1 . Native plants planted by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia near the GA-10 Loop in Athens, Ga., are changing the area from being covered in kudzu back to a more natural state.
The project, funded by Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, was planted in November 2021. Volunteers and students from the UGA College of Environment and Design all participated to plant the area along the entrance ramp (斜坡) next to the GA-10 Loop at Milledge Avenue.
Zach Wood, the grasslands coordinator (协调人) at the State Botanical Garden, said all the plants chosen for the project are native to Georgia. He said that they selected hardy species of plants they felt pretty confident would survive. In total, 22 native plant species are planted at the site.
“Native plants function to support their ecosystem, and that’s important because our roadsides are turning into monocultures of non-native species that don’t support our native wildlife,” Wood said.
He added that non-native species don’t filter (过滤) water as well as native species, which is significant on roadsides to handle stormwater runoff.
When they’ve checked on the plants, all the species planted were established and growing. Wood said there was concern the plants would succumb to drought, but the value of native plants is their ability to survive in stressful conditions.
The team doesn’t water the area at all.
“It would go against the spirit of doing it, “Wood said. “We’re trying to figure out the least effort to put native plants back into a place that’s been kind of beat up.”
“This project is so important because it’s so visible,” Wood said. “It’s going to demonstrate an alternative way of managing roadsides.”
“We’re always looking for ways to make things sustainable,” said Richard Littleton, state agronomist (农学家) manager at GDOT. “The more we can do that’s natural, it helps everything. It’s the right thing to do to be a good caretaker of our lands.”
1. Why was kudzu replaced?A.Ugly-looking. | B.Too large. | C.Nonnative. | D.Artificial. |
A.Survive from. | B.Give in to. | C.Add to. | D.Get rid of. |
A.Environmentally. | B.Financially. | C.Academically. | D.Politically. |
A.Planting Green Species at Roadside Areas. |
B.Choosing Right Plants to Support Ecosystem. |
C.Replacing Non-native Species for Survival. |
D.Restoring Native Plants to Roadside Areas. |
A.He isn’t in London in autumn. |
B.He missed the best season in London. |
C.He doesn’t see a foggy London. |
1. How is the weather now?
A.Cloudy. | B.Sunny. | C.Snowy. |
A.Practical. | B.Crazy. | C.Shameful. |
A.It is very dangerous. |
B.It is easy for skiing in the area. |
C.It is very good for exercising legs. |
Jessica and I wanted a dog more than anything else on Earth. At night, after Mom and Dad had gone to bed, Jessica and I would sneak out our bedroom windows and we’d sit together on the roof and talk about dogs. Sometimes, we had an argument about what our ideal dog would be. But it didn’t really matter — any dog or puppy (小狗崽) would do.
One summer night, as we sat together on the roof, Jessica saw something. “What’s that?” She pointed down toward a dark shadow on our driveway. The moon was up, and everything looked either black or milky. All I saw was darkness. Then the shadow moved. For one astonished second, Jessica and I just stared at each other. Then we scrambled down onto the porch. There in our yard stood a dog. A big, black dog with long hair. Jessica made a little kissing noise and held out her hand. And the dog came to us slowly, taking a few steps forward, then a step back, not sure whether to trust us, I guess.
“She’s a female,” said Jessica.
“Oh,” I said, pulling back and looking. The dog was so skinny and her coat was full of dirt. She must be a homeless dog.
“What can we give her?” I asked. Then I had a thought. “Bread! I’ll get her a big loaf of bread.” So, Jessica waited with the dog, and I sneaked into the kitchen to fetch the bread.
The dog got the bread and ran into the shadows and disappeared. We smiled at each other in the moonlight, our insides full of excitement. “We’re going to have a dog!” I whispered.
On the following nights, the dog, who we named “Shadow”, would come and Jessica and I would prepare food for her. But we never saw her eating anything, and each time she got the food she would run away into the darkness quickly.
“Why didn’t she eat?” I was curious. “And she is still so skinny.”
“We can look into the case,” Jessica said. So, we decided to find out the truth.
One night, we followed Shadow secretly at a distance.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, we had a dog in our home and it was one of the puppies.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A.Waste recycling. | B.Beach cleaning. | C.Tree planting. |
6 . Few dogs are as energetic as Sedze, a white Shih Tzu whose name means “my heart” in the Dogrib language. Last summer, the little dog went through a life
On August 13, Louise, the owner of Sedze, was
The group
Later that evening, the group finally arrived. Louise called her daughter, Jilaine, who lived in Calgary, and
Sedze was alive and well. And as it turned out, Ryan had also evacuated to High Level. While talking, they discovered that they were standing on opposite sides of a street. “It was the greatest feeling when he brought her over,” she said. Today, Louise still
A.experiment | B.competition | C.trial | D.game |
A.putting away | B.packing up | C.setting aside | D.reaching into |
A.mild | B.massive | C.controllable | D.avoidable |
A.crashed | B.marched | C.jumped | D.looked |
A.exhausted | B.satisfied | C.fascinated | D.annoyed |
A.building | B.hitting | C.crossing | D.blocking |
A.nightmares | B.memories | C.enemies | D.challenges |
A.held | B.walked | C.wrote | D.sped |
A.deliberately | B.accidentally | C.carefully | D.randomly |
A.evidence | B.impression | C.sign | D.point |
A.delighted | B.injured | C.frozen | D.heartbroken |
A.ignored | B.broke | C.covered | D.received |
A.burst | B.idea | C.update | D.improvement |
A.protected | B.confirmed | C.stole | D.hid |
A.looks | B.laughs | C.wonders | D.aims |
1. Which pet may an outgoing person prefer?
A.A bird. | B.A dog. | C.A cat. |
A.Clever. | B.Sociable. | C.Careful. |
A.Pet people’s personalities. |
B.More outgoing dog people. |
C.Less sociable cat people. |
8 . About four weeks ago, our dear little Persian cat Ashleigh Faith died at the age of 16, for which we felt sad. We
Recently, our neighbor called and
A.adored | B.adopted | C.comforted | D.recognized |
A.eat | B.play | C.bark | D.sleep |
A.shy | B.smart | C.tiny | D.cute |
A.flying | B.pacing | C.rolling | D.travelling |
A.turning around | B.cheering up | C.settling in | D.dropping on |
A.eyes | B.hearts | C.clothes | D.walls |
A.tough | B.cold | C.embarrassing | D.relaxing |
A.secretly | B.anxiously | C.calmly | D.enthusiastically |
A.care for | B.rely on | C.come across | D.stare at |
A.shelter | B.mail | C.hide | D.carry |
A.amazingly | B.strangely | C.eventually | D.instantly |
A.disappointing | B.depressing | C.appealing | D.promising |
A.reliable | B.active | C.discouraged | D.disconnected |
A.watches | B.helps | C.fancies | D.approaches |
A.protect | B.drive | C.disturb | D.greet |
9 . Lucy was rescued from a rural farm in New South Wales, Australia, two years ago. She was suffering from chlamydia (衣原体病), a disease widespread among koalas. Today, she is one of “the lucky” living creatures in tree corridors (走廊) that have been created by volunteers to protect koalas and other animals by saving their quickly shrinking habitats, or natural environment.
The corridors, planted by the local conservation group Bangalow Koalas, are made up of large systems of plants. They are intended for koalas and other animals like the glossy black cockatoos, possums, and wallabies. All of them are endangered, or at risk of becoming extinct. The corridors provide a safe path across the koala’s increasingly broken habitat. “Our corridors are actually trying to get them away from humans, from cars and from dogs,” said Linda Sparrow, president of Bangalow Koalas. “They can safely move across the landscapes and don’t have to put up with us humans.”
The koala is predicted to be extinct in the wild in New South Wales by 2050. Some of the biggest dangers include wildfires and habitat loss through land clearing for development. Koalas have already been declared endangered in several Australian states. A recent report by the Australian Koala Foundation said the animal was worth an estimated $3.2 billion per year to the tourism industry.
Founded in 2016, Bangalow Koalas has planted over 936,000 trees on 119 properties, helping koala conservation and improving the local ecosystem. The group, which depends on com munity volunteers, aims to plant 500,000 trees by 2025. Volunteer Lindy Stacker, who has been planting trees for over five years, still remains devoted to the cause. She said the activity is good for mental health and has brought the community together. “I can’t imagine a world where there’s no koalas in the wild. We’re going to do everything we can possibly to. make sure that won’t happen,” Lindy said.
1. Who is Lucy?A.A farmer. | B.A patient. | C.A volunteer. | D.A koala. |
A.To shelter koalas from human threat. | B.To test the local natural environment. |
C.To save koalas suffering from chlamydia. | D.To stop koalas’ habitats from being rebuilt. |
A.The reason for koalas’ extinction. | B.Koalas’ value in tourism industry. |
C.The necessity of saving koalas. | D.People’s deep love for koalas. |
A.Bangalow Koalas: A Group Intended For Koalas |
B.Tree Corridors: A Lifeline For Endangered Koalas |
C.Bangalow Koalas: Call On Volunteers For Koalas’ Protection |
D.Tree Corridors: Responsible For The Loss Of Koalas’ Habitats |
10 . Family Vacations in Hawaii
Whether your interests are history, native cultures, hiking, water sports, or simply relaxing in the sun, Hawaii has abundant choices to keep you and your family entertained.
Waikiki BeachThis famous two-mile stretch of sand is home to scores of family-friendly beach hotels and all kinds of action-packed excitement. Waikiki Beach is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for warm ocean water and golden beaches. Kids will enjoy walking along the beach, stopping for shaved ice or an ice cream and taking a dip in a safe area of the ocean.
Oahu’s North ShoreSome of the tallest ocean waves in the world are found at Oahu, Hawaii’s North Shore coastline during the winter months. These crashing walls of water are born for surfing and offer one of the best free shows on the islands. The North Shore is home to world-class surf contests, attracting the world’s top surfers.
Polynesian Cultural CenterNothing appeals to the whole family like Hawaiian past coming alive. Besides, the colorful costumes, lively songs, and traditional dances in the Pacific region are presented here. You’ll see customs of Fiji, New Zealand, Marquesas, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, and Hawaii all represented in Polynesian Cultural Center’s re-created island villages, which is decorated with palm trees and tropical gardens.
Waimea Canyon (峡谷) State ParkMore than 3,500 feet deep, this landmark on Hawaii’s island of Kauai is the largest canyon in the Pacific. Unlike Grand Canyon, plentiful rain keeps Waimea Canyon and its surrounding area thick with vegetation (植被), and visitors are frequently treated to the sight of vivid rainbows. It offers a great canyon view and a covered picnic area.
1. What makes Oahu’s North Shore known to the world?A.Its best free cultural shows. | B.Its family-friendly beach hotels. |
C.Having the tallest coastline. | D.Being a perfect place for surfing. |
A.Waikiki Beach. | B.Oahu’s North Shore. |
C.Polynesian Cultural Center. | D.Waimea Canyon State Park. |
A.It has a covered picnic area. | B.It has a depth of over 3,500 feet. |
C.It’s rich in plants and rainfall. | D.It owns a unique kind of vegetation. |