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。

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.

2 . If you’re interested in growing a small food garden at home, hydroponic (水栽法的) gardening provides a way to grow fresh, nutrient-rich food in a quickly-changing world with limited resources.

What is a hydroponic garden?

    1     Plants can grow indoors, year round, in less space than traditional soil- based gardens in it. This means if you live in a tiny apartment or don’t have an outdoor area, you can still grow fresh food.

How does hydroponic gardening work?

Plants need sunlight, water and nutrients to grow.     2     But the basis of hydroponics is rooted in growing the food in nutrient-enriched water. A hydroponic system can be programmed to ensure a plant receives sufficient water, nutrients, light and even the correct PH level to provide each plant with what it needs to survive and thrive.

What plants can grow hydroponically?

A variety of different foods can be grown in a hydroponic garden.     3     Similar to what you can grow in a backyard hanging garden, the more popular vegetables grown in hydroponics include leafy greens and lettuces (生菜) . However, more complex systems can produce fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and more.

    4    

In addition to being able to grow food without soil and in small spaces, hydroponic gardening can contribute to solving social and environmental issues. In regions where people don’t have access to fresh vegetables, a hydroponic garden can be part of the solution. Hydroponic plants can grow 40% to 50% faster and produce 30% more than the plants growing in soil.     5     In some cases, you can grow produce that is even more nutrient.

A．Typically, plants get nutrients from soil.

B．What produce can a hydroponic garden offer?

C．What are the benefits of a hydroponic garden?

D．A hydroponic garden uses water instead of soil.

E．Microgreens are among the easiest plants to grow.

F．You can grow more produce in a shorter amount of time.

G．You can purchase a ready-to-go hydroponic garden or build your own.

3 . Looking for a big-leafed houseplant that will make a statement in your room and decorate yourhome? If so, then you’ve come to the right place!

Peace Lily

Extremely easy to look after, this popular, flowering plant is very tolerant and undemanding. It is a beloved houseplant for its large, glossy oval leaves and unusual white spoon-shaped flowers. Typically blooming in the spring, this lovely plant can effectively brighten up a living space.

African Mask Plant

This indoor plant is a smaller plant with large dark green leaves that are shaped like a heart. Native to tropical (热带的) parts of Africa, it prefers high heat and high humidity. That can be somewhat a tricky task for the average plant owner to achieve in their home, who is likely to have trouble duplicating (复制) these steamy conditions.

Snake plant

Commonly referred to as mother-in-law’s tongue, it is one of the easiest houseplants to take care of. With tall, twisting sword-shaped leaves that grow upright, it has air-purifying capabilities and can merrily grow in almost dark corners of the house. But the plant is poisonous to dogs and cats, so it’s wise to keep this plant away from them, if your pets are plant chewers.

Kentia Palm

Caring for the Kentia Palm plant is very straightforward, which can be neglected for weeks at a time. Quite enjoying a bit of shade, it has big leaves that grow from a narrow base and is great for filling a corner without taking up much floor-space. Place it in front of a blank wall, and its archingfronds (大型复叶) will cast beautiful shadows.

1. Which of the following requires an experienced plant owner?

A．Peace Lily.

B．African Mask Plant.

C．Snake plant.

D．Kentia Palm.

2. What do we know about the Snake Plant?

A．It poses little danger to dogs and cats.

B．It is better for purifying air than others.

C．It gets its name from a poisonous snake.

D．It grows well in shady areas of the house.

3. What feature do the listed household plants share?

A．Distinctive leaves.

B．Flowering season.

C．Growth temperature.

D．Striking size.

4 . A famous book from the 70s called The Secret Life of Plants says that plants are conscious (有意识的).     1     In one study, plant exposed (裸露) to Mozart were healthier and grew faster than plants exposed to Jimi Hendrix. Some say these studies that claim plants have a taste for music are full of holes. But there is growing research on plant intelligence and plant communication.

Plants don’t have brains so they can’t think in the same way as humans.     2     They can even communicate this information to nearby plants. Researchers in England cut the leaves of cabbages (卷心菜).The threatened cabbages then produced a poisonous gas that protects them from certain insects.     3     Those healthy cabbages nearby seemed to be reacting to a warning from their cabbage neighbors.

    4     Of course, plants don’t have ears, but some scientists think they can feel vibrations. Italian scientist Dr Gagliano recorded clicking noises produced by corn seedlings (幼苗). She then placed these seedlings in water and played them similar sounds. Curiously, the corn seedlings grew towards the loudspeakers.

    5     Whether or not there is an intention to communicate is still up in the air. Whatever the case, plants are stranger and more wonderful than we can imagine.

A．But plants can sense their surroundings.

B．They even have a preference for music.

C．Some plants can communicate with sound.

D．The study also showed plants will row towards the sound of water.

E．So there is no doubt that plants arc communicating with their neighbors

F．Strangely, the uncut cabbages nearby also began to give off a poisonous gas.

G．The researchers believe plants are communicating with their neighbors through their roots.

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。

In November 2023, China launched a three-year action plan to promote the use of bamboo as a replacement     1     plastic. Actually, I’ve been using bamboo products more often over the years.

The look and feel of bamboo are absolutely above and beyond plastic,     2     there must be more positive aspects to bamboo other than just aesthetics (美学). When compared to    3     (healthy) plastic, bamboo is a highly renewable, natural material that is biodegradable (可生物降解的) and     4     (become) the “green gold” of modern times in recent years because it has so many good qualities.     5     (live) in a time when most of our homes are filled with plastic, I think it’s time     6     (wake) up to the green alternative and realize     7     (it) full potential as a planet protector.

This super-powered plant is actually a grass and looks like a weed in terms of     8     quickly it can grow and where it can live. The production costs of bamboo are     9     (extreme) low due to the easy availability of this material, and it requires almost zero adjustment when people produce bamboo products. From household objects to decorative settings, the quantity of uses bamboo has     10     (go) beyond our wildest dreams and I’d love to see it becoming more popular as time goes on.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个词(冠词，介词，代词或连词)，或在空白处填入单词的正确形式。

Plants cannot move from place to place, but seeds can. They can travel great distances. They may be carried by the wind or upon the water. They may also be carried by animals or people. Seeds     1     (carry) by the wind often have special shapes. Maple seeds have wings that spin and keep them in the air for longer, allowing them to land in all kinds of places.     2     (depend) on the strength of the wind, they can sometimes travel for hundreds of kilometres.

Coconuts are carried along by ocean     3     (current). When a coconut falls from a tree onto the beach, the sea picks     4     up at high tide and carries it away to grow somewhere else. Its hard shell allows it to float on the water for    5     long time. Another way for seeds to travel is through the digestive systems of animals. Many plants produce     6     (attract) fruits that animals like to eat. The animal receives the nutrients of the fruit,     7     it does not digest the seed, which is passed out some time     8     (late). Of course, animals move, so the seed can easily end     9     a long way away from the parent plant, especially if the fruit     10     (eat) by a bird.

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.     1     Even a tomato plant can become a weed if it grows where you don’t want it to.

    2     Weeds can bring many problems. They steal nutrients and water. Weeds can also bring harmful bugs and diseases into your garden. Some weeds release chemicals that can slow the growth of nearby plants.

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.     3     And you can eat or use nearly every part of the plant. But even other weeds can do good things in our garden. The roots of weeds can prevent the soil from being blown away by wind or washed away by rain.

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.     4    

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.     5     If you turn the soil over, you give those seeds the light and air they need to grow. Probably the best way to fight some weeds is to eat them! Just make sure they are, in fact, eatable.

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 . 根据所给的首字母或汉语意思，在空白处填入恰当的单词(每空一词)。

Herbal tea has v    1     health benefits. Many people enjoy herbal tea because it can have a positive effect on energy levels. If you haven’t been feeling very well, drink some ginger tea to give your     2     (免疫) system a helping hand. Mint tea, meanwhile, is good for d    3    .

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the most important thing when planning a garden?

A．Growing what one loves.

B．Picking the right soil.

C．Choosing the location of the garden.

2. How many things do people need to plan before starting a garden?

A．5.

B．4.

C．3.

3. What is the advantage of growing from young plants?

A．They’re less expensive.

B．They grow more easily.

C．Their fruits will grow big enough.

4. What does the speaker suggest people do in the end?

A．Plant right before the growing season.

B．Ask an expert for the right soil.

C．Enjoy the process of planting.

10 . A Fish and Wildlife Service proposal would protect the whitebark pine as an endangered species. Whitebark pines can live for up to 1,000 years and grow at elevations (海拔) as high as 12,000 feet. Environmentalists had requested the government in 1991 and again in 2008 to protect the trees. A nonnative fungus (真菌) has been killing whitebark pines for a century. More recently, the trees have proved vulnerable (易受伤的) to tiny insects that have killed large areas of forest.

The whitebark pines have almost disappeared in some areas, including the eastern edge of Yellowstone National Park, where they are a source of food for threatened grizzly bears (灰熊). This makes the government’s declaration of the Yellowstone area’s grizzly bears as a restored species a lie.

After being blamed for not taking steps to protect the trees, wildlife officials in 2011 admitted that whitebark pines needed protection, but they didn’t act rapidly, saying other species faced more immediate threats.

A lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which made the formal request for protection in 2008, expressed his disappointment that it took so long but said the proposal was still worth celebrating.

The government’s proposal described the threats to the trees as immediate and said the whitebark pines were one of many plants expected to be harmed as climate change moves faster than they can adapt. “Whitebark pines survive at high elevations already, so there is little remaining habitat in many areas for the species to move to higher elevations in response to warmer temperatures,” Fish and Wildlife Service officials wrote.

Government officials are working with researchers and private groups on plans to gather seed from trees, grow them in greenhouses and then plant them back on the landscape, according to Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Amy Nicholas. A proposal of that nationwide restoration is expected by the end of this year. “We do have options to restore this species,” Nicholas said.

1. What do we know about whitebark pines?

A．They are long-lived, high-elevation trees.

B．They have a strong resistance to nonnative fungi.

C．The government used to care about protecting them.

D．They and small insects depend on each other for survival.

2. What makes the government’s announcement about grizzly bears a lie?

A．Grizzly bears are no longer threatened.

B．The whitebark pines have almost disappeared.

C．The population of grizzly bears has increased greatly.

D．The government is actually doing nothing to protect bears.

3. Which of the following would the lawyer agree with?

A．Better late than never.	B．All roads lead to Rome.
C．Never do things by halves.	D．The first step is the hardest.

4. What is Amy Nicholas’ attitude toward saving whitebark pines?

A．Irresponsible.

B．Doubtful.

C．Optimistic.

D．Uncertain.