1 . We’ve been hearing for decades about the complex intelligence of plants; but a new study, conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri, managed to figure out one new important element: plants can tell when they’re being eaten, and they don’t like it.

The word “intelligence”, when applied to any non-human animal or plant, is imprecise and sort of meaningless: research done to determine “intelligence” mostly just aims to learn how similar the inner workings of another organism is to a human thought process. But these studies do give us insight into how other organisms think and behave, whatever “think” might mean.

The researchers were seeking to answer an unusual question: does a plant know when it’s being eaten? To do that, the researchers had to first make a precise version of the vibrations (振动) that a caterpillar (毛虫) makes as it cats leaves. The theory is that it’s these vibrations that the plant can somehow feel or hear. In addition, the researchers also came up with other vibrations the plant might experience, like wind noise.

This particular study was on the thale cress. It actually produces some mustard oils (芥子油), which are mildly poisonous when eaten, and sends them through the leaves to stop caterpillars. And the study showed that when the plants felt or heard the vibrations made by caterpillars, they sent out extra mustard oils into the leaves. When they felt or heard other vibrations? Nothing. It’s a far more dynamic defense than scientists had realized: the plant is more aware of its surroundings and able to respond than expected.

There’s more research to be done; nobody’s quite sure by what mechanism the plant can actually feel or hear these vibrations. But it’s really promising research; there’s even talk of using sound waves to encourage crops to, say, grow faster, or send out specific defenses against attacks. Imagine knowing that a frost is coming, and being able to encourage plants to fruit faster by simply blasting them with music. That’s the kind of crazy sci-fi future this indicates.

1. What does the underlined part “other organisms” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Intelligence of plants.	B．Non-human living things.
C．Human thought processes.	D．The inner workings of plants.

2. What is the role of mustard oils produced by the thale cress?

A．Keeping the plant’s surroundings safe.	B．Acting as defenses to stop caterpillars.
C．Making the plant aware of the vibrations.	D．Sending warnings against caterpillars’ coming.

3. What does the underlined word “Nothing” in Paragraph 4 indicate?

A．The plants failed to identify other vibrations.

B．The plants sent out more mustard oils into the leaves.

C．The plants could identify vibrations from caterpillars.

D．The plants prevented caterpillars from eating the leaves.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The plans for the study.	B．The problems with the study.
C．The significance of the study.	D．The achievements of the study.

2 . Unusually bright light in the sky that appeared suddenly last June has got astronomers in great excitement. After months of study, they still aren’t sure what the object — universally referred to as the “Cow” — is. Whatever it is, says astronomer Liliana Rivera Sandoval of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, “It’s super strange.”

The Cow first appeared in telescope observations on 16 June 2018, in what turned out to be a small galaxy (星系) about 200 million light years away. “When we saw that we thought, let’s get on this,” says Daniel Perley, an astronomer at Liverpool John Moores University.

The early observations confirmed the Cow was truly strange. It didn’t show the obvious changes in its light output that an exploding star would make. Sandoval says as soon as she and colleagues knew the Cow was truly distant, they requested time on NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to see what the Cow was doing in X-rays. Although the X-ray brightness varied over the early weeks, “the spectrum (光谱) didn’t change, which is very unusual,” she notes. After 3 weeks, the X-ray signal began to vary more wildly while also dropping off   in brightness.

Many astronomers agree that the long and steady duration of the event means that it was powered after an initial explosion by some form of central engine. But what that engine may be is also far from clear. Some argue that it could be a very unusual star whose central part has collapsed (坍塌) inward after it exploded. Others say it is a tidal disruption event — a star being torn apart by a black hole. But that usually requires the supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy, and the Cow is situated in its galaxy’s arm. So, some say, it could be a tidal disruption event generated by an intermediate mass black hole, although evidence for the existence of such smaller black holes remains controversial. “All explanations have problems,” Sandoval says, “I hope there are more Cows.”

1. What is astronomers’ main concern about the Cow?

A．What it is.	B．How it forms.
C．When it appears.	D．Where it is from.

2. What did Sandoval and her team hope to find out about the Cow in X-rays at NASA?

A．What the Cow was doing.

B．How far the Cow is from the earth.

C．Whether the Cow is an exploding star.

D．Why the X-ray signals varied wildly.

3. What do Sandoval’s words at the end of the text probably mean?

A．The research results help little.

B．More Cows will appear.

C．Extra attention should be paid to the Cow.

D．More information is needed.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Strange Explosion in Deep Space

B．An Interesting Observation of NASA

C．A Wide Range of Changes in the Galaxies

D．A Great Achievement in Astronomy

3 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。答案写在答题卡上.

President Xi Jinping underlined the importance of afforestation on April 2. and reaffirmed the need to stick to the green development path to meet peopled ever-growing demand     1     a better life and make a greater contribution to upholding global ecological     2    （secure）.

He stressed that the annual tree-planting activity aims to get the whole of society     3    （voluntary） involved in tree-planting and raise people's awareness of building a beautiful home     4     human beings and nature coexist harmoniously.

2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the country's voluntary tree-planting activity. Over the past four decades, people throughout the country have made efforts in afforestation and the people's living environment has become     5    （pleasant）- China     6    （top）the global ranking of countries in terms of the growth of forest resources.

Consistent and long-term efforts     7    （need）, while calling on the whole of society to take part in afforestation     8    （activity）. Party members and officials should take     9     lead in taking the responsibility for tree planting, practicing a green and low-carbon life and     10    （strengthen） environmental protection in order to enable the people to live a high-quality life.

4 . Moscow-based photographer Anastasiya Dobrovolskaya is not a typical “pet photographer.” Her trademark photos look like something out of a fairy tale, but everything is real-from beautiful and unique people to breathtaking landscapes, and various animals you wouldn’t expect to pose alongside people. Tigers, owls, horses anything you can think of is featured in Dobrovolskaya’s incredible portfolio, including the most-wanted bear model, Stepan, who was rescued as a cub and raised by loving humans.

In July of 2018, Anastasiya started taking photos by accident. After three failed attempts at photography, giving up trying, and finding her way to photography again, she received a message from a woman who wanted a photo shoot with a rooster Although she had never photographed people with animals and didn’t have much experience altogether, she took on a challenge and fell in love. In a week, she photographed an owl , then a horse, and it kicked off from there with some of her photos going viral online. It was enough to quit her job and pursue a career in commercial photography.

The 30-year-old photographer takes dreamlike photos that capture the magical bond between animals and humans and show how beautifully diverse, yet similar they are. “In my work, I want to show common features between people and animals so that animals become more respected by people and people will do their best to minimize the harm they do to nature.” She says.

However, some people accuse her of using animals, that animals suffer during photoshoots, and so on. But they don’t even know how far they are from the truth. In most cases, the animals were rescued from poor conditions, from fur factories, or were abandoned by the owners. Almost all large animals live in the countryside, in spacious areas, in specially equipped enclosures with regular walking. Each animal feeds on the basis of its species.” Only those animals with a certain character are selected for the photoshoots, and the process is almost always very comfortable,” explained the photographer.

The photographer now has an astonishing 179k followers on Instagram-an audience that has become a source of endless support, energy, and inspiration.

1. Which of the following statements about Stepan is true ?

A．He was saved in the wild.	B．He enjoys great popularity.
C．He was adopted by other bears.	D．He is kept in a small cage.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．How Anastasiya faced her failure.

B．How much Anastasiya loved photography.

C．How Anastasiya began her photography careen

D．How Anastasiya’s photos became well-known online,

3. The photographer would probably take a photo of ________ .

A．a baby sleeping in its mother’s arms .	B．a parrot resting on a girl’s shoulder.
C．a stream winding through a valley.	D．a fox running after a rabbit

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The animals are treated badly.

B．Few people appreciate the photos.

C．The photos may arouse people’s awareness of protecting nature.

D．I he photographer has worked on photography for over four years.

5 . Have you ever tried to get your desired things at 1 a.m. in the middle of exam season? The ones that convince you to walk to Hillside in the middle of a snowstorm just for a slice of cheesecake?

Well, I have too. But instead of wanting something normal and yummy like ice cream or cookies, I’ve been longing for cauliflower. I know half of you stopped reading just now. It’s okay. Honestly, I get it. For those of you who stuck around, let’s talk vegetables.

Unlike those terrifyingly healthy food bloggers, my recent adventures in vegetables originated from an existential crisis concerning global warming. It turns out food production is one of the highest producers of the greenhouse gases that contribute to the breakdown of Earth’s ozone layer (臭氧层). And one of the simplest ways to make a difference is by eating more vegetables and less meat and cheese. So I’ve been forcing myself to eat more vegetables to convince myself that Earth can exist after 2050. And just like those terrifying food bloggers say, it has become a habit.

Now, I don’t just chow down on raw cauliflower stems for lunch. Instead, I like to dress up the vegetables, and it turns out the real trick to make them taste good is a perfect seasoning blend (调味品).

And let me tell you, I’ve become addicted to one of my own creations: olive oil, garlic salt, white pepper, and dill. The mixture is cooked at 375℉ for 20-30 minutes. This works on just about any vegetable you can roast. Plus, it’s so good it’s been proven to cause longings.

Eating responsibly is about so much more than “eating healthy.” It’s just as important to eat food you enjoy. If you crave cheesecake, eat cheesecake. If you want to opt for the more head of cauliflower, eat cauliflower.

After all, living to 2050 isn’t worth much if you aren’t happy.

1. Why does the author begin to eat vegetables?

A．The author always adores them.

B．The author follows the trend.

C．The author wants to pass the exams.

D．The author thinks it benefits environment.

2. How does the author probably enjoy vegetables?

A．The author eats raw vegetables.

B．The author toasts vegetables.

C．The author boils vegetables.

D．The author dresses up to eat vegetables.

3. What can we infer about the author from the passage?

A．He may be an artist.	B．He may be a cook.
C．He may be a student.	D．He may be a clerk.

4. What is the tone of the author in writing the article?

A．Humorous.	B．Critical.
C．Confused.	D．Ambiguous.

6 . My car sweeping past the green pastures(草地), I felt the cool breeze on my face,eyes closed. The breeze felt refreshingly_________and gave me a_________of newly defined freedom and happiness. The breeze suddenly came to a halt_________the car stopping due to a bit of traffic_________by the grazing of some cute lambs.

Climbing out of the car in excitement,I _________I was in a new world,_________my only companion was the sparkling beauty of nature all around me. Standing there, I_________understood the meaning of freedom! In this fast paced world,where smartphones are a(n) _________and life without internet might just be the next step to insanity(疯狂), we’ve _________the simple pleasures in life.

Just__________for a moment to ask yourself__________it’s been since you’ve just sat down for a while, doing absolutely__________yet feeling perfectly happy and contented!

People tend to find happiness in commodities or__________around them, but the perfect place to start searching for happiness is__________within you!

Happiness is like a__________. It can be spread to others, if only we are willing to splash (撒) a few __________ on ourselves! True happiness is said to be__________when we are the__________behind a person’s beautiful smile and immense happiness!

So the next time you see someone upset or feeling low,__________them a bit of your time and support. It doesn’t cost much, but doubles the happiness in your__________ !

1.

A．familiar

B．new

C．old

D．strange

2.

A．sense

B．kind

C．type

D．matter

3.

A．as

B．since

C．with

D．for

4.

A．happened

B．occurred

C．invented

D．created

5.

A．realized

B．thought

C．recognized

D．discovered

6.

A．which

B．when

C．where

D．what

7.

A．suddenly

B．finally

C．gradually

D．immediately

8.

A．necessity

B．equipment

C．tool

D．treasure

9.

A．conducted

B．finished

C．remembered

D．forgotten

10.

A．wait

B．stop

C．hold

D．stay

11.

A．how long

B．how often

C．how many

D．how much

12.

A．something

B．anything

C．nothing

D．everything

13.

A．things

B．goods

C．data

D．basics

14.

A．correct

B．right

C．proper

D．suitable

15.

A．river

B．well

C．spring

D．perfume

16.

A．drops

B．bottles

C．pieces

D．bags

17.

A．made

B．achieved

C．developed

D．grew

18.

A．possession

B．component

C．part

D．reason

19.

A．bring

B．take

C．lend

D．give

20.

A．soul

B．mind

C．heart

D．spirit

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Bees are major pollinators (传粉者) of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Without these helpful buzzing insects, our food supply would be     1    trouble. But bees can help humans in another way.     2    (research) say the act of beekeeping may help people with mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression. Many call     3     “beekeeping therapy.”One group of people is especially getting help from such therapy: military veterans (老兵).

Many soldiers returning from military service have trouble    4     (deal) with the experiences of war. They may also find it difficult to create a     5       (produce) life after the military service. Homelessness, depression and drug abuse can affect some military veterans. Vince Ylitalo is one such veteran. He served in the military for nearly 40 years, two tours in Iraq     6     (include). He suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

To treat his PTSD, Ylitalo is part of a beekeeping program at the Manchester Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center in the state of New Hampshire. The VA     7     (set) up several such programs in the United States.

In a recent report, Ylitalo explained     8    beekeeping calms his mind.“I’m in this program     9     (help)me get out of the thought process of all those problems that I have.It helps me think about something     10    (complete) different . I’m just thinking about the bees.”

8 . Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.

Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects' lives, the researchers said. "We strongly believe artificial light at night — in combination with habitat loss, chemical pollution.invasive (入侵的) species, and climate change — is driving insect declines, " the scientists concluded after assessing more than 150 studies.

Insect population collapses have been reported around the world, and the first global scientific review published in February, said widespread declines threatened to cause a "catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems".

There are thought to be millions of insect species, most still unknown to science, and about half are active at night. Those active in the day may also be disturbed by light at night when they are at rest.

The most familiar impact of light pollution is moths (飞蛾) flapping around a bulb, mistaking it for the moon. Some insects use the polarisation of light to find the water they need to breed, as light waves line up after reflecting from a smooth surface. But artificial light can scupper (使泡汤) this. Insects are important prey (猎物) for many species, but light pollution can tip the balance in favour of the predator if it traps insects around lights. Such increases in predation risk were likely to cause the rapid extinction of affected species, the researchers said.

The researchers said most human-caused threats to insects have analogues in nature, such as climate change and invasive species. But light pollution is particularly hard for insects to deal with.

However, unlike other drivers of decline, light pollution is relatively easy to prevent. Simply turning off lights that are not needed is the most obvious action, he said, while making lights motion-activated also cuts light pollution. Shading lights so only the area needed is lit up is important. It is the same with avoiding blue-white lights, which interfere with daily rhythms. LED lights also offer hope as they can be easily tuned to avoid harmful colours and flicker rates.

1. What is discussed in the passage?

A．Causes of declining insect populations.

B．Consequences of insect population collapses.

C．Light pollution: the key bringer of insect declines.

D．Insect declines: the driver of the collapsed ecosystem.

2. What is the 5th paragraph mainly about?

A．How light travels in space.

B．How light helps insects find food.

C．How the food chain is interrelated.

D．How light pollution affects insects.

3. What does the underlined word"analogues"in Paragraph 6probably mean?

A．Selective things.

B．Similar things.

C．Variations.

D．Limitations.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To offer solutions.

B．To give examples.

C．To make comparisons.

D．To present arguments.

9 . 请根据漫画内容，结合漫画主题Climate is changing写一篇英语短文。内容包括：

1.漫画的主要内容。
2对漫画主题的思考。
注意：词数100左右。
参考词汇：polar bear, panda, penguin

10 . 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。

Besides oceans, glacier ice is the largest source of water on earth. A glacier is a sheet of ice that moves     1    (it) under the influence of gravity. Some glaciers travel down mountains or valleys,     2     others spread across a large expanse of land.     3    (heavy) glaciated regions such as Greenland and Antarctica are called continental glaciers. These two ice sheets account     4     more than 95 percent of the earth's glacial ice. The Greenland ice is so heavy that much of the region     5    (press) below sea level so far. Smaller glaciers that occur at higher altitudes are called valley or alpine glaciers (山岳冰川). Another way of     6    (classify) glaciers is in terms of their internal temperature. In temperate glaciers, the ice within the glacier is near its melting point.

The     7    (major) of the earth's glaciers are located near the poles, though glaciers exist on all continents, including Africa and Oceania. Glaciers     8    (form) in high alpine regions generally result from cold temperatures throughout the year. The weight and pressure of ice accumulation causes glacier movement. As a glacier moves, it carves out     9     U-shaped valley similar to a riverbed, but with much steeper walls and a     10    (flat)bottom.