1 . For many years, scientists saw trees as independent living things. Each tree in the forest was trying to get light, water and nutrients. Trees competed for resources.     1     They cooperate with each other with the help of fungi (真菌).

In forests, fungi connect trees through underground networks. Trees’ roots branch out in all directions. The same soil is home to fungi, which can grow on and around tree roots. The fungi grow in thin threads (线状物). As they grow, the threads can link to numerous trees. The fungi create webs between trees known as mycorrhizal (菌根) networks.     2     The trees give sugars to the fungi and the fungi get mineral nutrients from the soil. They share them with the trees.

The fungi in a mycorrhizal network link the trees together.     3     For example, if a young plant is growing in a shaded area, it may not get enough sunlight. However, larger trees growing around it can send sugars to the young tree’s roots through the fungi. Similarly, if a tree is dying, it might give its nutrients to the healthy trees growing around it.

Mycorrhizal networks are not always cooperative. Some plants will use the networks to take nutrients from their neighbors. Some flowers will steal food from other plants.     4     They want to harm plants that are competing for sunlight and water.

    5     They can send chemical or electrical signals through the wood wide web. If a tree is being eaten by insects, it will send out signals for help. Similarly, when diseases attack trees, they can send out chemicals.

A．Trees also send messages through the networks.

B．Networks can even connect different species of plants.

C．Scientists think the fungi are important for healthy forests.

D．Trees can share sugars, nutrients and water with one another.

E．However, scientists are discovering that trees may actually work together.

F．There are also plants that send poisonous substances through the networks.

G．In these networks, scientists think the trees and the fungi help one another.

2 . The World Full of Eye-catching Things

The following flowers and plants might not be so eye-pleasing, but are certainly eye-catching, since they all look like some objects.

Lady’s Slipper

The lady’s slipper orchid is considered to be the rarest type of wild orchid. Now Lancashire in England is the only place where this plant can be found.The flower was so unique that people picked almost all of them. A single cutting of this plant is sold for US $5,000. Fortunately, strict protection policies have been established to protect it since 1917 when this endangered plant was once declared extinct in England.

Hot Lips

When you see a plant like this in reality, don’t get confused! No. They are not a woman’s lips! You can find these plants in countries with tropical rain forests, such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. Due to the cutting down of trees, these unique and rare plants have become endangered. This plant bears a bright red flower which is similar to the lips of a woman with red lipstick.

Black Bat Flower

The black bat flower is an unusual flower that grows in the wild and tropical forests of Yunnan Province in China. It is famous for its bat-shaped black flowers. This flowering plant is often confused with a flying bat. The flower may also appear in white and brown shades. It needs specific environmental conditions to grow. This is the reason why it is an endangered species.

All the plants mentioned above are becoming nearly extinct. Hopefully, there are other unique and rare flowers left undiscovered. This proves the world is full of surprising things!

1. Where can the Lady’s Slipper be discovered currently?

A．In Panama.	B．In Colombia.
C．In Lancashire in England.	D．In Yunnan Province in China.

2. Why are Hot Lips becoming nearly extinct?

A．Forest destruction.	B．Human picking.
C．Lack of awareness.	D．Specific locations.

3. What is unique about the Black Bat Flower?

A．Its red flowers.	B．Its bat-shaped flowers.
C．Its slipper-shaped flowers.	D．Its white and brown flowers.

3 . The world loves a cup of tea. It only takes a few grams to make a cup of tea and millions of tons of tea are consumed every year. Tea can be good for you because it contains some things that help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Tea also contains caffeine(咖啡因), which improves not only mental alertness but can also increase anxiety and cause other problems.

What would be agreeable is a tea plant that provides all the taste and goodness but with little or none of caffeine. Chen Liang and Jin Jiqiang in the Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences think they have found just such a plant, growing wild in a remote area in southern China’s Fujian Province. Known locally as hongyacha, the discovered plant grows only between 700 meters and 1,000 meters above sea level around a handful of Chinese villages. As they report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, not only is the tea plant naturally caffeine-free but it also contains a number of unique medicinal compounds that, the locals believe, offer considerable health benefits.

The researchers are now exploring methods to protect hongyacha in its natural habitat while further studies are carried out. It can take time—and sometimes it does not work—for new plant varieties to be bred for commercial use. A pair of naturally caffeine-free coffee plants were discovered in 2003, but little progress has been reported. Tea lovers will be watching hongyacha with interest. And others will wonder what else is out there.

1. What’s the disadvantage of drinking tea according to paragraph 1?

A．It can make people hard to sleep.	B．It can make people feel anxious.
C．It can get people addicted.	D．It can take people much time.

2. What can we learn about hongyacha in paragraph 2?

A．It is nothing but just medicine.	B．It can only survive in greenhouses.
C．It is a good pick for caffeine lovers.	D．It has a good taste and little caffeine.

3. What might the follow-up study focus on about hongyacha?

A．Its future location.	B．Its natural habitats.
C．Its future market.	D．Its production process.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A health magazine.	B．An advertising brochure.
C．A travel guidebook.	D．A newspaper.

4 . 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) _______, she took action. With the _______ of her parents, who provided her with half an acre (英亩) of land, she _________ 7,000 pounds of produce and gave it all away to local food banks and non-profits.

Although Lauren had no prior experience _________ a garden, she took up studies of agronomy (农学) and gardening, and really put her _________ into it. Her work soon drew the _______ of an organization called Future Farmers of America, which awarded her a small grant (补助金) for _______ and seeds.

Lauren _________ 2 to 3 hours daily to the tasks of watering and weeding (除杂草), and her efforts soon _______. She began __________ 15 types of vegetables to organizations like Wheatland Nursing Home. “It was really __________ for me to know that anyone who wanted fresh vegetables would be able to get them,” Lauren said.

Now, she has turned her half acre into a full acre and ________ the number of vegetables to 20 different species. “How could you not be ________,” said her mother, “she really chose to ________ learning about agronomy, and took it a step further by genuinely ________ those in need.”

1.

A．survey

B．attempt

C．living

D．change

2.

A．care

B．support

C．struggle

D．arrangement

3.

A．grew

B．bought

C．collected

D．saved

4.

A．establishing

B．designing

C．running

D．appreciating

5.

A．mood

B．heart

C．experience

D．gift

6.

A．approval

B．respect

C．attention

D．motivation

7.

A．creations

B．practices

C．supplies

D．experiments

8.

A．checked

B．committed

C．lost

D．released

9.

A．paid off

B．ran out

C．broke down

D．turned back

10.

A．selling

B．introducing

C．applying

D．donating

11.

A．encouraging

B．touching

C．convincing

D．embarrassing

12.

A．estimated

B．expanded

C．anticipated

D．mixed

13.

A．worried

B．envious

C．proud

D．confused

14.

A．focus on

B．give up

C．put off

D．hold up

15.

A．comforting

B．protecting

C．visiting

D．assisting

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。

Like China’s Kunming Institute of Botany, the Millennium Seed Bank(MSB)shines brightly for plant preservation. Located at the Wakehurst wild botanic garden in West Sussex, England, the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB), the world’s     1     (large)seed bank, has announced that it now holds more than 40, 000 wild plant species.     2     the aim of preserving rare, threatened and important wild plants, MSB     3     (create)by researchers from London’s Kew Gardens more than 20 years ago. Now around 2. 4 billion individual seeds from 190 countries are stored in     4     (it) underground rooms. Any seeds that arrive at MSB are dried, cleaned     5     then stored at-20℃. Scientists remove the seeds every 10 years     6     (see) if they can still grow into plants, and to develop new ways of       7     (help) wild plants survive. One of the most remarkable     8     (strong) of MSB is that it serves as a global backup for plant variety. Seeds in the bank include the world’s smallest water lily, a rare Australian pea and Antarctic hair grass, one of two flowering plants     9     grow in Antarctica. The bank ensures that if plants in the wild become extinct, they can be regrown from MSB seeds. There is no doubt that the MSB plays an     10     (extreme) important role in protecting the varieties of plant species on Earth.

6 . Scientists have shown how plants can protect themselves against genetic (基因的) damage caused by environmental stresses. The growing tips of plant roots and shoots have an in-built mechanism (机制) that spells cell death if DNA damage is detected, avoiding passing on faulty DNA.

Plants have small populations of stem cells (干细胞) at the tips of their roots and shoots, which enable them to continuously grow and produce new tissues throughout their lifetime. These stem cells serve as ancestors for plant tissues and organs. However, any genetic faults present in the stem cells will continue to exist and be passed on permanently throughout the plant’s life, which could last thousands of years.

Given the critical role of stem cells and their exposure to potentially dangerous environments at the growing tips of roots and shoots, safeguards are necessary to prevent stem cell faults from becoming fixed. Researchers Nick Fulcher and Robert Sablowski, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, aimed to uncover these protective mechanisms. Through experiments involving X-rays and chemicals, they discovered that stem cells were more sensitive to DNA damage compared to other cells.

When DNA damage occurs, the cells have the capacity to detect it and cause programmed cells to die, preventing the propagation of the damaged genetic code to the rest of the plant tissues. This process has similarities to the safeguard mechanism found in animal cells, which has been broadly studied due to its relevance in preventing cancer.

The identification of a similar protective system in plants is of great interest in the field of plant development. It also helps scientists develop plants that can better handle environmental stress. So knowledge of how plants deal with these stresses is of fundamental significance to agricultural science’s response to climate change.

1. What is the function of the in-built mechanism in plants?

A．To produce more roots and shoots.	B．To increase the overall lifetime of the plant.
C．To enhance plant growth and nutrient intake.	D．To stop genetic faults in stem cells passing on.

2. What can we know about stem cells in plants according to the text?

A．They are relatively abundant in quantity.	B．They are resistant to environmental stresses.
C．They make quick response to DNA damage.	D．They have the ability to repair damaged DNA.

3. What does the underlined word “propagation” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Spread.

B．Change.

C．Existence.

D．Self-repair.

4. What does the last paragraph focus on?

A．The way of dealing with climate change on the earth.

B．The significance of identifying the protective system in plants.

C．The method of ensuring plant survival under environmental stress.

D．The urgency of developing plants that can handle environmental stress.

7 . Color is important for all gardens, no matter what size. Kalanchoes (长寿花) offer kinds of colors, from energetic oranges, yellows and reds, to calming pinks and creams. They’re easy to care for.     1    . Here the plant experts reveal five ways to style a small outdoor space.

Be striking. Colorful plants are mood-boosting as well as a great way to lift a small outside space. Kalanchoe is a flowering succulent (多肉) that comes in a range of lively shades and looks delightful when grouped in large pots or window boxes.     2     , or on the other hand soft pinks to feel relaxed.

Think big. When space is limited, people tend to choose lots of small containers, but a few large pots can fool the eye into believing there’s more room than there is. Try planting taller plants, such as roses or hydrangeas, alongside smaller species, like kalanchoes.     3    .

Indoors out.   Making your outside space clean needn’t be costly.   Houseplants, like kalanchoes, will happily live outside in pots or window boxes from May to September when there is no risk of frost, so you can simply move them outside for a more colorful life.

Make it easy.     4     . Succulents, such as kalanchoes, are perfect for“ hands off”   gardeners as they will flower happily in pots on balconies for 100 days with very little watering.

Just choose a sunny spot and away you go!

    5     . Place different flowers such as petunias, pansies or kalanchoes into a window box or hanging basket for instant garden attraction. The more unusual kalanchoe varieties, such as “Magic Bells”, with its pretty flowers of pale green, bell-shaped flowers, or “Dorothy”, with its long stems and orange flowers, will add color, interest and texture (质地).

A．Be style smart

B．Not all plants need a lot of attention

C．It is a great choice for the summer garden

D．Choose oranges and reds for an energy burst

E．You can find kalanchoes from most garden centers

F．Thus, you can create depth and a sense of richness

G．Given a little attention, they will reward you much flowering

8 . After tracking flowers on a prairie (草原) in Minnesota for 21 years, scientists reported that the plants reproduce more successfully in the year following a carefully controlled burn. Understanding the relationship between prairie plants and fire is important for preserving this ecosystem which is becoming rapidly smaller, says Stuart Wagenius, a conservation scientist.

Fire provides an additional advantage for the narrow-leaved purple coneflower (紫锥花), as Wagenius and his colleagues say. To really bloom (开花), they need a little help: Enter the fire. Between 1996 and 2016, Wagenius says his team tracked nearly 8,000 purple coneflowers on the Staffanson Prairie Preserve. In 9 of those years, they conducted controlled burns over 400 times. “In the summer after a burn, many more plants flower,” Wagenius says. “It is just a huge flowering festival.”

Purple coneflowers and many other prairie plants were previously known to bloom energetically after fires. However, the researchers said that fire also stimulated purple coneflowers to bloom at the same time in the summer after a burn. This meant that instead of being unconnected, the purple coneflowers were surrounded by potential mates and went on to produce nearly double the number of seeds compared with other years. Wagenius says it’s not yet clear exactly how fires signal the flowers to get busy.

The new findings may help the people who manage prairies to better understand the different ways that fire affects the plants growing in these habitats, said Kathryn Yurkonis, a grassland ecologist who was not involved in the research. However, Yurkonis added, it remains to be shown how the fires influence the purple coneflower population. “This paper implies that making more seeds would mean more seeds would land on the soil and enter the population of plants — but they don’t actually examine that step,” she said. “I’d be curious to see whether this actually translates to more purple coneflowers.”

1. What is the basis for the research?

A．Prairies are easy to disappear.	B．Plants on a prairie are diverse.
C．Fire relates positively to prairie plants.	D．Without fire, flowers won’t bloom.

2. What does the author intend to convey with figures cited in paragraph two?

A．Wagenius’s team was committed indeed.

B．Samples of flowers were rich in number.

C．Time spent on the research was long.

D．The findings were relatively convincing.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The result of plants being unconnected.

B．The influence of fires on prairie plants.

C．The process of prairie plants’ growing after fires.

D．The reason for plants’ blooming at the same time.

4. What is Kathryn Yurkonis’s attitude to the research finding?

A．Uninterested.

B．Prejudiced.

C．Objective.

D．Opposed.

9 . Research has revealed many benefits to being in the presence of nature, whether that’s walking in a forest, having a small garden or keeping a few household plants.

“One study showed that patients in a hospital who had plants in their rooms reported less pain, lower blood pressure, less tiredness and less anxiety than patients without plants in their rooms,” says Jenny Seham, founder and director of AIM (Arts and Integrative Medicine) in New York. She explains,“Cortisol (皮质醇)，the stress hormone, has been shown to lower with plant interaction, lowering tiredness and blood pressure. Gardening and caring for plants can help turn people away from negative thoughts or emotions.”

Houseplant collections have become a popular social media trend. Jamie Keaton Jones, a psychologist, says, “For many people, tending to plants has become a hobby. This hobby enables them to experience greater comfort and beauty from the presence of living things sharing their space.”

“Plants and exposure to greenery have been found to have many mental health benefits, such as lowering stress, decreasing feelings of depression, increasing sociability, restoring focus, improving cognitive performance, improving mood and increasing self- confidence,” says Jones.

Studies have also shown that plants and gardening increase productivity and levels of serotonin (血清素), which is responsible for uplifting mood.

“Rather than focusing on the past or worrying about the future, plant care helps one concentrate on the present moment and provides a feeling of accomplishment,” says Gayle Weill, another psychologist in Washington.

Like any new skill or hobby, taking care of houseplants comes with a learning process. Anyone starting to care for plants should be patient and allow themselves time to learn the basics, leaving room for a little trial and error.

1. Where can the passage be found?

A．In a science magazine.	B．In a novel.
C．In a history book.	D．Ina biography.

2. What can we infer from Jenny Seham’s words?

A．Many hospitals keep plants in the patients’ rooms.

B．Doctors will use plants to cure the patients’ illness.

C．Keeping a few plants can get u out of tiredness.

D．Caring for plants can keep us away from bad mood.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Houseplant collections are not popular in recent days.

B．Keeping plants has many physical health benefits.

C．Studies have proved that plants are beneficial for uplifting mood.

D．For many of us, plant care is difficult and takes time.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage?

A．Benefits of Keeping Houseplants	B．Research on Keeping Houseplants
C．Ways to Take Care of Houseplants	D．Opinions About Caring About Plants

10 . 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