1 . When Lauren Schroeder, a teenager from Iowa, US, showed up to a community food drive last year, she didn’t see much food that actually provide people with nutrition — just a lot of canned goods. Determined to make a(n)
Although Lauren had no prior experience
Lauren
Now, she has turned her half acre into a full acre and
| A．survey | B．attempt | C．living | D．change |
| A．care | B．support | C．struggle | D．arrangement |
| A．grew | B．bought | C．collected | D．saved |
| A．establishing | B．designing | C．running | D．appreciating |
| A．mood | B．heart | C．experience | D．gift |
| A．approval | B．respect | C．attention | D．motivation |
| A．creations | B．practices | C．supplies | D．experiments |
| A．checked | B．committed | C．lost | D．released |
| A．paid off | B．ran out | C．broke down | D．turned back |
| A．selling | B．introducing | C．applying | D．donating |
| A．encouraging | B．touching | C．convincing | D．embarrassing |
| A．estimated | B．expanded | C．anticipated | D．mixed |
| A．worried | B．envious | C．proud | D．confused |
| A．focus on | B．give up | C．put off | D．hold up |
| A．comforting | B．protecting | C．visiting | D．assisting |
2 . A new kind of hybrid wheat now available to American farmers may help reduce fears over genetically engineered crops. The new hybrid wheat is being introduced as seed companies worldwide seek to increase production because of reducing grain supplies. The hybrid wheat was developed by a Chinese-owned agriculture company. The product was created with-out genetic engineering. The first seeds to grow the wheat will be released on 2,000 to 2,800 hectares of American farmland next year, according to Reuters reports.
Developers or breeders create hybrid wheat by taking away the natural ability of plants to pollinate (授粉) themselves. Instead, female wheat plants in a field are pollinated by male plants of a different line. The goal of the process is to create seeds that can produce bigger crops and better resist harmful environments. The fertilized female plants produce a new kind of hybrid. Using this hybrid technology permits breeders to choose the best elements from two parent seeds to produce new seeds containing the best characteristics of both.
Producers say when seed companies produce hybrid wheat seeds, some female plants often fail to become fertilized because they depend on unpredictable winds to carry pollen (花粉).Pollen is a substance produced by plants when they reproduce. During some seasons,pollen is released into the air and carried to other plants to be fertilized. Producers say the fertilization of each plant is more certain during wheat’s natural process of self-pollination.
Researchers say the new hybrid wheat has to take long to come to market because the development process is more costly and complex. It could be important in increasing wheat yields and avoiding being linked to GMO development. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Genetically modified wheat has never been grown for industry purposes because of fears that allergens or poisons might be created. Wheat is used to make numerous major foods worldwide.
Dave Hankey owns a seed company in Park River, North Dakota. He told Reuters, “Because of the resistance to genetically modified stuff, the hybrid wheat would be considered better and safer.”He added it would certainly be the public view.
1. Which of the following leads the new hybrid wheat to be developed?| A．The existing unsafe grain. |
| B．The decreasing output of food. |
| C．The application from American farmers. |
| D．The Chinese agriculture company’s proposal. |
| A．Requiring less fertilizer. |
| B．Producing tinier crops. |
| C．Having better adaptability. |
| D．Improving their natural self-pollination ability. |
| A．It is complex but economical. |
| B．It is simple and fruitful. |
| C．It is temporary. |
| D．It is demanding. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Resistant. | C．Appreciative. | D．Cautious. |
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.
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.
Why are indoor plants good for you?
Will Spoelstra, who works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, says, “
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. “
| 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 . Most of us are familiar with carrots.
Then we should choose a variety of carrots after the soil is prepared.
Early types should be sown in spring as soon as the soil is workable. They may also be sown under covers, though the covers should be removed after a few weeks.
Weeds should be removed regularly once the carrots have germinated. Watering is needed every two to three weeks. Watch out for pests and diseases.
Early carrots can be harvested about seven to nine weeks after sowing and main crop carrots should be harvested after ten to eleven weeks.
| A．There are many varieties. |
| B．They are good to people’s health. |
| C．They are usually orange in colour. |
| D．After about a week, the seeds come out. |
| E．Carrots are grown in an open site in fertile soil. |
| F．Carrot rust flies can be a serious problem for carrots. |
| G．Main crop types can be sown from late spring to early summer. |
5 . Animals can adapt quickly to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. Evidence is mounting to show that plants can, too. A paper published in the journal Trends in Plant Science details how plants are rapidly adapting to the effects of climate change, and how they are passing down these adaptations to their offspring(后代).
Plants are facing more environmental stresses than ever. For example, climate change is making winters shorter in many locations, and plants are responding. “Many plants require a minimum period of cold in order to set up their environmental clock to define their flowering time,” says Martinelli, a plant geneticist at the University of Florence. “As cold seasons shorten, plants have adapted to require shorter periods of cold to delay flowering. These mechanisms allow plants to avoid flowering in periods when they have fewer opportunities to reproduce.”
Because plants don’t have neural(神经的) networks, their memory is based entirely on cellular(细胞的),molecular(分子的),and biochemical networks. These networks make up what the researchers call somatic memory(体细胞记忆). “It allows plants to recognize the occurrence of a previous environmental condition and to react accordingly,” says Martinelli.
These somatic memories can then be passed to the plants’ offspring via epigenetics(表现遗传). “Several examples demonstrate the existence of molecular mechanisms modulating plant memory to environmental stresses and affecting the adaptation of offspring to these stresses,” says Martinelli.
Going forward, Martinelli hopes to understand even more about the genes that are being passed down. “We are particularly interested in decoding the epigenetic alphabet without changes in DNA sequence(序列),”he says. “This is especially important when we consider the rapid climate change, we observe today that every living organism, including plants, needs to quickly adapt to survive.”
1. What adaptations have plants made to shortened cold seasons?| A．They have shortened their flowering time. |
| B．They have got more chances to reproduce. |
| C．They have avoided flowering in cold seasons. |
| D．They have adjusted their environmental clock. |
| A．It is entirely based on neural networks. |
| B．It can help the plants’ offspring to survive. |
| C．It can help relieve environmental stresses. |
| D．It disturbs the plants’ biochemical networks. |
| A．Adjusting. | B．Treasuring. |
| C．Recording. | D．Sharing. |
| A．Plants are smart about flowering time |
| B．Plants can also adapt to climate change |
| C．Environmental stresses challenge plants |
| D．Mysteries of plant genes are to be unfolded |
6 . History is filled with many legends of man — eating plants and trees. A man — eating flower was described in the ship’s log of Arkwright. He described this as a large flower with bright petals (花瓣) capable of releasing a special smell that causes the victim to rest on the large petals. Once the victim was in its trap, the flower would close over the victim and digest him alive.
There really are carnivorous plants that can catch and consume small insects, but are there or have there ever been meat-eating plants capable of catching humans, as some explorers have claimed? In this article, we’ll look at one of the most famous man-eating plants in the world and what discoverers and the locals had to say about it — Nicaraguan Vampire Vine.
Found in the swamps (沼泽地) of Nicaragua, local natives refer to this plant as “The Devil’s Snare”. It has been described as an octopus in general appearance. A naturalist called Dunstan spent two years studying the local plant and animal life and made this discovery in a swamp close to Lake Nicaragua. Dunstan was collecting specimens in the area when his dog let out a loud cry.
Unsure whether or not this was due to pain, terror, or a combination of the two, Dunstan rushed to the source of the dog and saw it in a network of roots. These were dark in color, somewhat black, and sent out a sticky gum that had a horrible smell. Dunstan used his knife to cut these tendrils (触须) immediately but was initially unable to do so. Not only were these difficult to cut with just his knife, but they actively fought back.
Dunstan did manage to save his dog, but both suffered injuries during this encounter. Dunstan’s both hands were swelling; his dog was covered in blood. The dog didn’t know which way to go and had trouble walking. Not much else is known about this plant, but the locals do fear it immensely and leave it well alone.
1. How did the man-eating flower attract victims to get close to it?| A．Set up a trap. | B．Show their beautiful appearance. |
| C．Send out a smell. | D．Provide them with petals to rest. |
| A．vegetarian | B．world-famous | C．cruel | D．meat-eating |
| A．It appears together with octopus. |
| B．It could strike back when attacked. |
| C．It had tendrils that could digest dogs. |
| D．It was found by Dunstan in Lake Nicaragua. |
| A．The dog wasn’t seriously hurt in the end. |
| B．Dunstan saved his dog without being hurt. |
| C．People learned more about this plant in detail. |
| D．The locals didn’t dare to get close to the plant. |
7 . How to Control Weeds When Planting
No matter what you choose to grow in the garden, at some point, you will have to deal with unwanted plants, known as weeds.
It is important to note that some weeds are not all bad. In fact, you can eat them. Dandelions (蒲公英) are also viewed as a weed by many people.
However, left to grow on their own, weeds can take over a garden. To slow the growth of weeds, add a layer of weed-free, organic material to the top of your garden, around the plants.
A simple and effective method of weed control is to break up the surface layer of the soil. But you must do this regularly. Do not turn the soil over.
| A．But their leaves are also full of nutrients. |
| B．This makes it difficult to reshape a garden. |
| C．A weed is just a plant growing in the wrong place. |
| D．This improves the soil and keeps weeds from growing. |
| E．Besides being unwanted, what else do weeds do to a garden? |
| F．Buried in the soil are weed seeds, waiting for the right conditions. |
| G．So, before we hurry outside to kill all the weeds, consider their good side. |
8 . Greenhouse gas emissions would rise if all farms in England and Wales went organic. Though the emissions of each farm would go down, much more food would have to be imported, as the amount they would produce would decrease greatly.
“The key message from my perspective is that you can't really have your cake and eat it,” says Laurence Smith, now at the Royal Agricultural University in the UK, who was part of the team that ran the numbers. Smith is a supporter of organic farming and says “there are a lot of merits of the organic approach”, but his analysis shows that organic farming has downsides too.
Farming and changes in land use, such as cutting down forests, are responsible for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. That means reducing farming emissions and the land needed for farming is required to limit further global warming.
Smith and his colleagues found that emissions per unit of food are, on average, 20 per cent lower for organic crops and 4 per cent lower for organic animal products. However, organic harvests per hectare (公顷) are also lower on average. For wheat and barley, for instance, harvests are just half of those of conventional farms. This means 1.5 times as much land would be needed to grow the same amount of these foods.
The estimated increase in emissions varies greatly, depending on where the extra farmland comes from. If only half comes from turning grassland into farms, the increase could be as low as 20 per cent. If grassland that would otherwise have been reforested is turned into farmland, emissions could nearly double.
This doesn't necessarily mean people should stop eating organic produce, says Smith. People might choose organic food for other reasons, such as to reduce their pesticide exposure (though contrary to popular belief, organic farmers do use pesticides) or for the sake of wildlife.
Going 100 per cent organic could also harm global biodiversity. The extra land used for farming would mean the land available for wildlife would be smaller and more fragmented (碎片化的).
Smith says the best option may be to use some organic and conventional farming methods at the same time.
1. Why may greenhouse gas emissions increase if a country goes organic?| A．Organic farms take longer to build. |
| B．The agricultural output will increase greatly. |
| C．The emissions of each farm unit will increase. |
| D．Greater demand for imported food will be created. |
| A．Changes. | B．Challenges. | C．Advantages. | D．Differences. |
| A．Organic harvests per unit are greater than traditional harvests. |
| B．Organic farming needs more farmland to feed a country. |
| C．Global warming could be brought under control. |
| D．Land was not used in a responsible way. |
| A．Stopping using pesticides. |
| B．Eating less organic produce. |
| C．Going back to traditional farming. |
| D．Adopting mixed farming methods. |
9 . Imagine you are on a cold mountain with steep rocks around. As you climb higher, the air gets thinner and the sun’s rays stronger. Just before you reach the snowline, you find what you came for—a small white flower, the edelweiss, which only grows in alpine areas.
Plants face many challenges living in alpine areas, and only 200 kinds of plants can grow there. Plants rely on oxygen, water, and sunlight to make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. The alpine means less CO2, which makes the process more difficult. It also brings plants closer to the sun. The sunlight is so strong that it can burn a plant’s leaves. There is little water here, so the soil is dry and rocky. You also won’t find high trees because the cold wind would blow them over！
Alpine plants have advantages that help them survive the bad conditions. Like all alpine plants, the edelweiss stays close to the ground to avoid the wind. The cold water is deep underground, so the edelweiss grows very deep roots. Its leaves have a thick covering, which protects the plant from the wind and the sun’s bright rays. All these special characteristics help it grow, but very slowly.
The edelweiss can live in the conditions, but humans can’t. Climbing in the high and cold mountains is dangerous and difficult. This is why the edelweiss became such a special flower. Long ago, a young man would pick an edelweiss flower to prove his love to a girl, although it was risky. Many men died while trying. Getting the flower proved that the man was physically strong, brave, and devoted.
Alpine plants can’t spread seeds, so it’s difficult for new plants to grow. Once all the edelweiss flowers are gone in an area, they will not regroup. Governments help protect the edelweiss because it is considered an endangered plant.
1. The first two paragraphs mainly describe ________ .| A．the process of photosynthesis | B．the appearance of the edelweiss |
| C．the growing environment of the edelweiss | D．the challenge of mountain climbing |
| A．it grows high and strong | B．it can get more sunlight |
| C．its leaves’ covering is thin | D．its deep roots can get water |
| A．It is planted in large quantities. | B．It is a symbol of bravery. |
| C．It is a shade loving plant. | D．It spreads its seeds by wind. |
| A．To introduce a special flower. | B．To compare different alpine plants. |
| C．To warn people not to pick flowers. | D．To encourage people to protect plants. |
10 . Coffee is one of the world’s favorite drinks. Globally, 600 billion cups are drunk each year—profits from global coffee production will top ＄400 billion in 2021. However, the coffee bean itself is under threat from climate change. Now a Finnish research group has grown beans in the lab to offer the world a sustainable espresso (浓缩咖啡).
Plant cells were adapted to produce coffee cell cultures (培养物) and then grown at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Bio-technologists, chemists, and food scientists worked together to select the right cell lines and developed a roasting process. Afterwards, a group of specialists created the taste and smell pattern. The result is a drink that smells and tastes almost the same as the traditionally grown coffee. “It’s not perfect,” admitted lead researcher Heiko Lash, “because good coffee-making is an art, but this could be the start of something beautiful.”
Scientists say the issues with coffee as a commercial crop are widely known. The worst of them are the loss of trees (especially in major exporting countries like Brazil), water pollution and bio-diversity loss. Lab-grown coffee could actually do the planet a huge favor. Growing coffee cultures takes a lot of energy, but transportation can be reduced to the lowest level if production takes place locally. Besides, chemicals are not needed at all, and any water used in the process can be recycled.
“We have now proved that lab-grown coffee can be a reality,” said VTT’s Paige Rischer. “The true effect of this scientific work will happen through companies who are willing to re-think about food production. Finally, all efforts would result in more sustainable and healthy food for the benefit of the consumer and the planet.”
The Sustainable Coffee Challenge (SCC) thinks coffee consumption could triple (三倍) by 2050, so society will need to produce the drink in much more efficient ways. Solving some of its most painful problems is a priority, but with science on our side, at least we have better alternatives.
1. What can we know about the VTT research on their coffee?| A．It is grown in a traditional way. | B．It is the result of a new art. |
| C．It develops without cell lines. | D．It tastes similar to common coffee. |
| A．Coffee beans will be recycled. | B．Water pollution will be reduced. |
| C．Little energy will be needed. | D．Chemicals will be better used. |
| A．A scientific way to grow coffee. | B．Consumers’ changed attitudes. |
| C．People’s environmental awareness. | D．The food companies’ participation. |
| A．Drinking coffee is becoming a global trend. | B．Coffee bean production is under threat. |
| C．Lab-grown coffee has become a reality. | D．Problems of coffee growing will be solved. |
