1 . 某中学生英文报近期开展了“保护古树名木共享绿水青山”的主题征文活动，以鼓励人们积极参与对古树的保护。请你以“Why We Need to Protect Century-old Trees”为题写一篇英语短文，向该英文报投稿。要求包括以下要点：
1．古树保护的意义；2．古树保护面临的问题；3．你的建议。
注意：1．词数100左右；2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . Malvern is a place close to my heart. When I was growing up, both my parents worked full-time, and I spent every school holiday with my grandmother, who lived in a house in the Malvern Hills, looking out over the Worcestershire land to Bredon Hill in the distance with the Three Counties Showground in the foreground. This is the scene for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, the opening event of the horticultural (园艺的) calendar.

Garden designer and television presenter Arit Anderson is one of the familiar faces who will be presenting talks over the four days of this year’s show. Anderson didn’t move into garden design until her mid-40s. Raised in a large family by a busy single mum in Hertfordshire, she began her working life as a pharmacy technician (药剂师). From there she moved into fashion seller, working her way up to the head office of a major high street brand. At the same time she trained as a healer. All these different strands equipped her well for a career change to horticulture.

I always said I didn’t want to do fashion at 50, but it came about a little bit earlier. The company was laying off workers and I’d just got my first garden and fallen in love with it. I thought. Let’s do something I love.”

She retrained in garden design at Cape Manor College, and in 2013 won the Fresh Talent competition at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Three years later she won a gold medal at RHS Hampton Court for a garden showcasing the need for sustainability in the face of climate change.

Gardening at one with the environment has continued to be an important focus for Anderson and she is currently setting up the Sustainability Landscape Foundation with fellow designer Marian Boswall. Their aim is to cut through the green washing and provide a portal (入口) for professionals and the public to seek out information about how to garden sustainably.

1. Why does the author refer to her childhood experience?

A．To show how busy her parents were.	B．To introduce the beautiful place — Malvern.
C．To tell the readers how she spent her holiday.	D．To remember her grandmother.

2. Which of the following was Arit Anderson’s first job?

A．A garden designer.	B．A television presenter.
C．A pharmacy technician.	D．A fashion seller.

3. What is Anderson devoted to?

A．Creating gardens.	B．Retraining in garden design.
C．Fighting against climate change.	D．Cooperating with big companies.

4. Which of the following does Anderson agree with?

A．Greenwashing is really eco-friendly.

B．Everyone should choose new ways to live.

C．It doesn’t matter whether you like your job or not.

D．Gardening should be in harmony with nature.

3 . Indoor plants might look as if they just sit around not doing much, but in many ways they are the unsung heroes of the home.     1    , but studies have shown that they can promote people’s wellbeing by improving their mood (心情), reducing stress and helping their memory. What’s more, indoor plants are easy to look after and are not very expensive.

What are indoor plants?

Indoor plants, also known as houseplants or pot plants, are plants that like to grow indoors. Many of these species (物种) are not ideally suited to growing outside in the UK, especially in the winter.     2    .

Why are indoor plants good for you?

Will Spoelstra, who works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, says, “    3    . I find during the winter months, plants around the house can really lift your mood.” Several studies have backed this up and found that indoor plants can improve creativity, focus and memory. There is also research showing that pot plants can clean the air around them by removing harmful gases, such as carbon dioxide. They also remove some harmful chemicals from paints or cooking.     4    .

Which plants can you grow?

Aloe vera, peace lilies and spider plants are some of the species that are easy to grow indoors. You can buy plants from supermarkets, garden centres or online. Younger plants are often cheaper than fully grown ones, and you get to care for them as they mature — which is part of the joy of owning plants. “    5    ,” Spoelstra says. “It can bring a new interest and focus into people’s lives and help to make the link between home and nature.”

A．All plants are different

B．Not only do they look beautiful

C．There are many benefits to growing plants indoors

D．Instead, they grow better inside, where it is warmer

E．Plants like peace lilies and devil’s ivy are among the best

F．Changing the pot of your plant from time to time will also help

G．Learning about the requirements of each plant can be very rewarding

4 . 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。

Huangshan Maofeng is a kind of green tea. It is produced throughout the Huangshan region of Anhui Province. This region    1    (have)a temperate climate and receives plenty of rainfall. The soil is deeply layered and made up of the yellow earth typically found in mountainous regions,    2    makes this area suitable for the growth of tea trees.

Huangshan Maofeng    3    (create) by a teahouse in Anhui Province in the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty. Later, each year, during the Qingming period,    4    (picker)would climb high mountains in the Huangshan region     5    (collect) fat leaves and bud points, which were then fried and baked. They named the tea made from this practice Huangshan Maofeng.

Huangshan Maofeng must be picked    6    (careful). The picking standard for top-grade Huangshan Maofeng is to pick one bud and one leaf just before it’s about to unfold. After    7    (pick), the fresh leaves will be separated to ensure that all of the leaves are of high quality and    8    all of the buds are similar in size. Then they will be spread to dry out.

In order to ensure the quality and keep the    9    (fresh)of the tea, it is recommended that the tea leaves should be picked in the morning and processed in the afternoon,    10    picked in the afternoon and processed at night.

5 . A study finds that urban trees can survive increased heat and insect pests fairly well — unless they are thirsty. Lack of water not only harms trees, but allows other problems to have an extra effect on trees in urban environments.

“We would see some vibrant urban trees covered in scale insects (甲壳虫),” says Emily Meineke, a researcher at Harvard and first author of a paper on the study. “We wanted to know what allowed these trees to deal with these pests so much more successfully.”

The researchers collected detailed data on 40 urban willow oaks over the course of two years. The data included temperature, how water-stressed the trees were, and the density (密度) of scale insects which are well-known tree pests.

They also conducted laboratory experiments using willow oak seedlings. In these experiments, the researchers controlled the temperature, water and the presence of scale insects. They found that higher temperatures could actually have a positive effect on tree growth, as long as the trees had adequate water. And scale insects had little or no bad effect on the trees if the trees were not water-stressed. They also found that water stress limited tree growth all by itself. But the presence of increased heat and/or scale insects, when combined with water stress, had a multiplier effect — limiting growth far more than water stress or scale insects alone.

“This tells us that management strategies aimed at increasing tree hydration (水合作用) in cities may reduce the bad effects of all three of these key stressors,” says Meineke. “And that is likely to become increasingly important as water availability, temperature and pest abundance are affected by further urbanization and climate change. ”

“For example, urban planners should design urban landscapes that keep storm water in vegetation; invest in hydration strategies, such as appropriate soil quality and soil volume; and plant drought-tolerant tree species in the hottest parts of their cities,” says Frank, an associate professor of entomology.

1. What does the underlined word “vibrant” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Weak.

B．Broken.

C．Full of years.

D．Full of life.

2. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．Threats to urban trees.	B．The researchers’ findings.
C．The effects of water on cities.	D．The protection of urban trees.

3. How can we help urban trees grow well according to Meineke?

A．By controlling insects.	B．By stopping city expanding.
C．By lowering the temperature.	D．By increasing tree hydration.

4. What is the purpose of this study?

A．To reduce pollution in big cities.	B．To offer advice to urban planners.
C．To promote common knowledge.	D．To find effective ways of planting.

6 . Scientists have discovered what they believe is the world’s largest plant, an underwater field of sea grass that stretches for 1.12 miles off the west coast of Australia. This huge meadow (草地) has spread widely all through Shark Bay. The sea grass plant is believed to be around 4, 500 years old.

Many plants create new plants by growing flowers and spreading seeds. The DNA of the plants that grow from these seeds is slightly different from the DNA of the plants that the seeds came from. By comparing the DNA from their samples, the scientists hoped to get an idea of how many different sea grass plants there were in the meadow.

What they learned shocked them — all of the grass samples had almost exactly the same DNA. That meant that they were all just one plant, one big sea grass plant spreading out over 77 square miles. This makes it the largest known plant in the world by far.

So how has the Shark Bay sea grass grown so large? Instead of spreading with flowers arid seeds, it spreads by cloning (克隆) itself. As its roots spread out under the sea floor, new plants shoot up from those roots.

The sea grass in Shark Bay is also unusual in another way. It’s a “polyploid”. Usually, an organism (有机体) has two parents, and gets half of its DNA from each. But polyploid organisms have all of the DNA from both parents, meaning they have twice as much DNA. The scientists think the extra DNA may make it easier for the sea grass to survive in difficult conditions.

The Shark Bay sea grass generally grows and spreads about 14 inches a year. Because of the history of Shark Bay and the rate of growth, the scientists believe that the plant is about 4, 500 years old.

1. Why do scientists compare the DNA of the sea plants?

A．To find ways to protect sea plants.

B．To discover the diversity of sea plants.

C．To identify the oldest plants in the sea.

D．To explore the unknown ocean resources.

2. What can we learn about the sea grass in Shark Bay?

A．Its DNA cannot be cloned.

B．It blooms and bears many seeds.

C．Its roots are a connected whole.

D．It is the fastest growing grass in the world.

3. What is one of the advantages of polyploid organisms?

A．Gaining the ability to grow bigger.

B．Getting parts of the parents’ DNA.

C．Having an advantage over every sea plant.

D．Being more adaptable to tough conditions.

4. What is the best title for this text?

A．Genetic Changes in Sea Grass	B．Ecological Status of the Sea Floor
C．Scientists Found World’s Largest Plant	D．New Underwater Grass Is Discovered

7 . Indoor plants are a beautiful way to brighten up your home, especially in the gray months of winter. But there can be a dark side to houseplants if you have children or if children visit your home. I’s important that you know which plants are poisonous to them.

Gardening expert Jessica Damiano often points out houseplants in friends’ homes should be kept out of children’s mouths. “I don’t mind ruining friends’ hopes of a beautiful indoor jungle if it means preventing harm,” Damiano said.

America’s Poison Centers in Arlington, Virginia get an average of 33,000 calls a year from people whose kids put different plants in their mouths. The cases usually involve children under 3 because they would explore their environment and put everything in their mouths. Most accidental exposures aren’t serious. But in some cases a child’s breathing, skin and eyes can be badly harmed.

Damiano recently visited her cousin’s home and saw a dieffenbachia plant in the kitchen. Her cousin told her that her young son, who had just begun crawling (爬), had shown interest in the leaves. Damiano had to explain to her cousin that eating a small amount of the plant’s stem (茎) can cause temporary but severe pain. The plant parts can cause throat and mouth swelling. The plant’s sap (树液) can cause nose, skin and eye pain. Other plants that can cause similar reactions include: caladium, flamingo flower, Swiss cheese plant, peace lily and pothos.

Damiano said that parents should teach their young children not to put non-food plant parts into their mouths. Besides, she urges parents to research whether the plants in their homes are safe to grow around children. She also suggests learning the official botanical names of houseplants so that they’re able to provide that information quickly to a poison control expert, if needed.

Not all houseplants are problematic, of course. Spider plants are nontoxic (无毒的) and are also among the easiest indoor plants to grow. African violets, Boston ferns and Christmas cactus are other safe choices.

1. Why are children under 3 more likely to become victims of houseplants?

A．They have easier access to houseplants.

B．They enjoy tasting anything out of curiosity.

C．They tend to mistake houseplants for candies.

D．They are more sensitive to poison of any kind.

2. What can we learn about the dieffenbachia plant according to the text?

A．Its sap can lead to pain in the skin.

B．Its stem can cause long lasting pain,

C．It harms health only when eaten a lot.

D．It looks like the peace lily in appearance.

3. What is Damiano’s suggestion for parents with young children?

A．They should avoid growing houseplants.

B．They should ask their children not to touch plants.

C．They should teach themselves knowledge about houseplants.

D．They should keep in close touch with poison control experts.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How to Choose Safe Houseplants’

B．How to Decorate Houses with Plants

C．Keep Young Children Away from Houseplants

D．Watch Young Children around Some Houseplants

8 . You don’t have to brave the crowds at the Tidal Basin to enjoy the glories of cherry blossom (樱花), which always runs for one month. The delicate pink and white blooms decorate the district. Washington-based nonprofit Casey Trees has a detailed map of where to find them.

Using the map’s explanation, you can check out a neighborhood’s list of trees. The map is color-coded by a variety of cherry blossom, and there are several: Yoshino, Okame, Oshi-ma, and Sour Cherry, just to name a few.

Michaila Musman, the Geographic Information Systems manager at Casey Trees，suggests tracking down the Sargent Cherry, which develops pinkish white blossoms and is called the “cream” of flowering cherries by the Arbor Day Foundation. “They can also support bird species around the city, which is a wonderful bonus.” says Musman.

The map is an annual tradition at Casey Trees. The organization plans to use it to help protect Washington’s trees. To build the map, staff and volunteers walked into the city’s parks to identify and measure every tree they came across. “We can do better advocacy and tree protection if we know what our trees across the city look like.” said Musman.

Other data points for the map come from DDOT’s Urban Forestry Division and from cherry trees that Casey Trees has planted. Most of the trees on the map are located on public land. So if your yard or your neighbor’s yard is the proud home of a cherry tree, it may not appear (considering it as your own secret garden).

And if you miss the cherries this time around, the organization also maintains a separate map of all the flowering trees in the city. Musman recommends checking out the Eastern Red bud. “They are native to this area and they have very beautiful blossoms.” she says, “It seems as though they came right out of a Dr. Seuss’ book.”

1. What can the map be used to do?

A．Research bird species.	B．Decorate some districts.
C．Locate cherry blossom.	D．Identify the type of flowers.

2. Why does Casey Trees develop the map?

A．To know the city better.	B．To protect the local trees.
C．To build the city’s parks.	D．To use public land efficiently.

3. What can we know from the last two paragraphs?

A．The map comes out of a Dr. Seuss’ book.

B．The map is the only product of Casey Trees.

C．Casey Trees has planted many trees across the USA.

D．Casey Trees takes individual privacy into consideration.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Casey Trees likes cherry blossom	B．Casey Trees will introduce a new map
C．You should protect the city’s cherry trees	D．You needn’t bother to find cherry blossom

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 . 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。

With high yield and superior quality, Chinese hybrid rice varieties have been introduced around the world,     1     (benefit) more people. The export of China’s hybrid rice technology started many years ago. In 1979, China provided hybrid rice seeds to another country for the first time, and 40 years later, in     2     (real), China’s hybrid rice has been planted in dozens of countries in the world.

In the past 40 years, Chinese scientists     3     (devote) to providing assistance to many other countries. China has trained more than 14,000 hybrid rice professionals for more than 80 developing countries through international training courses. This technology has spread     4     more and more places in the world so far.

Yuan Longping,     5     cultivated the world’s first high-yield hybrid rice strain not only earned respect from Chinese people but also the global community. His hybrid rice research has been     6     (entire) saving millions of people from hunger. Yuan’s dream was     7     (solve) the global food shortage and promote hybrid rice around the world. China has achieved     8     great wonder, feeding nearly one fifth of the world’s population with less than nine percent of the world’s total land. And China is     9     (will) to contribute to global food security and calls for joint efforts to end global hunger and poverty.

It     10     (believe) that Yuan’s dream will come true one day.