1 . My husband, Dave, who teaches Botany (植物学), always plants things. He has planted trees anywhere we have lived and is proud to see they are flourishing and providing shade and beauty for whoever lives there.

I also love planting, especially the harvest. But I hate weeding (除草). I remember one of our first gardens in Kansas when I was attacked by the hugest grasshoppers (蚱蜢) I had ever seen while weeding our little garden.

Now, our growing efforts at our new home are vegetables. We are enjoying the garden we have created. It’s large but manageable with daily care. We use methods to minimize weeds. We have the time to keep up with the watering and weeding. I find I don’t hate that anymore.

There is something satisfying about pulling grass, and violets that are growing where we don’t want them, and unnamed weeds that are affecting the growth of what we want. I find that my relationship with gardening is turning into a true romance that has a rosy future.

It’s all about time, environment and attitude. Being in my eighties, I have the time to be patient for results, to enjoy the hope for future harvest, and I have the knowledge that comes from experience. I find a lot to love about growing things and about growing older.

1. What does the author’s husband take pride in?

A．Teaching.	B．Weeding.
C．Planting trees.	D．Growing vegetables.

2. How did the author feel when seeing grasshoppers from the weeds?

A．Calm.

B．Excited.

C．Bored.

D．Frightened.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 4?

A．Weeds are growing wildly.	B．The author begins to enjoy weeding.
C．The author finds new ways to weed.	D．Weeds balance the garden.

4. What does the author say about growing old?

A．It is a time to start work.

B．It is a stage of showing pity for the lost past.

C．It lets people become patient and wise.

D．It makes learning knowledge difficult.

2 . 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。

The ginkgo (银杏) tree is thought to be one of the oldest living trees,     1     (date) back to more than 290 million years ago. It is native     2     China, Japan and Korea, but it is also now grown in Europe and the United States. The earliest records of ginkgoes are found in Chinese herbology literature such as Compendium of Materia Medica.

Ginkgoes are large trees,     3     (normal) reaching a height of 20 — 35 meters, with some in China being over 50 meters. The adult tree has a large crown and long branches, and it is usually deep-rooted and resistant to wind and snow damage. With a combination of     4     (resistant) to diseases and insects, some of the trees     5     (claim) to be more than 2,500 years old.

With fan-shaped leaves, ginkgoes are green both on the top and bottom. But during autumn, they turn bright yellow and then fall, which make up     6     beautiful scene. Ginkgoes come in two sexes, with some trees being female     7     others male. The fruit has a soft, fleshy and yellow-brown outer layer     8     is attractive in appearance.

Because ginkgoes     9     (be) around for so long, people have used them for many purposes. It’s commonly used for memory and thought problems, vision problems and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence     10     (support) most of these uses.

3 . When micro-plastics end up in farm fields, the pollution can damage plant growth. But two young researchers now report that combining fungi (真菌) with certain farm wastes can partly overcome that problem.

May Shin, 20, and Jiwon Choi, 18, met in a research design class at the Fryeburg Academy, a high school in Maine. May had desired to explore how micro-plastics might affect the ecosystem. Jiwon was crazy about plants and fungi. The young scientists cooperated to test how long-lived plastics might affect farm crops.

Scientists have shown certain fungi can aid root growth and a plant’s nutrient uptake. Those organisms are named arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Certain farm wastes, like straw, can provide nutrients to plants and help stabilize their roots. Such wastes are also known as mushroom substrate (基质) and people often grow mushrooms in them.

May and Jiwon planted over 2,000 scallion (大葱) seeds in pots of soil. Half the seeds got soil polluted with micro-plastics. The rest grew in plastic-free soil. The plants then were further divided into four groups. The young scientists added AMF to the soil in one group. Another group had a top layer of mushroom substrate. A third group got both treatments. The last group got none. For three weeks, the pair tracked how many scallions sprouted (发芽) in each group and measured the plants’ height once each week.

About twice as many scallions sprouted in clean soil compared to that containing plastic bits. But among plants surviving in the polluted soil, a combination of AMF and mushroom substrate helped them out. Those getting both treatments grew 5.4 centimeters per week. That was faster than either of the treatments alone or those getting none.

Jiwon and May then looked at the plant roots with a microscope. Where AMF had been added, it grew into those roots. That increased the scallion roots’ surface area, May said, which should promote their uptake of nutrients. So “I see this project as coming up with a sustainable solution for plant growth in polluted soils,” said May.

1. Why did May and Jiwon work together?

A．To see the effects of long-lived plastics on farm crops.

B．To find the relationship between plants and fungi.

C．To design a research on the growth of plants.

D．To explore the way that the ecosystem works.

2. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 3?

A．To prove the existence of micro-plastics.	B．To compare fungi with farm wastes.
C．To tell the advantages of farm wastes.	D．To provide some related information.

3. What aspect of the study is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Its purpose.

B．Its design.

C．Its findings.

D．Its reasons.

4. How can AMF and mushroom substrate make plants grow faster?

A．By keeping the plants more resistant to pollution.	B．By allowing the plants’ deep area more freedom.
C．By making nutrients more available to the plants.	D．By exposing the roots to a larger surface area.

4 . How to create an indoor garden

If you’re looking for a way to brighten up your home, consider creating an indoor garden.     1     We will share some basic tips on how to make yours look its best.

Know the type of plants you want

Deciding is probably the hardest part when it comes to creating an indoor garden because there are just so many plants to choose from. Start by thinking about what type of plants you want.

    2     Or maybe something that doesn’t need much attention or effort? Once you have an idea of the type of plant you want, you can start narrowing down your options.

Get the right potting soil and containers

Now that you know what type of plants you want, it’s time to get the right potting soil and containers. Make sure to get a potting mix that is specifically designed for indoor plants.     3     As for containers, you can really use anything as long as it has drainage holes.

Choose a bright location Once you have your plants and pots, it’s time to choose a location for your indoor garden.     4     This will help your plants grow and stay healthy. If you don’t have a spot that gets a lot of light, you can always use artificial lighting like grow lights.

    5    

In addition to watering, you’ll also need to add substance to your plants about once a month. This will help them grow and stay healthy. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the package. Don’t overdo it.

A．Give fertiliser monthly.

B．How exactly can we make one?

C．Follow the instruction correctly.

D．But don’t worry, we’re here to help.

E．This will help your plants grow strong.

F．Do you want something that will blossom?

G．Look for a spot in your home that gets a lot of natural light.

5 . 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。

China’s State Council recently approved a plan to establish a national botanical garden in Beijing,     1     (open) a new stage of the country’s effort to set up a national botanical garden system.

As one of the countries with the     2     (rich) plant diversity in the world, China is home     3     more than 36,000 species of higher plants. China has nearly 200 botanical gardens     4     over 23,000 plant species, or 60 percent of the country’s indigenous (本土) plant species, are under ex-situ (迁地) conservation.

For a long time, botanical gardens     5     (play) a positive role in maintaining plant diversity. Why the national botanical garden chooses to be built in Beijing?

Top scientists and high-end scientific research platforms     6     (be) important precondition for the most efficient ex-situ conservation of plant diversity in China. The national botanical garden to be established in Beijing has a     7     (plan) area of nearly 600 hectares and will be built on two sites.

Beijing enjoys geographical     8     (advantage) for building the national botanical garden. As     9     capital city of China, the city has a     10     (suit) climate and many wetlands. Temperate, subtropical and even tropical plants, cold—and drought-resistant plants, wetland plants can all grow here.

6 . Fig trees are native to Europe around the Mediterranean Sea, Asia and Arica, but they can grow in much cooler climates.

Once big enough, fig trees can accept temperatures even a few degrees below freezing. Some kinds of fig trees do better in such environments than others.

Depending on the weather and pruning (修剪), a fig can grow into a bush or a tee. Bushes with several stems (茎) growing from the ground do best if covered for the winter.     1    Either way, wait until the trees have dropped most of their leaves.

One popular method for burying trees for their protection involves digging a narrow, shallow area.     2    The space should be about 30 centimeters deep, 60 centimeters wide and as long as the height of the tree. To prepare the tree, gather its branches and tie them together with soft rope.

Next, push a shovel (铲子) into the soil about a half-meter from the trunk (树干) on the side opposite the hole. Lift that side of the tree’s root ball out of the ground. Then, gently push the tree toward the hole.    3    

Pack soil around the exposed side of the roots, and around the length of the tree. Load soil over the tree. Make it at least 30 centimeters deep. You will need more soil than you removed from digging.

    4    In this case, you should work upwards from the bottom and put cloth around the tree. Then put heavy brown paper around the cloth and tie it into place. Remove some soil from around the base of the tree. Place a large piece of cardboard into the space.     5    Tie the cardboard into place.

A．And in this area the tree can be laid.

B．All kinds of the trees could use protection.

C．You can also cover, or wrap, the tree instead.

D．And bend it around the bottom part of the tree.

E．When it is lying fat, cover the tree with plastic.

F．Trees with a single trunk can be buried or covered.

G．Remove the cover on the tee on a cloudy day in early spring.

7 . While the idea of warmer, shorter winters might sound appealing to farmers eager to tap into longer growing seasons those engaged in Georgia’s massive peach industry are finding the trend alarming. Since 1960, the average winter temperature in Georgia, has risen by 5°F. For farmers who depend on cold weather to help peaches grow, the state’s diminishing winters are a warning to adapt or else.

One of the keys to growing the perfect Georgia peach is something called “chill (寒冷的) hours.” Nut and fruit trees require a certain number of chill hours below 45°F to regulate their growth. Without the needed amount, flower buds may be delayed or unpredictable in spring and fruit set and fruit quality will be poor. In Georgia, home to nearly 12,000 acres of peaches, the average peach tree requires anywhere from 650 to 850 chill hours each season.

The impact from a loss of chill hours was felt most recently in 2017, when farms across the state averaged less than 400 hours and 85% of the peach crop was lost. “It was so bad that we didn’t care about the blooms anymore.” Chavez said, “We wondered if the plants would survive.”

While planting new varieties of peaches that require fewer chill hours is part of the solution, it’s not the only characteristic that’s necessary. Despite warmer, shorter winters, Georgia still experiences a consistent frost in early March. Peach varieties with fewer chill hours often bloom earlier, making them easy victims to this freezing spring temperatures.

In response, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) is experimenting with hybrid varieties that achieve that delicate balance. The days of planting 1,000+ chill hour varieties in Georgia may be gone, but the hope is that continued research into global warming-tolerant varieties may keep the state’s official fruit firmly in the sweet spot of American produce.

“We’ve got to keep changing as the environment changes,” Georgia farmer Lawton Pearson said. “But it’s not something that scares us in the slightest about the future of growing peaches. It’s just something you’ve got to deal with.”

1. What does the underlined word “diminishing” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Shortened.	B．Freezing.
C．Disappearing.	D．Delayed.

2. Why are Chave’s remarks cited in Paragraph 3?

A．To explain reasons for chill-hours loss.

B．To prove 2017 is the worst year in history.

C．To confirm peach farmers suffered the most.

D．To show the serious consequence of chill-hours loss.

3. What is the key to successfully developing warming-tolerant peach varieties?

A．Improvement of sweetness of peaches.

B．Achievement of the shortest chill hours.

C．Avoidance of peaches’ much delayed flowering,

D．Balance between low chill and normal flowering.

4. What is Lawton Pearson’s attitude toward the future of growing peaches?

A．Curious.	B．Skeptical.
C．Positive.	D．Ambiguous.

8 . Environmental conditions experienced by parent plants can influence offspring performance through parental effects induced(感应的) by DNA. The offspring can also be influenced by environmental conditions experienced by their parents via soil legacy(遗产) effects due to changes in the composition of soil.

We conducted a two-phase experiment with five genotypes(基因型) of a clonal plant. In the first phase, we grew parent plants of each genotype under two light conditions and two DNA treatments. We then collected soils and clonal offspring for each genotype from each of these four treatments and measured soil properties. In the second phase, we grew the offspring from each of the four treatments in the four different soils, under the two light conditions.

When grown under environmental light condition and in soil from environmental parents, offspring produced by environmental parents grew larger than offspring produced by shaded parents when the parents were treated with water. This difference was smaller when the parents were treated with 5-7°C, and disappeared when the offspring were grown in soil from shaded parents. The growth difference was also observed when the offspring were grown under shaded condition and in soil from shaded parents. However, this difference was greater when the parents were treated with 5-7°C, and disappeared when the offspring were grown in soil from environmental parents.

Our results show that light condition experienced by parents can influence offspring responses to light through both parental effects and soil legacies. The parental effects were mediated(调节) by changes in DNA and the soil legacies. These impacts may eventually influence the ecological and evolutionary track of clonal plant populations.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．Environmental conditions are important to offspring performance.

B．Offspring performance can be controlled by DNA and the soil legacies.

C．Environmental conditions experienced by parent plants can influence offspring.

D．Light condition experienced by parents can influence offspring responses to light.

2. How did the researchers get the result?

A．They carried out a survey.

B．They conducted an experiment.

C．They analyzed existing data.

D．They collected information from others.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．Growth difference only happens under environmental light condition.

B．Offspring of environmental parents grow smaller than offspring of shaded parents.

C．No growth difference appears when offspring are grown in soil from shaded parents.

D．Growth difference varies when parents are treated with 5-7°C under different conditions.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A diary.

B．A magazine.

C．A novel.

D．A notebook.

9 . 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。

Yunnan is the hometown of tea. It provides the ideal climate and the ecological environment for large-leaf tea trees, which are located in the     1     (region) along the Lancang River. Thousands of years ago, they formed those ancient tea plantations,     2     are the best gift that nature has grated us.

    3     (preserve) the ancient tea trees, Southwest Chinn’s Yunnan Province has passed a protection regulation recently,     4     (clarify) that wild and cultivated ten plants aged over 100 wars should be better protected in the province. The new regulation, which will come into force starting from March 1, 2023,    5    (prohibit) six kinds of behaviors that harm ancient tea plants and their growing environment. Unauthorized cutting and transplantation of ancient tea trees, carving tree branches, digging the roots,     6    damaging the ancient lea trees are all banned.

Other     7     (legal) practices include using harmful chemical herbicides, releasing waste gas and water, as well as dumping and throwing waste     8     (casual) within the protection range of the trees, according to the regulation.

Yunnan has diverse resources of tea trees. The regulation also advocates proper research and     9    (apply) of Yunnan’s resources of ancient tea trees, raising varieties     10    new tea trees of good quality, as well as the establishment of relevant industrial chains.

10 . Antioxidants (抗氧化剂) are found naturally inn plants like blueberries, blackberries, and red cabbage. Scientists believe antioxidants may help prevent heart disease and help fight against diseases like diabetes. But tomatoes naturally only have a small amount of antioxidants in them.

British scientist Cathie Martin wanted to see if she could create tomatoes with lots of antioxidants by changing the DNA of a tomato plant.

A plant developed from specially created DNA is known as a GMO, or “genetically modified organism”. For hundreds of years, farmers have created new kinds of plants by mixing existing plants together using natural methods. GMO plants are different because the plants’ DNA has been changed by scientists. Scientists who do this usually think they’re improving the plants in some way.

After working on developing purple tomatoes for years, Dr. Martin’s experiment worked. Soon her plants were producing small purple tomatoes. Though the color is unusual, what’s really special about the tomatoes is that they have very high levels of antioxidants. Even better, the tomatoes remained fresh almost twice as long as normal tomatoes. Soon, Dr. Martin and other scientists created a company to promote the tomatoes.

The company tested its tomatoes on mice that were likely to get cancer. The mice who were fed the purple tomatoes lived about 30% longer than the mice who were fed normal tomatoes. Though that’s good news, experiments on mice don’t always predict what effects on humans will be like.

And GMO products weren’t popular with customers. Many people were scared by the idea that the foods weren’t “natural”. There are still questions about the effects of GMO crops on the environment and other plants, but most scientists agree that food from GMO crops is safe to eat.

On September 7, the government approved a GMO plant designed to target human health. Dr. Martin and her company plan to introduce the tomatoes at farmers’ markets across the US in 2023. They also hope to sell the seeds to people who want to grow their own.

1. What is the function of paragraph 1?

A．To define a concept.

B．To bring in the topic of the text.

C．To add background information.

D．To introduce the benefits of antioxidants.

2. What makes purple tomatoes really special?

A．Their medical value.	B．Their delicious flavor.
C．Their proper size.	D．Their pleasant color.

3. Why are GMO foods refused by people?

A．They are expensive to buy.

B．They are intended for animals.

C．They are thought to be harmful.

D．Their appearance isn’t appealing.

4. What is the government’s attitude towards GMO crops?

A．Opposed.

B．Unclear.

C．Positive.

D．Concemed.