere even more electric. I sat by the window, watching the raging storm and praying that everything would be okay.

After what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes, the storm passed. The clouds moved away, revealing a bright and sunny sky. I walked outside, taking in the fresh air and surveying the damage. The trees were bent over and some branches had been blown off. Our vegetable garden was flooded, but other than that, everything seemed to be fine. I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that no serious damage had been done.

That evening, as I sat by the fireplace with a cup of hot coffee, I reflected on the experience. It reminded me that nature can be both powerful and unpredictable, but that we must persevere and adapt to whatever it throws at us. The next morning, as I watched the sun rise over the now-calm landscape, I felt a sense of pride knowing that my family and I had weathered the storm together.

1. What does the word “weathered” mean in the last paragraph?

A．enjoyed

B．survived

C．forecasted

D．changed

2. How did the author feel after the storm passed?

A．Angry

B．Relieved

C．Scared

D．Sad

3. How is the passage organized?

A．Problem and solution	B．Cause and effect
C．in order time	D．by Comparison

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The author explains how to prepare for and cope with a storm.

B．The author describes how a storm ruined his day and his garden.

C．The author compares and contrasts the different weather conditions in his town.

D．The author recounts how he and his family withstood a sudden storm and learned a lesson from it.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which pet may an outgoing person prefer?

A．A bird.

B．A dog.

C．A cat.

2. What may a cat owner be like?

A．Clever.

B．Sociable.

C．Careful.

3. What does the speech mainly talk about?

A．Pet people’s personalities.

B．More outgoing dog people.

C．Less sociable cat people.

9 . 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。

Melati and Isabel deeply love their home on the island, surrounded by tropical rain forests, green fields, and a vast ocean. Enjoying a swim at their local beach was once a daily pleasure for them. But when Melati was fifteen, and Isabel just ten, the sisters started to lose their enthusiasm for swimming in the waters near their borne. More often than not, plastic bags would be around them as they swam and some were scattered on the beach. They got really upset about that.

Melati didn’t think much about it until one day her teacher gave a lesson on some world heroes. Each of those people had sparked movements of positive changes in the world. They believed in the impact they could have and they did inspire more people to do something meaningful. After school, Melati walked home slowly in silence, concerned about the vast amount of plastic rubbish on the beach. The heroes crossed her mind. If they could do it, we could do it too, she thought. The idea lit her up. She couldn’t wait to share what she thought with Isabel and quickened her pace.

“So many plastic bags around! The beach is dirty and messy! It’s so terrible! We have lost the clean and beautiful beach. Can’t we do something to get it back?” Melati said heartily. Isabel felt a bit puzzled at what to do, but she also had a strong desire to do something. Picturing a beach as fascinating as before in mind, the pair jumped with joy.

They talked a lot, anxious to know how Dad and Mom would respond to their ideas. That night when the family sat by the dinner table, the sisters eagerly got their ideas across. While Mom and Dad listened to the girls carefully, their eyes shone. “How amazing that would be! We are so proud of you!” Dad exclaimed. Mom came up, gave them a thumb up and hugged the sisters.

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。

Melati and Isabel decided to make a positive impact straight away.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One month later, Melati received a call from the local newspaper.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . Scot Case, Vice President of the environmental marketing firm Terra Choice, was not happy. Case last year sent his researchers into a big-box retail store to evaluate the green advertising claims of some of the products on its shelves. The results were shocking, of the 1,018 products Terra Choice surveyed, all but one failed to live up fully to their green boasts.

He couldn’t believe the result, and had his team redo the survey, but the results came back the same. “It just shows we’re awash in greenwash.” He said.

Many consumers may not have heard the term green washing, but they’ve surely experienced it — misleading marketing about the environmental benefits of a product. Greenwashing isn’t new — ever since the environment was an issue in the early 1970s. As going green has become big business, environmental advocates worry that truly green companies could get lost in the situation.

“We have such a challenge ahead of us on climate change, says Kevin Tuerff, a co-founder of the marketing consultancy EnviroMedia. “Greenwashing harms the effort we need to be making.”

The first step to cleaning up greenwashing is to identify it, and Tuerff and his partners have hit on an innovative way to spotlight particularly abnormal examples. They’ve launched the Greenwashing Index a website that allows consumers to post ads that might be examples of greenwashing and rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 — 1 is a little green lie; S is a big green lie.

It’s a simple device, but it shows the power of the Interne to uncover misleading ads with a simple Web search, any consumer can find out the index they want to know. Googling isn’t the only way to take out the greenwashing, however. The Terra Choice website offers a list of what it calls the “six sins of greenwashing” — six simple signs that should remind consumers of a company that is more interested in selling the earth than saving it.

“We have better green products but a lot of exaggerated (夸张的) claims,” says Case. “That could be enough to destroy the whole green movement” — and that’s not a little green lie.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about greenwashing?

A．It is harmful for the environment.

B．It is a special way to wash so as to save water.

C．It is environment-friendly so it should be advocated.

D．It is beneficial for both the consumers and the companies.

2. Which measure should be used to tackle the green washing?

A．Holding hearings to tell genuine environmental claims from false ones.

B．Launching the Greenwashing Index a website to expose greenwashing.

C．Offering a list of “six sins of greenwashing” for companies’ reference.

D．Updating Green Guide for consumers which hasn’t changed since 1998.

3. Which of the following shows NO sign of greenwashing?

A．Organic products but without any certificates.

B．Energy-efficient products made of harmful material.

C．Food which is low in nutrition but high in calorie.

D．Pesticides which are said to be environment-friendly.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．The effort on environmental protection.

B．The advocation of green advertisements.

C．The distinction between green products and common ones.

D．The distinction between real environmental claims and false ones.