1 . Imagine walking into your local grocery store on a freezing January day to pick up freshly harvested cabbage, juicy sweet strawberries, and ripe red tomatoes — all of which were harvested at a local farm only hours before you’d arrived. You might be imagining buying that fresh produce from vertical farms where farmers can grow indoors year-round by controlling light, temperature, water, and carbon dioxide levels as well. Generally, fresh produce grown in vertical farms travels only a few miles to reach grocery store shelves compared to conventional produce, which can travel thousands of miles by truck or plane.

Beyond providing fresh local produce, vertical agriculture could help increase food production and expand agricultural operations as the world’s population is projected to go beyond 9 billion by 2050. And by that same year, two out of every three people are expected to live in urban areas. Producing fresh greens and vegetables close to these growing urban populations could help meet growing global food demands in an environment ally responsible and sustainable way by reducing distribution chains to offer lower emissions, providing higher-nutrient produce, and completely reducing water usage and run off.

Recently, the US Department of Agriculture and Energy held a workshop focusing on vertical agriculture and sustainable urban ecosystems. At this workshop, field experts were responsible for thought-provoking presentations followed by small group discussions focusing on areas such as plant breeding, pest management, and engineering. Workshop team-workers from public and private departments worked together to identify the challenge, needs, and opportunities for vertical farming. A report on this workshop will be produced by research secretaries to help inform depart mental strategic planning efforts for research focus and funding opportunities.

Experts are excited about the potential opportunities vertical agriculture presents to address food security. The National Institute for Food and Agriculture also has funding opportunities that could support future vertical agriculture conference and research. Similarly, the Agricultural Research Service is working on a project to increase U. S. Tomato production and quality in green houses and other protected-environments.

1. What is the common characteristic of produced from the vertical agriculture?

A．Natural.

B．Ego-friendly.

C．Inexpensive.

D．Low-nutrient.

2. Why does the author mention “urban populations” in Paragraph 2?

A．To explain a rule.	B．To clarify a definition.
C．To present a reason.	D．To make a comparison.

3. How does the author introduce the daily routine at the workshop?

A．In order of time.	B．Via the division of labour.
C．In order of importance.	D．Via the discussion of problems.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards vertical farming?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Curious.

D．Worried.

2 . The Latest and Greatest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

At this point, we know that we’re facing a climate crisis. CO_₂ levels are at their highest in 650,000 years, which is why we’ve heard a lot about our “carbon footprint.”

    1     Essentially, your carbon footprint is the amount of CO_₂ emissions(排放) resulting from each of your daily activities, as well as the products you consume. Whether you realize it or not, it affects the environment. So, how can we reduce our carbon footprint?     2    

Change to smart light bulbs(灯泡)

You’ve probably already made the change from traditional light bulbs to energy-efficient LED bulbs. That’s a great first step, but you can do one better by changing to smart LED bulbs.     3     These bulbs can wirelessly connect to the Internet and most importantly, your smartphone, enabling you to turn on the lights or change the color easily.

Use a notebook computer instead of a desktop computer

Consider getting a notebook instead of a desktop, because it uses less energy. Specifically, notebooks use up to 80 percent less electricity than desktops, using between one-fifth and one-third as much energy.     4     Notebook computers are an additional 20 percent more power efficient when running on AC adapter(适配器) power over battery power.

Rethink your transportation strategy

Not everyone has the option of walking, biking, or taking public transportation to work, but if you do, those are the best ways to reduce your transportation-related carbon footprint.     5     If this is the case, you may want to consider using an electric car. While only a few years ago these cars seemed imaginary, they’re now pretty standard, and electric charging stations are getting more common.

Taking these very workable steps is a good start. Doing your part to protect the planet can be as easy as making small, strategic changes to your everyday routine.

A．What makes them smart?

B．Besides, an added benefit exists.

C．But, what exactly is a carbon footprint?

D．However, in a lot of places, this simply isn’t possible.

E．Not only are they more convenient, but they are money-saving.

F．Making some small changes in your daily life can make a difference.

G．Make a list of all the environmentally friendly things you do, and all the unfriendly ones.

3 . Campaigns to protect the natural world are getting increasingly ambitious. But although there is convincing evidence that protected areas prevent habitat loss, proof that they actually benefit wildlife is surprisingly scanty. Now, the first large study of its kind shows nature reserves can increase waterbird populations, but typically only if humans take an active role in their management.

To understand the impact of nature reserves, conservation scientist Hannah Wauchope decided to analyze populations of waterbird species. First, the team identified 1506 protected areas that had population data from both before and after they were created. Then, they paired each reserve with one or more control sites — a similar patch of nearby habitat — that was unprotected. This setup helped the researchers understand how the protected area influenced bird populations.

The researchers had hoped the analysis would clearly show protected areas benefit birds. However, only 27% of waterbird populations in protected areas increased after the creation of the reserve while 21% of populations were negatively impacted, compared with the control sites, after a reserve was established. A silver lining is that nearly half the studied groups neither grew nor shrank: At least those populations were stable.

To figure out what was responsible for the population gains and losses, the team analyzed multiple factors, of which the most important was whether the site was specifically managed for waterbirds. That could mean keeping rivers and lakes at the right levels for the protected species, removing invasive weeds, or installing fencing to keep out invasive predators.

“The modest success of these protected areas makes sense.” says Paul Ferraro, an environmental economist. In many policy contexts, he notes, most interventions work no better than the status quo. However, the new study’s mixed results are what good science actually looks like and we need more studies like this one.

1. What does the underlined word “scanty” probably mean in the first paragraph?

A．Believable.

B．Solid.

C．Insufficient.

D．Conflicting.

2. What can we know about nature reserves from paragraph 3?

A．Nearly half of the waterbird populations are in a stable state.

B．A majority of the waterbird populations were negatively affected.

C．Nature reserves increased the waterbird populations as expected.

D．Protected areas make much difference to the waterbird populations.

3. Which of the following is the leading cause of the failure of nature reserves?

A．Small size.	B．Human activities.
C．Invasive weeds.	D．Ineffective management.

4. Why are the environmental economist’s words quoted?

A．To emphasize the value of the study.	B．To show the drawbacks of intervention.
C．To indicate the difficulty of more studies.	D．To express satisfaction about the status quo.

4 . Environmental stressors that push honeybees to begin searching food earlier in life can cause a domino effect on hives (蜂巢), quickening their sudden collapse, a new study suggests.

The study showed that too many young bees leaving the hive can cause a tipping point in the tight society of a hive, leading to colony (群体) collapse within weeks.

“There was a suggestion that there was some type of difference between precocious foragers (觅食者) and normal aged foragers,” said Perry, a molecular biologist Clint Perry of Queen Mary University.

So researchers set up experimental hives that would in effect force bees to begin foraging earlier. They also tracked bees in a normal hive, where social roles are regulated, keeping age groups in balance.

Colonies regularly protect against unexpected high loss of foragers by sending bees out earlier, but they rapidly return to stability. But if death rate roughly doubled, the model showed, the colony would be locked in a negative feedback circle of more young bees foraging at younger ages, leading to less stored food and fewer baby bees.

“Since the younger bees are not as good at it, they are going to die sooner, and they’re going to not be bringing back as much food, thereby causing more younger bees to go out, and more younger bees to not do as well, and that will cause continuous feedback that will destroy the colony in a short time,” said Perry.

The researchers are continuing their experiments and hope to come up with ways to identify a colony at risk of collapse. “The priority is finding ways that we can identify colonies at risk of failure as early as possible so you can intervene and do whatever you need to support them and to help heal themselves.” said Perry.

1. What cause a hive to collapse more quickly?

A．Too tight a society of it.	B．Too many bees in it.
C．High loss of young foragers.	D．High pressure from other bees.

2. What does the underlined word “precocious” in the 3^rd paragraph mean?

A．uncommonly early

B．abnormal

C．easily damaged

D．dynamic

3. What would happen to the colony if twice the foragers died?

A．The colony would heal itself.	B．The colony would get expanded.
C．More young bees would be free of risk.	D．More young bees would be sent to seek food.

4. What’s the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A．To ask for joint efforts.	B．To introduce a phenomenon.
C．To express his emotions.	D．To comment on a study.

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。

The moon is high in the sky now. The boys look up. There is a dark shape circling above their heads. It isn’t high up. They can see its beak and its eyes.

“Hey, man, can you see that?”

“It’s a giant bird.”

“Hang on,” says Damian. He picks up a stone, puts it into his catapult (弹弓) and points it at the bird.

Jack can see all this. He wants to stop them — he wants to shout out “NO!” — but what can he do? He looks in horror as Damian fires the stone into the air … and he hits the hawk (鹰隼)! He hits the hawk! It makes no noise, but it suddenly drops three or four meters, then swoops down low across the ground.

“Ha ha! Good shot, Damian!”

They all think this is funny and have a good laugh.

“Come on,” Damian says, “Let’s go back. I’m hungry.”

So the boys climb up the steps, cross the bridge and disappear.

Jack comes out from behind the carriage. In the moonlight he can see quite clearly, but he can’t see the hawk.

He walks up and down. He looks under the old train carriages. He looks behind big bushes.

Then he sees something on the railway track at his feet. It is a beautiful long brown feather. A hawk’s feather.

Then he hears a soft strange sound. He walks toward the sound and sees the hawk lying behind the box.

It looks up at him and screeches (尖叫). Jack can see the bird is in pain. One of its wings is touching the ground.

“What can I do?” asks Jack.

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。

Then he makes a decision.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Over the next few days, the hawk gets much better.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Wilson’s dog, Jack, was an energetic, six-year-old collie(柯利犬)that would greet him every day at the bus station when he returned from work. This was a(n) _______ that had begun when Jack was young. The dog was quite _______ with the route to and from the station. So when Wilson _______ his job and had to move to California, he thought it best to leave Jack with a relative. He told him they both would have to _______ to new homes.

But Jack didn’t want a new home. He returned to Wilson’s old house, even though the door was _______. Every evening, he ran to the bus station. But evening after evening, there was no _______ of the devoted dog’s master. _______ and sad, he would return alone to the _______ house.

The dog’s depression grew. He _______ food, becoming thinner and thinner. But every evening, ever hopeful, he’d go to the station to meet the bus. And every evening, he’d return more ________.

Jack’s worsening condition did not go unnoticed. A friend who lived nearby was so upset that he ________ Wilson, informing him of the dog’s situation.

Wilson bought a return train ticket ________. Upon arriving, he waited several hours so that he could take the same bus that he always did. When it arrived at the station, sure enough, there was Jack, waiting and ________ as the passengers got off. And then suddenly there he was, his beloved owner.

Wilson later recalled, “Jack was ________ like a child, trembling all over. Tears welled up in my eyes too.”

Wilson took Jack back with him. They were never ________ again.

1.

A．task

B．routine

C．option

D．responsibility

2.

A．satisfied

B．sensitive

C．curious

D．familiar

3.

A．balanced

B．reflected

C．changed

D．narrowed

4.

A．belong

B．adapt

C．tend

D．stick

5.

A．chained

B．replaced

C．repaired

D．maintained

6.

A．possibility

B．symbol

C．association

D．sign

7.

A．Unhappy

B．Patient

C．Odd

D．Calm

8.

A．ignored

B．damaged

C．deserted

D．decorated

9.

A．postponed

B．lacked

C．digested

D．refused

10.

A．hesitant

B．disappointed

C．unfortunate

D．hopeful

11.

A．contacted

B．challenged

C．caught

D．found

12.

A．directly

B．independently

C．immediately

D．briefly

13.

A．biting

B．marching

C．stretching

D．watching

14.

A．crying

B．jumping

C．shouting

D．twisting

15.

A．seen

B．lost

C．separated

D．mentioned

7 . Between July and December 2021, more than 11 million young oysters (牡蛎) were put into the Hudson River. They are part of a plan to create a healthier ecosystem in the river by increasing the oyster population.

The waters used to be full of oysters, which were collected for food and shells too much. Weather got warmer and New York City also dumped waste water and harmful chemicals into the river. By 1927, most of the oysters had died. Now, oysters may help to restore the waters and bring back marine life. How do oysters do it?

Oysters help clean water. They are filter feeders, taking in water through their gills (鳃) and filter out the food they eat, such as plankton (浮游生物) and algae (海藻). A single adult oyster can filter up to 189 litres of water in a day. They also filter other harmful things out of the water, one of which is nitrogen, a chemical often found in fertilizers (肥料). Sometimes nitrogen gets washed into rivers and oceans when it rains. Too much nitrogen in the water causes large amounts of algae to grow. The algae use up the oxygen in the water, harming other marine life. Oysters filter nitrogen out of the water and use it to grow their shells.

Oysters also build reefs, benefiting the whole ecosystem. Oysters attach themselves to hard surfaces underwater like rocks. Then more oysters attach themselves on top of those, and more on top of those. As the oysters grow, their shells combine together to form a reef. Oyster reefs provide homes for plants and animals, thus creating more biodiversity. Reefs also serve to protect the shoreline. Large reefs weaken the shock of waves coming in from the ocean, and help lessen flood disaster and prevent gradual destruction of the coast.

It will take decades before the new reefs grow as big as the reefs destroyed long ago, but signs show up that the ecosystem is getting healthier.

1. The following factors contributed to the decrease of oysters in the Hudson River EXCEPT ________.

A．global warming	B．biological diseases
C．water pollution	D．human overfishing

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．Oysters usually feed on plankton and algae.

B．There are large amounts of nitrogen in the rain.

C．Algae produce oxygen for other water plants.

D．Harmful chemicals help oyster shells to grow.

3. How do oyster reefs protect coastal areas?

A．They promote biodiversity and benefit the environment.

B．They can soften the impact of waves and reduce flooding.

C．They form solid seawall and then prevent the sea storms.

D．They keep the algae in the water from spreading too fast.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．New York: a rescue on the Hudson River

B．Oyster reefs: opportunities for coastal defense

C．New York launches environmental movements

D．The oyster helps to improve river ecosystem

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写一段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

As an only child, Nicole Renae often felt lonely in her youth. But that all changed when she turned ten. For her birthday, Renae’s grandmother surprised her with an adorable gray puppy named Chloe. From the very start, the two were inseparable. “She was my best friend,” Renae says. Every ounce of love Renae gave, the little dog returned tenfold. “She was such a sweet dog,” Renae says. “She’d lick your face forever if you didn’t stop her.”

But when Renae was 14, her father got a new job and he’d be working at home, so the house needed to be completely quiet. Chloe barked a lot so they had no choice to give it up to a humane society. Though they were optimistic that the dog would find a new home with people who loved her, they couldn’t know for sure.

In time, Renae got married, and had a child of her own. But her family didn’t feel quite complete. Remembering the joy that having a dog had brought her as a kid, Renae wanted her daughter to experience the same. She decided that she would adopt a puppy, and then one day she saw a post on Facebook about a senior dog that needed a new home. The dog in the photograph looked a lot like Chloe — she was even named Chloe. In an instant it was decided: She would adopt this older dog.

注意：
1.续写词数应为100左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

When she met Chloe, Renae found that the dog seemed so familiar.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 .

Despite being located in a bustling urban part of Huanggang in Hubei, Xiao Yaqin’s apartment block stands out because of its green appearance resulting from being wrapped in green plants. “ It makes me feel very comfortable. When you open the window, fresh air keeps rolling in, ” the 65-year-old said excitedly.

He was one of the first group of residents that recently moved into China’s first “ vertical (垂直的) forest ” residential project, consisting of two 80-meter-tall, 25-story buildings.

The project is the result of cooperation between Easyhome and Italian architect Stefano Boering, often called “ the father of the vertical forest ” . There are 404 trees and 4,620 shrubs (灌木丛) in the vertical forest, which is classified as the “ fourth generation ” of housing. Grasses, flowers and climbing plants cover 2,408m² of the floor area. The plants are estimated to be capable of absorbing 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year, while generating 11 tons of oxygen.

However, its development hasn’t been met without doubt. For example, mosquito infestations (感染) are one of the reasons why people are reluctant to move in. The irrigation system required to ensure the survival of the plants in the vertical forest and the need to have gardeners cut the branches mean much higher maintenance costs than in regular buildings.

It is not yet known what the future of fourth-generation housing will be in China, but it has at least brought urban residents a new life experience. Xiao, the retiree, said his new apartment has met his expectations for better quality of life. “ You feel you are close to nature, even if you don’t open the window, ” he said.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By presenting Xiao Yaqin’s example.	B．By describing features of the apartment.
C．By imagining Xiao Yaqin’s life.	D．By showing the apartment’s popularity.

2. What can we learn about the “ vertical forest ” ?

A．Easyhome designed and built the project.

B．Its plants produce 22 metric tons of oxygen.

C．It faces problems of mosquitoes and high costs.

D．The residents have to look after the plants.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the fourth-generation housing?

A．Critical.

B．Concerned.

C．Supportive.

D．Unclear.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To predict the future way of living.	B．To introduce a new type of housing.
C．To discuss problems facing residents.	D．To advertise the vertical forest project.

10 . Imagine a plate holding two strawberries, similar in appearance. One came out of a supermarket box, meaning it was probably harvested before it is fully grown, immediately placed in a forced-air cooling unit, loaded onto a refrigerated truck and driven hundreds of miles. By the time it reached the plate two weeks may have passed. The other strawberry was picked from a garden minutes before being eaten.

The first one will probably not taste good as expected. The second is likely to be sweet; the flavor will remain in the mouth. Supermarket strawberries are not entirely without advantages: they are convenient and available even in winter. But the two berries differ from each other in the same way that hearing music in a concert hall differs from listening to an MP3. The home-grown fruit is an eatable case for planting a home garden.

Planting cool-weather greens can seem meaningless as well-stocked supermarket shelves are available all week. But the same could be said of cooking: cheap and good restaurants everywhere, so why bother to make your own meals?

That attitude fails to understand the basic appeal of gardening: it mistakes the product for the purpose. It is true that a garden can produce tomatoes and carrots that taste like themselves rather than the plastic they are usually packaged in. Finding some favorite vegetables in the shops can take some time, effort and expense; growing your own vegetables, rare or routine, ensures a reliable supply.

On the other hand, a garden, especially in the early years, can also produce frustration. Creative gardeners may plant the wrong crops for their soil. Little animals may have the habit of taking single bites of cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. And even expert gardeners can lose a season’s harvest to uncooperative weather.

No matter. The real joy of gardening is the time spent doing it. The deepest pleasure- -as with cooking, writing, bringing up children or almost anything worthwhile- -is in the work itself. A gardener’s memories center not around the food produced, but around long summer afternoons with hands in the dirt of a home garden, surrounded by family. To garden is to patiently and lovingly help life grow, in the ground and above it.

1. What might have caused the strawberries to taste different in paragraph 1?

A．Temperature.

B．Freshness.

C．Appearance.

D．Soil.

2. Why does the writer compare the two strawberries?

A．To promote supermarket strawberries.

B．To highlight the value of a home garden.

C．To stress the differences between them.

D．To provide suggestions on fruit shopping.

3. What does “That attitude” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Regarding planting a garden as worthless.

B．Favoring what is grown in a home garden.

C．Enjoying food made by yourself at home.

D．Understanding what a garden is intended for.

4. What can we learn from paragraphs 4-5?

A．Stores can never take the place of a garden.

B．Garden products are not for sale in the stores.

C．Gardens may fail to produce what you want.

D．Training is required for productive gardens.

5. How do we find the real joy of gardening?

A．Observe patiently how plants grow all summer.

B．Spend time taking care of a garden with family.

C．Make friends with gardeners in the neighborhood.

D．Labor lovingly to clean the dirt out of the garden.