1 . At first, the grains of rice that Ingo Potrykus held in his fingers did not seem at all _________, but inside, these grains were not white, as ordinary rice is, but a very pale yellow — thanks to beta-carotene (胡萝卜素), a building block for vitamin A.

For more than a decade Potrykus had _________ creating a golden rice that could improve the lives of millions of the poorest people in the world, strengthening their eyesight and their _________ disease.

_________ imagining golden rice was one thing and creating one quite another. Year after year, Potrykus and his colleagues ran into one _________ after another until success finally came in the spring of 1999.

At that point, he tackled an even greater challenge. The golden grains _________ pieces of DNA borrowed from bacteria and flowers. It was what some would call Frankenfood, a product of genetic engineering. As such, it _________ a web of hopes and fears.

The debate began the moment genetically engineered crops (GM crops) were first sold in the 1990s, and it has _________ ever since. First to start major protests against biotechnology were European environmentalists and consumer-advocacy groups. They were soon followed by their U.S. counterparts (相对应的人事物).

The hostility is _________. Most of the GM crops __________ so far have been developed to produce a plant that is not harmed by chemicals used to kill weeds (杂草) in the fields. These genetically engineered crops are often sold by the same large, multinational corporations that __________ the weed-killing chemicals that farmers spray on their fields. Consumers have become suspicious (怀疑的).

The benefits did seem small __________ golden rice was developed. It is the first strong example of a GM crop that may __________ not just the farmers who grow it but also the consumers who eat it. In this case, those include at least a million children who die every year because they are weakened by vitamin-A deficiency (缺乏) and an additional 350,000 who go blind.

Many people __________ poverty and hunger look at golden rice and see it as evidence that GM crops can be made to serve the greater public good. They see a critical role for GM crops in feeding the world’s ever-increasing population. As former U.S. President Jimmy Carter put it, “Responsible biotechnology is not the enemy; __________ is.”

1.

A．typical

B．special

C．local

D．white

2.

A．dreamed of

B．come in handy

C．been reminded of

D．broken up

3.

A．attempt at

B．effort to

C．resistance to

D．majority of

4.

A．But

B．And

C．While

D．Since

5.

A．surprise

B．obstacle

C．norm

D．opposition

6.

A．achieved

B．stressed

C．overlooked

D．contained

7.

A．was caught in

B．was alive with

C．be conscious of

D．was honored by

8.

A．announced

B．maintained

C．escalated

D．applied

9.

A．brilliant

B．understandable

C．discharged

D．rewarding

10.

A．introduced

B．reminded

C．respected

D．overlooked

11.

A．toss and turn

B．give and take

C．produce and sell

D．demand and supply

12.

A．until

B．after

C．although

D．when

13.

A．feature

B．mark

C．build

D．benefit

14.

A．worried about

B．ashamed of

C．filled with

D．admired for

15.

A．terror

B．misery

C．starvation

D．crisis

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

A. adaptable        B. classic          C. determined   D. effectively   E. fundamentally F. immediately     G. sideways       H. stretched       I. survival        J. underside       K. upright

Why Are Trees Tree-shaped?

While running through a leafy park days ago, I passed dozens of tree species of different sizes and ages, and I was suddenly struck by how     1     similar they were. Wide trunks split into smaller branches in the same sort of way. You could guess the height of a tree just by looking at how wide its trunk is. We would notice     2     if someone drew a tree with branches that were too wide or a trunk that was too thin. What makes a tree look like a tree? Maximising the sunlight hitting the tree’s leaves is obviously critical for the tree’s     3    . But the size and shape of the branches is largely     4     by a different standards: a tree must be strong enough to stay standing     5    , possibly for centuries. Imagine an oak tree, with branches reaching     6     off the main trunk. Each branch has to support its own considerable weight, so the wood in its lower half is slightly compressed and the top half is being     7    . That top layer of a branch takes the weight of the branch. And a particular type of wood has grown there to do that job. It’s called reaction wood, because it formed as reinforcement (增强) to take the increasing weight as the branch grew. The trees that reinforce on top the branches are the “lollipop” ones:     8     branching species like oaks. But there is another way of solving that problem. Some trees grow their reinforcing reaction wood on the     9     instead, so the branch is pushed up, rather than pulled from above. It works, but not as     10    , so these trees can’t support large side branches. The ones that reinforce underneath have a thick trunk with much smaller side branches, and they grow to be conical—some examples of these trees are pines and firs.

oak pine fir

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

A New Orchid was Found in Japan

Nature is full of secrets. There are still many things to find out about it. One of those things was discovered last week in Japan. It is rare to find a new plant in Japan. An amateur naturalist came across a new species of orchid     1     other flowers in Tokyo. Scientists also found the flower elsewhere in other districts, an indication that the new species     2     deserve further investigation.

The newly-found orchid is beautiful. It is pink and white, it has a central stem, around     3     grow tiny, bell-shaped flowers, and its delicate petals (花瓣) look like they are made from glass. The flower is a neighbor to a(n)     4     (relate) orchid species common in Japan.

Sometimes unknown species are often living right under our noses — in parks, gardens and even in planters on balconies. That’s     5     researchers in Japan recently recognized this new species of orchid. Professor Kenji Suetsugu from Kobe University said the discovery of new species in usual places means it is necessary to keep exploring, even in everyday places that     6     (not look) so remarkable.

There are about 28,000 orchid species worldwide. The new orchid belongs to a class called Spiranthes. There are about 50 different kinds of Spiranthes. They are     7     (familiar) kind of orchid in Japan, for they appeared in a Japanese poem dating to 759 AD. Professor Suetsugu said he and his colleagues were “delighted     8     (identify) a new species”. He said it was exciting because it wasn’t found hidden deep in a rainforest or jungle. The discovery of the new orchid is good news. However, many orchids are on the endangered species list due to habitat loss. We need to protect natural environments to stop flowers     9     (disappear). The world will be far less colourful     10     we lose more orchids.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。1.

A．To help the man learn more about the gardener.

B．To show the value of taking advice in gardening.

C．To publicize the attractiveness of Dorset Gardens.

D．To inform people of more guidelines for gardening.

2.

A．By attending a college course.	B．By visiting Kew Garden.
C．By listening to talks on gardening.	D．By reading Margery Fisher’s book.

3.

A．It was full of creative angles.	B．It made her famous in the town.
C．It occupied a rather small area.	D．It was near her house in Somerset.

4.

A．Because it’s full of plants given by her friends.

B．Because it’s visited and appreciated by tourists.

C．Because it’s where she spends much time with others.

D．Because it’s an outdoor classroom for biology students.

5 . A forest in Staffordshire (in the UK) transformed into a hi-tech laboratory. Researchers here are investigating how the trees use carbon, and it’s difficult to find out. In an unusual experiment, extra carbon dioxide is piped to the trees, to create the kind of atmospheric conditions expected in the middle of the century. And instruments measure how the forest reacts.       

The scientist in charge says there’s still a lot to learn. And he worries that governments and companies are rushing to plant trees as an easy answer to climate change. “If you try and use trees to tidy up the mess that we’re making through emissions, you are putting those trees into a very rapidly changing climate and they will struggle to adapt,” said Professor Rob MacKenzie, University of Birmingham.

This device tracks the movement of carbon dioxide. In a healthy forest, the gas is not only absorbed by the trees but some is released as well. What scientists here are finding out is the way carbon flows into a forest and out of it is a lot more complicated than you might think. So, if mass tree planting is meant to be a solution to tackling climate change, the trees are going to have to be monitored and cared for, over not just decades, but may be centuries as well.

Of all the challenges, the task of planting is the simplest. Shelby Barber from Canada can do an amazing 4,000 trees in a day. “People talking about planting millions billions of trees around the world. Is it possible do you think, physically?” asked BBC.

“It’s definitely possible with the right amount of people, the right group of people. I’ve personally, in three years, planted just over half a million trees.” said Professor Rob MacKenzie.

Once planted, the trees need to survive, and experts are mixing different types to minimize the risk of disease. “It’s a bit like making sure you don’t put all your eggs in one basket, you’re spreading out your risk. And then if one part of that woodland fails, for whatever reason, it gets a disease or it can’t tolerate future climatic conditions, there are other parts of the forest that are healthy and able to fill in those gaps.” said Eleanor Tew of Forestry England.

Suddenly there’s momentum to plant trees on a scale never seen before. So what matters is doing it in a way that ensures the forests thrive — so they really do help with climate change.

1. Why is extra carbon dioxide piped to the trees in the experiment?

A．To predict the future atmospheric conditions.

B．To imitate the possible air condition in the future.

C．To create an instrument to measure atmospheric conditions.

D．To investigate the quality of air condition in the future.

2. The underlined word “some” in the second paragraph refers to __________.

A．oxygen

B．carbon dioxide

C．mess

D．purified gas

3. What will Eleanor Tew suggest concerning the survival of the forest?

A．Minimizing the area of the woodland.

B．Studying future climatic conditions.

C．Planting different types of trees.

D．Avoiding mixing different species.

4. Which statement concerning mass tree planting will Professor Rob Mackenzie mostly likely agree with?

A．It should be advocated in terms of efficiency and convenience.

B．It is the most effective solution to fighting climate changes.

C．It will do more harm than good to the health of the environment.

D．It needs to be studied further as a measure against climate change.

6 . Country diary: a chainsaw massacre in the alder woods

On an overcast, drizzly afternoon at Durham Wildlife Trust’s low Barns nature _________ alder provided the brightest splash of color in the _________

A tree had been felled and sawn into _________. Chainsaw wounds on this species can look like a massacre, because soon after the timber is cut, it turns a lurid shade of red, almost like blood, in stark contrast to the battleship-grey bark, _________ those wounds, which briefly _________ raw meat, fade to orange and finally to chestnut brown.

When this reserve was established half a century ago, around old gravel pits (采沙场), some moisture-loving alders were planted to help _________ a bare, windswept site. Alder wood is one of the finest sources of charcoal, and the plantation trees are old enough now to be coppiced, to produce barbecue fuel.

There is also an important natural alder wood here, created by a cataclysm almost two and a half centuries ago, which led to the designation of the reserve as a site of special scientific interest.

The Great Flood of 1771 _________ Weardale, washing away bridges all the way to the coast. When the water subsided, the course of the River Wear had _________ half a mile south, and the old riverbed became what is now the reserve’s Long Alder Wood, the finest example of its kind in the region.

When it sometimes floods, this tangle of gnarled（苍劲嶙峋的） trees has a _________ of the Florida Everglades（佛罗里达大沼泽） about it, with mossy, fallen trunks sinking back into the ooze (淤泥). Year round, there are wonderful __________ to watch birds from an embankment level with the tree canopy. This afternoon an acrobatic flock of about 30 goldfinches（金翅雀）__________ and chattered through the twigs, feeding on tiny seeds that fall from the woody cones.

Sadly, since the mid-1990s, another__________ has befallen this locally __________ woodland: alder dieback disease has killed around half the mature trees. Coppicing is leading to some regeneration, though in this precious __________ dead timber is allowed to lay where it falls, reserved for the needs of a __________ community of fungi, invertebrates and woodpeckers, rather than back-garden burger-flippers on summer evenings.

1.

A．reserve

B．preserve

C．conserve

D．deserve

2.

A．scene

B．view

C．scope

D．landscape

3.

A．logs

B．materials

C．resources

D．sources

4.

A．Everlastingly

B．Eventually

C．Continually

D．Sustainably

5.

A．assemble

B．present

C．overcast

D．resemble

6.

A．rejuvenate

B．revenge

C．reform

D．remain

7.

A．gone through

B．got through

C．swept through

D．cut through

8.

A．changed

B．shifted

C．reversed

D．revised

9.

A．clue

B．plot

C．evidence

D．hint

10.

A．opportunities

B．possibilities

C．alternatives

D．probabilities

11.

A．schemed

B．crawled

C．bounced

D．scattered

12.

A．misfortune

B．catastrophe

C．setback

D．adversity

13.

A．unique

B．peculiar

C．especial

D．particular

14.

A．frontier

B．territory

C．habitat

D．boundary

15.

A．various

B．versatile

C．multiple

D．diverse

7 . The Bitter Truth Behind Vanilla

Vanilla is one of the world’s most popular spices and an important ingredient in products ranging from chocolate to perfume. However, the wholesale price of vanilla has reached up to $600 per kilogram, when just a few years ago it fetched a tenth of that. What is happening?

Madagascar supplies more than 80 percent of the world’s natural vanilla. In the 19th century, the French introduced Bourbon vanilla to their African island colony. Today, vanilla represents 20 percent of Madagascan exports, worth around $600 million at current prices. However, it is a difficult crop to grow. A vine takes three to four years to mature.     1     Nine months later, the green beans must be hand-picked when perfectly ripe to optimize their vanillin content (the compound that gives vanilla its flavor). Months of blanching(焯水), sweathing(焖煮) and gradual drying in the sun are then necessary to produce the aromatic(芳香的) spice. Six hundred hand-pollinated blossoms yield about six kilos of green beans, which convert to one kilo of dried beans.

The price of Madagascan vanilla was once set by the government.     2     Madagascar’s government was eventually forced to end its price-fixing regime(体制). Food giants such as Unilever and Nestlé also increased their use of synthetic vanillin, which can be produced from reliable sources, adding to the pressure. For 30 years, Madagascar’s vanilla farmers earned just a pittance, and many ended up leaving the business. But even with fewer producers, the price of natural vanilla stayed low.

It was not until public tastes started shifting towards all things natural that farmers’ fortunes revived. From around 2011, some manufacturers began focusing once more on natural vanilla. In 2015, Nestlé announced plans to use only natural ingredients in five years, and Hershey’s followed suit.     3     Extreme weather, weak crop-security, and exporters who hoard inventory(囤货) and speculate (做投机买卖) on further rises have also kept prices high.

    4     To prevent theft of their now rather valuable crops, farmers have taken to harvesting the beans early, thereby reducing the overall quality of the crop. That forces the government to make greater efforts to enforce penalties(处罚). If it manages this, Madagascar could yet savor the benefits of its near monopoly(垄断).

A．It’s expensive because it’s both labor-intensive and time-consuming to grow.

B．Demand has therefore surged, and with it prices - in part because natural supplies are insufficient.

C．If pollination (授粉) is successful, it will take another eight to nine months until the plant matures.

D．This rise has not been without its challenges.

E．The flowers open for just one day a year, so pollination is done completely by hand.

F．But such were the prices it demanded for vanilla that in the 1980s buyers turned their attention to the cheaper, poor-quality version available elsewhere, in particular Indonesia.

8 . He was wandering in a rice field of dreams.     1     After walking a while he lay down in the leaf-shade with a friend, quite hidden. A rest was a good idea, because the wonder-plants went on and on. In fact, they covered the world.

Then Yuan Longping woke up, laughing.     2    . But they still deserved their name of super rice. The leaves were straighter and taller than ordinary, and the grains plumper. They had all the vigor of the wild strain that he and his team had found after much searching and had cross-bred, over careful years, with the domesticated variety.

The figures spoke for themselves.     3    . In Yunnan province more than 17000 kilograms had been produced per hectare. China’s rice crop had risen from 57m tonnes in 1950 to 195m in 2017; from food deficiency, to food security. Higher rice-yields allowed farmers to turn more land to other uses-fruit, vegetables, fishponds-so that people ate more and well.

For this he won the Medal of the Republic, China’s highest, and the World Food Prize. An asteroid was named after him. There was talk of the Nobel, too.     4    . Though he was rich, from his shares in a seed company that used his name, he looked like a peasant, thin as a twig, with his face leathered by sun and his big hands rough from “playing in the mud” all day.

He was far happier in his short-sleeved work-shirts, out in his rice, or stripped off swimming in any wild river he could find, than in a tang suit in some conference hall.

A．Nothing but the continuous development of his beloved country seemed to attract him

B．With his new hybrid rice the annual yield was 20-30% higher, so at least 60m more people could be fed every year.

C．His dreams focused on his people and his country, where all enjoyed food and wealth.

D．All that seemed just smoke to him.

E．The plants were taller than men. Each grain is as big as a peanut.

F．The rice plants he had tended for decades at Anjiang and then Changsha, sowing and nurturing them, visiting daily on his motorbike to inspect them, were not quite there yet.

9 .

A．Bring flowers.	B．Take a pot plant.
C．Buy postcards.	D．Send fruits.

10 . French adventurer-scientist Roland Bourdeix has a grand vision for how to preserve a thousand or more genetic varieties of coconut trees. Imagine, as he does, turning dozens or hundreds of remote Pacific islands into coconut sanctuaries. Each island would contain just a few varieties of these trees.

But why? Are coconut trees, the source of oil and newly trendy coconut water, somehow in danger?

Not exactly. At least not for now. There are plenty of coconut palms all over the tropics, and coconut production has been slowly growing. But that masks a potential long-term problem, says Stephan Weise, Deputy Director General for Research at Bioversity International in Rome. Most coconut production comes from a small part of the coconut’s gene pool (基因库). Producers rely on a handful of high-producing varieties or hybrids (杂交品种). Those commercial varieties are slowly overwhelming (压倒)traditional varieties that people in the tropics have grown thousands of years. Those are the storehouse of the coconut’s genetic diversity: All of the colors, shapes, tastes, and survival tools that this species possesses — and may need again someday.

Conserving (保护)such diversity in agricultural crops is a familiar problem, but the situation with coconuts is a little bit different, Weise says.

First of all, scientists can’t yet preserve a particular kind of coconuts in refrigerated “gene banks,” as they do with standard seeds. They can’t dry, freeze, and preserve coconuts for decades. Instead, coconuts have to be preserved as living trees, growing outside.

This leads to the second problem. Coconut varieties growing in the open air often won’t reproduce themselves successfully. Their flowers pick up pollen (花粉)from other trees nearby, which often turn out to be commercial varieties or hybrids. And when that happens, some genes may be lost altogether.

So what’s the secret to preserving these coconuts? For starters, scientists have set up a dozen open-air coconut gene banks. They’re reproducing each variety through careful hand-pollination of the trees. But Weise says that’s expensive and labor-intensive.

This brings us back to Roland Bourdeix’s crazy-sounding idea. The key to preserving coconut biodiversity more cheaply, he thinks, is isolation. And there’s no more isolated place than a lonely Pacific island. Just convince people on one of these islands to plant coconut trees from a single variety, and the problem is practically solved. He’s found several islands where the inhabitants are willing to help turn his vision into reality. One of them is well-known already: The Tetiaroa Atoll in French Polynesia, an idyllic retreat once owned by Marlon Brando.

1. Why is it important to preserve the traditional varieties of coconut?

A．The traditional varieties are more commercial.

B．They can help explain the history of people living in the tropics.

C．They contain genetic diversity.

D．It can help the tourism on remote Pacific islands.

2. How do scientists usually conserve agricultural crops?

A．They freeze them.	B．They hand-pollinate them.
C．They grow them out of labs.	D．They mix them with other breeds.

3. Why are Pacific islands ideal for the conservation of coconut trees?

A．They are owned by celebrities, which can help promote public awareness of the issue.

B．They are among the most isolated places in the world.

C．The inhabitants on the islands are innocent enough to be deceived.

D．The labor on those islands is cheaper.

4. The best title for the article can be _________.

A．A Crazy Gardener

B．Remote Islands for Preserving Coconut Genes

C．Advantages of Traditional Coconut Trees

D．Loss of Coconut Genes