1 . 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. |
3 . During the holidays, many people hang mistletoe (槲寄生) over doorways. People share kisses under this evergreen plant. It is a popular Christmas tradition. But don’t let the image of romantic plant used during the happy times of the holidays fool you. In the forests they’re from, mistletoe plants can do some real damage. Let’s take a look at how and why.
The mistletoe plant is evergreen. This means it has leaves that remain green throughout the year. It is also poisonous and has white berries (浆果) and small, yellow flowers. The mistletoe lives on other plants, taking water and nutrients from them. For this reason, mistletoe plants are considered parasites (寄生植物).
The white berries of mistletoe plants contain seeds. Some birds and mammals like to feed on these berries. When they do, the seeds may stick to the animal eating the berries. The animal may carry the seeds to another part of the tree of bush. They may also carry the seeds to another plant altogether. The seeds start to grow roots that dig through the bark of the tree or bush. The roots grow into the tissues of the plant they’ve taken over. That’s how mistletoe plants take nutrients and water away from the host plants. Mistletoe can be hard to remove once it infects (感染) a plant. The best way to fight off a mistletoe infection is to cut off the infected branch completely. If the mistletoe takes over more parts of the plant, it can start to weaken the plant and make it harder for it to grow.
As mistletoe plants grow in the trees, they become a thick mix of branches and roots. This big mass is sometimes called a “witch’s broom.” Some animals nest in these witches’ brooms.
1. What is the effect of the mistletoe on host plants?| A．It makes the plants turn green. |
| B．It makes the plants attacked by pests more frequently. |
| C．It affects the growth of the plants. |
| D．It stops the plants producing nutrients and water. |
| A．It provides water and nutrients for other plants. |
| B．It is a poisonous evergreen plant. |
| C．It stands for peace during the Christmas holidays. |
| D．It has some magic power like a witch’s broom. |
| A．An Unlikely Parasite: Mistletoe | B．A Widespread Plant: Mistletoe |
| C．A Witch’s Broom: Mistletoe | D．A Popular Gift: Mistletoe |
4 . There’ s no place like home. It’ s the place where we’ re surrounded by our possessions and creature comforts. We purchase things to give our homes a personal touch. And one thing we’re buying more of is houseplants. But are these “living” additions to our homes good for us and the environment?
Houseplants, also known as pot plants, add a natural touch and they have the ability to brighten up a room on a budget. The Royal Horticultural Society found that nearly 72% of adults in the UK had a houseplant in their home, with this figure rising to 80% of 16-24 year olds. A fifth of owners also said they use plants in the home to boost their health and well-being. And average sales last year were up on the previous year.
It seems millennials (千禧代) are driving the growth in the sales of houseplants. More young people are living in flats without a garden. 24-year-old Daisy Hale said “being able to care for something but not having too much commitment—I guess that’s a classic millennial line—is ideal for my lifestyle.”
From hanging baskets, to cacti (仙人掌) and succulent ferns, the choice of vegetation is endless. They are easy to care for, and there have been unproven claims that they improve the air quality in our home. But whatever their benefits, there are now concerns that they might not be so good for the environment. Some are bought online and shipped from overseas. Fay Kenworthy, co-founder of PlantSwap, a community activity that encourages people to trade plants locally, said “this could defeat many local plants.”
But botanist James Wong argues that home delivery has less of an environmental impact than multiple trips to the garden center in a car. Although he’ s not too concerned about the environmental impact, others are worried about the plastic pots they are in and the type of peat (泥炭) that some of them are grown in. However, a sustainable approach to buying them may be the best way forward if we want to introduce some natural greenery into our homes.
1. What is the benefit of a houseplant?| A．A houseplant can cure people of many diseases. |
| B．A houseplant is ideal for millennials’ career. |
| C．A houseplant improve the water quality in our home. |
| D．A houseplant can beautify a room with little money. |
| A．The choice of vegetation is endless. | B．People should buy local plants. |
| C．It’s best to buy plants online. | D．Houseplants are hard to care for. |
| A．A fashion magazine. | B．A tour brochure. |
| C．A scientific fiction. | D．A history book. |
| A．Negative. | B．Neutral. | C．Positive. | D．Not mentioned. |
| A．Natural Greenery | B．Millennials’ Choice |
| C．Houseplants: Good or Bad? | D．Hanging Baskets or a Garden? |
5 . Burning coal for energy adds planet-warming carbon dioxide(CO2) to Earth's atmosphere. As the planet heats up, experts warn that simply cutting greenhouse gas emissions（排放） will not be enough to avoid global warming. CO2 must also be remcved from the atmosphere.
Existing experimental machines that pull CO2 directly from the air are too expensive to be widely used. But a new effective technology to remove CO2 already exists. It is not expensive and easy. It is forests. Planting trees and watching forests are effective ways to clean the air.
Forests used to cover large areas of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. In the state of West Virginia, coal mining left the land there bare, without trees. Over the years, coal mining and cutting forests took over 90 percent of the red spruce（云杉） forests.
Chris Barton works for the University of Kentucky. He started a group called Green Forests Work, aiming to put trees back on the roughly 400 , 000 hectares of land.
However, Barton explains the land has problems. "If you planted trees on these places, they just didn't grow. The ground was too hard. Water didn't infiltrate（渗透）. The trees can't root. Oxygen can't circulate in those environments. "Using heavy equipment, workers tear the ground. In this way, the trees put down roots.
Barton says not everyone believes the solution is a good idea. "We've had a lot of doubtful look at us twice from people. But after we do it, there's no question that it was the right thing to do. "And it has worked. Forests are coming back to the grounds.
Scientists say that, in West Virginia alone, restoring red spruce forests to the area could send what is equal to 56 million barrels（桶）of oil into the ground. But it will take time—a long time. Around the world, experts say, nature offers powerful tools to fight climate change. But patience is needed. Nature works, but slowly, in its own time.
1. What is the economical and effective way to remove CO2 from the air?| A．Inventing new and powerful machines. | B．Cutting greenhouse gas emissions. | C．Making use of natural gases instead of coal. | D．Planting trees and protecting forests. |
| A．Cry. | B．Repair. | C．Destroy. | D．Cover. |
| A．oxygen is not enough for trees to grow there |
| B．too many rocks had made it hard to plant trees |
| C．coal mining has spoiled the land through years |
| D．there is no water for trees to grow there |
| A．a painful process | B．a slow process | C．a creative process | D．a learning process |
