1 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main points of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

You still need a better reason to plant a tree?

Police aren’t cheap and neither are lawyers, judges, and all the other layers that make up the justice system. But trees and some grass, in comparison, are a real bargain, and they prove to be effective in lighting crimes.

Many cities used to launch programs to plant vegetation along roadways to help absorb rainwater. After tracking 14 types of crime in nearby areas, Michelle Kondo, a social scientist found that a variety of crimes including property crimes such as theft and burglary, and violent crimes such as armed fights and mayhem in those areas decreased to 27 percent, a stunning 18 percent fall. Kondo believed the appearance of city trucks and vans in the landscaped areas— for planting and maintenance— was enough to scare away potential criminals.

Kondo’s study also worked on the link between grassland care and decrease of the crime in downtown areas. It’s tempting to use income as the connection. After all, if you have the crime and money to water your lawn, you probably live in a neighborhood that sees less crime. But actually, people are less likely to hang in those areas where the streets are maintained or cleaned. “You will see less kids hanging on the corners.’’ Kondo said. He argued that caution of the local people implied by the organized greenery helped to frighten away ill-intentioned guys, by announcing to would-be criminals that there are “eyes on the street’’ that care for their neighborhood and would be more likely to report a crime.

We already know greenery is beautiful to look at and can help improve mood and health while reducing pollution. Now we can add crime-fighting to the list of vegetation’s many benefits. Therefore, are you ready to plant a tree?

2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. confused       B. adaptable       C floating       D. decaying       E. attempts F. imitated       G. attached       H. signs       I. samples       J. relatively       K. steady

Though it is not unusual to find marine animals under the Antarctica seafloor, researchers had always assumed that there would be few     1     of life farther away from open water and sunlight. However, the discovery of filter-feeding (滤食的) organisms— 160 miles away from the open ocean, with temperatures of -2.2℃ and under complete darkness— suggests that life in the world’s harshest environment may be more     2     than previously thought.

In 2017, BAS geologist James Smith and his colleagues conducted a three-month expedition to the middle of Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, to collect     3     of the seafloor deposits. The team drilled through the half-mile of ice by pumping almost 20,000 liters of hot water through a pipe. After about 20 hours of painstaking work, they were finally able to reach the seabed underneath.

However, when the scientists lowered the instrument, along with a camera, to collect the soil, it came up empty. After multiple failed     4    — each round trip taking about an hour— the researchers took a closer look at the footage and noticed a massive stone sitting amid the     5     flat seabed. Even more surprisingly, the rock was covered with stationary animals, like sponges (海绵) and potentially unknown species.

The finding has     6     many scientists given that certain organisms, such as sponges and coral polyps (珊瑚虫), which live their entire lives     7     to rocks, or other hard surfaces, need food supplies. In the open water, the “marine snow,” as the food is called, comes from     8     organic matter, which drifts down from the upper waters to the deep ocean. However, the species in such depth are too far from the open sea to receive     9     supplies of nutrients. To make matters worse, due to the area’s strong ocean currents, the food has to travel anywhere from 370 to 930 miles to get to them.

“This is by far the furthest under an ice shelf that we’ve seen any of these filter-feeding animals,” said Smith. “These things are stuck on a rock and only get fed if something comes     10     along.”

3 . These animal dads have some seriously strange ideas about fatherhood.

Barbary macaque

Unlike human dads boasting of their kids' winning contests or college acceptances, barbary macaques, monkeys that are native to North Africa, show off babies as a way to impress each other and build social networks. These monkeys live in troops of about 30 members, and life centers around the babies born each spring.

During baby season, males carry the infants, even picking up little ones that aren’t their own offspring (后代). However, there are status symbols, used to build male social networks and connections within the group. The infants can serve as a social passport, to approach other males and hang out with them. After all, it’s much simpler to break the ice if you have a cute baby in hand.

Sand grouse

Lots of dads bring home the bacon. But for young sand grouses living in Namibia’s dry deserts, water is the essential resource. Sand grouse fathers are the frequent flyers that travel almost 125 miles each day to fill up for the family at a watering hole.

With no other way to transport water, male sand grouses settle in the pool, rocking back and forth to bathe their belly feathers. Filling up can take 15 minutes, leaving them exposed to killers like falcons (猎鹰). But it all pays off. The dads return home after a long day and are able to provide their babies with few precious tablespoons of liquid.

Pipefish

Pregnant pipefish males-yes, males-give birth to live young from eggs that females deposit in their brood pouches (育儿袋). This mothering act has earned them praise as devoted animal dads.

But it turns out that the pregnant pipefish also has a wandering eye. If he sees a bigger female he often aborts (流产) existing eggs. If he stops exporting nutrients to the developing embryos (胚胎) while reabsorbing nutrients from abortions, he assures enough resources to invest in the more rewarding offspring.

Blue poison dart frog

Females of this species lay only about half a dozen precious eggs. That is maybe why dads are so devoted to them. Frog eggs must stay watery or moist, and these devoted dads accomplish that by regularly urinating on them over the course of 10 days, until they hatch (孵化) as tadpoles.

1. Barbary macaques carry their kids around in order to _____.

A．show how proud they are about being a father.

B．show their family strength within monkey groups.

C．center around their kids as a tradition.

D．build up better relations with other monkeys.

2. The resource of water or liquid is precious to _____.

A．barbary macaque and sand grouse.

B．sand grouse and pipefish.

C．pipefish and blue poison dart frog.

D．sand grouse and blue poison dart frog.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Sand grouse carries the water by drinking it first and then spitting it out.

B．Pipefish gives up some eggs in order to make himself stronger.

C．Male blue poison dart frog protects the eggs by keeping them wet.

D．Sand grouse has to compete for water with the falcon.