1 . 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。
Plant lovers believe that talking to plants helps them grow. Scientists have discovered there could be real
The research
2 . Readers can explore the wonders of nature with Big Tree. The book was written by famous author and illustrator (插画家) Brian Selznick. It is filled with detailed black-and-white illustrations, which took years to complete.
The story introduces Merwin and Louise, two tiny Sycamore seeds (梧桐树种子) who began life during the time when dinosaurs (恐龙) travelled around the Earth. After they fell from their mother tree, they started a dangerous 147-million-year adventure to the modern day.
After reading it, I met with the famous author and illustrator at his home in La Jolla, California. Selznick explained the lessons that nature offers about helping our planet and each other. “All of us can do something to help the real seed,” Selznick said. “No matter how small you feel, there’s always something you can do.”
As for his main goal when writing Big Tree, Selznick said, “Readers feel like they are learning about interesting stories when they read Big Tree, but actually and secretly, they are learning about real science. That’s why I wrote Big Tree.”
In order to write Big Tree, Selznick went to the New York Botanical Garden, where he talked to a wonderful park manager. She walked him through the forest and talked about the way leaves work, the way trees grow and the way trees experience time.
Selznick said he learned a lot while creating Big Tree. “The manager thinks that forests are really communities. It really surprised me,” he said. “We live in communities, and when we run into trouble or danger, we communicate with each other to find solutions. Trees are doing the same thing. We’re all part of a community. And that, to me, was a really important part of Big Tree.”
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly focus on?| A．The main idea of Big Tree. | B．The discussion about Big Tree. |
| C．The review of Big Tree. | D．The story behind Big Tree. |
| A．To show the illustration art. | B．To share an interesting story. |
| C．To encourage readers to learn. | D．To make real science interesting. |
| A．He did some research. | B．He planted some trees. |
| C．He asked others’ advice. | D．He stayed in the forest alone. |
| A．Trees are important for communities. | B．Trees can communicate with each other. |
| C．Trees can protect people against danger. | D．Trees run into trouble more often. |
3 . Grapes are popular fresh fruit, and people also love to make them into wine, jam, juice, various candied fruit, jelly, vinegar, grape seed extract and grape seed oil. Grapes are very useful, and many countries have good growing conditions to grow them.
Grapes are used to make synthetic leather.
In order to find more environmentally friendly synthetic leather, Vegea, an Italian company founded in 2018, has developed a product that can be completely recycled from the grape waste left over from winemaking.
Grapes and their derivatives (raisins, wine, and grape juice)are poisonous to dogs: They can cause kidney (肾脏) failure, which can cause their final death.
The grapes you eat are different from the ones used for making wine.
China leads the way in table grape production and consumption.
Thanks to its favorable climate and growing conditions, China has been growing grapes for more than 2000 years. Consumption is expected to increase from 11. 8 million metric tons in 2021-2022 to 12. 4 million metric tons in 2022-2023, making China the world’s largest consumer.
Grapes were probably the first fruit domesticated by humans.
In 2023, researchers published genetic evidence that grape vines (藤) were domesticated around 11, 000 years ago. As the scientists pointed out, “The grapevine was probably the first fruit crop domesticated by humans …It was one of the first globally traded goods.”
| A．Grapes can be deadly to your pet. |
| B．Grapes can be unfriendly to your animals. |
| C．China doesn’t just consume a lot of grapes. |
| D．Therefore, grapes are one of the world’s most economically important crops. |
| E．The quality requirements of the ones you eat (table grapes) differ greatly from those required for wine production. |
| F．Grape leather is being used to produce a variety of products. |
| G．Grape leather is very useful. |
4 . Why do plants grow in some places and not in others? Why does some land have so much growing on it, while other land has almost no plants growing on it at all?
To grow, plants need several things. One is warmth. In very cold places almost nothing grows. Plants also need water. In very dry parts of the Earth only a few unusual plants can grow. That’s why dry deserts everywhere are almost not covered by trees or grass.
Plants must also have a place in which to put down their roots and grow. They find it difficult to grow on hard land. The town is built on hard land. The plants here have only the soil found between the cracks of the stones to grow in.
Another thing plants must have before they can grow is food.
What will happen if we try to make things grow on the sandy beach? A few plants, such as beach grass, will grow in sand, but most plants won’t. Even if the weather is warm enough and we water the plants each day, many of them will die because the sand on this beach has almost no food for plants.
1. According to the passage, plants need things to grow well.| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
| A．缝隙 | B．表面 | C．夹层 | D．底部 |
| A．there isn’t enough sunlight | B．there is too much water |
| C．it is too crowded there | D．it has little food for plants |
| A．science | B．history | C．travel | D．math |
1. What is the passage about?
| A．Several women living under the sea. | B．Sea plants. | C．Sea animals. |
| A．How the sea animals live. |
| B．How the sea plants grow. |
| C．Both A and B. |
| A．Five days. | B．Two weeks. | C．A week. |
6 . Many of the vegetables we grow in our gardens produce seeds (种子), which can grow into plants if collected and stored correctly. Late summer is the perfect time to start collecting them.
Make sure the seeds are from plants that you have planted well for many years. These are plants in their normal forms.
Hybridized (杂交) plants usually produce the vegetables sold in big food stores.They are created from two or more different kinds of plants to get the best qualities of each. Trying to grow seeds from these plants will not lead to happy results. This kind of plants will not have the expected results but instead carry the genes (基因) of just one of its parents.
Many plants become cross-pollinated (异花授粉) in the garden. Bees, flies, animals and wind spread pollen (花粉) from one plant to another. To ensure the seeds will grow into plants, give them space.
To avoid cross-pollination surprises, plant only one kind of each vegetable from which you can harvest seeds.
| A．When will the seeds come off the flower? |
| B．It is impossible to tell which parent that will be. |
| C．What should you do if you want to save tomato seeds? |
| D．Their seeds will produce plants as good as their parents. |
| E．Put seeds in a cool, dry place in a covered glass container. |
| F．Place different kinds of the same crop as far apart as possible. |
| G．In areas with cold winters, simply leave plants in the ground over winter. |
7 . Farmers in Italy’s famous Tuscany area are struggling to save grape and olive crops influenced by a heatwave and dry conditions. A lack of (缺乏) rainfall since spring has even influenced plants that traditionally grow well in hot and dry weather.
In San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, olive trees line the hillsides. But farmers say the dry soil is preventing the trees from producing the usual production of fruit.
Tuscany is famous around the world for its olive oil and wine from grapes. But growers in the area say dry, hot weather always has a great influence on the crops and harms (损害) production. But this year’s heat and lack of water happened during an important time, when the flowers were changing to fruit. Without water, many flowers fall to the ground before they can produce fruit. This year’s oil production could be cut by up to 60 percent.
Olive growers have decided to change some of their farming methods. They have used a new watering method to make up for the lack of rainfall and hot temperatures. The method works with a pipe placed under the trees to drop water little by little.
The influences of weather change have harmed production and plants, but they have also created new areas in Italy where crops can be grown. A few years ago, olive farms were mainly found in hot and dry areas such as Sicily. Now, areas such as Val d’Aosta in the far north of Italy — which is famous for its snow sport holiday places and mountains — can produce their own oil.
Climate change is also influencing wine crops in Tuscany. In Chianti, for example, September is normally the month for the yearly grape harvest (收获). But with continued high temperatures, many grapes are ripening(成熟) earlier than expected. Apart from the drop in grapes caused by the current heatwave, wine growers also have to deal with other serious weather events. An ice storm recently harmed 40 percent of grapes in the area.
1. What was the reason for the drop in oil production this year?| A．The dry weather lasted a longer time. |
| B．The fruit dropped to the ground before harvest. |
| C．The dry weather happened in a special period. |
| D．It was uncommon for the crops to experience dry weather. |
| A．It increases the planting areas of crops. |
| B．It encourages better farming methods. |
| C．It improves the taste of crops. |
| D．It attracts more tourists to the area. |
| A．The influences of poor grapes on red wine. |
| B．The harm brought by an ice storm to grapes. |
| C．The production of grapes dropped because of dry weather. |
| D．The influences of bad weather on grapes. |
| A．Farmers in Italy Are Expecting Some Rain |
| B．Dry Weather Influences Italy’s Famous Grape & Olive Crops |
| C．More Areas in Italy Are Fit for Crops Because of Warming Climate |
| D．New Ways Are Introduced to Fight Against Dry Weather |
8 . There are many theories that suggest different ways of improving memory or thinking more clearly. One of those is the idea that adding rosemary (迷迭香) to your food or water, or even breathing in its fragrance, can give your brain a boost.
First, it’s important to understand what rosemary is.
Rosemary is related to the mint (薄荷) family of plants. When it blooms, its flowers are white, purple, pink or deep blue. It is often used as a flavor in food, including soups, meat, fish and other Mediterranean food. And it has a somewhat bitter flavor. Some people also enjoy tea flavored with rosemary.
One study that involved 28 older adults found that consumption of a small amount of dried rosemary powder was associated with statistically significantly improved memory speed.
While rosemary shows some promise for boosting our brain power, it’s important to check with your doctor before you begin having it.
| A．But it is grown in the United States, as well. |
| B．Rosemary is a herb with needle-like leaves. |
| C．Here’s what research has found about rosemary. |
| D．It is unknown if those benefits would hold true for humans. |
| E．It’s not known for sure why there may be a benefit from rosemary. |
| F．Rosemary is also used as a perfume and added to shampoo and soap. |
| G．Another study was performed with 53 students between 13 and 15 years old. |
9 . In organic（有机的) farming, crops, meat and other food are produced without chemicals. Fertilizers, and antibiotics (化肥与抗生素) are not allowed. During thousands of years of civilization the raising of animals and growing of plants have always been organic.
Chemicals for farming first came up at the turn of the 20th century. Widespread use of chemicals began after World War II. In the 1950s and 60s farmers started using chemical fertilizers and antibiotics. Recently, however, more and more farmers have been returning to more natural ways of producing farm products.
Instead of chemicals, organic farming uses a lot of organic matter to give crops the nutrients that they need to grow. Clover, for example, has a lot of nitrogen (氮) in it and farmers use it to make the soil better. Manure from animals and compost (混合肥料) are also used to enrich the soil. These fertilizers also help protect the soil, not destroy it after a few years.
Organic farmers also use crop rotation (轮作) to protect the good qualities of soils. Chemical antibiotics destroy or weaken many of the natural enemies of pests, like birds or frogs. They also can kill those insects that control a great number of pests. Organic farming creates new living areas for little animals, such as wasps, bugs, beetles and flies by giving them water and food. Weeds are controlled by using special machines. Hay, straw and wood chips are put between the rows of plants to stop weeding.
Many agricultural products can be produced in an organic way. Meat, dairy products and eggs come from animals that are fed organically and can graze outdoors. They live in conditions that are natural to them. Cows, for example, are kept in pastures and fields. Vegetables and fruit are also produced with organic methods.
1. What of the following best describes the organic farming?| A．Time-saving. | B．Environmental. | C．Productive. | D．Developmental. |
| A．Crop roots. | B．Chemical fertilizers. |
| C．Animals’ waste. | D．Agricultural products. |
| A．The new study of soils. | B．Benefits from organic farming. |
| C．A breakthrough in antibiotics. | D．Natural enemies of animals. |
| A．Organic farming and food | B．Importance of organic methods |
| C．Benefits of organic fertilizers | D．Strengths of manure and compost |
