1 . Mosquitoes can carry various diseases and one of the most popular is dengue (登革热). Dengue is caused by any one of the four related viruses spread by mosquitoes, because of which numerous Filipinos died. One of the easiest ways to prevent mosquitoes is to use repellents. In the market, there are many commercial mosquito repellents available. The commonly used repellent in the Philippines is quite unaffordable. Meanwhile, it contains chemicals that may cause irritation (刺激). These account for why researchers seek to develop an alternative mosquito repellent.

The researchers plan to use natural components. Since the component is natural, the new mosquito repellent to be made from it is effective yet inexpensive and poses no risks to health or environment. One of the major components being explored is from lemongrass.

Lemongrass has natural anti-microbial features, suitable for use on various types of skin infections, usually as a wash, and is especially effective on skin diseases. It has mosquito repelling effects and is used to make a mosquito repellent. In using this product, you will spray it over all exposed skin areas. Contact with eyes should be avoided. If irritation occurs, wash off immediately and discontinue using. The very importance of this product is to prevent the spread of multiple diseases caused by mosquito bites. The new mosquito repellent containing lemongrass extract (提取物) also helps control the outbreak of other insect-borne diseases such as Malaria, Lyme Disease and West Nile Fever. After all, lemongrass is a popular plant found commonly in the country and its extract is used for medicinal and food products.

The new study is significant because there’s an increasing number of deaths concerning mosquitoes. While there are alternative solutions, Filipinos cannot deny their brothers and sisters living in poverty cannot afford to buy repellents. Yet, currently the researchers aim to test how effective their natural product is in repelling mosquitoes within households. This initial study will evaluate the product’s effectiveness before further trials in broader applications.

1. Why do the researchers want to create an alternative repellent?

A．The effect of original products is doubted.

B．There are too many mosquitoes to get rid of.

C．The providers fail to meet the market demands.

D．The existing products are costly and harmful.

2. What makes lemongrass extract an ideal choice for the mosquito repellent?

A．Its unique property.	B．Its distributing style.
C．Its easy extracting.	D．Its lower risk on eyes.

3. What can be inferred about the mosquito repellent from the last paragraph?

A．It will be long before being evaluated.

B．It is a popular mosquito-proof product.

C．Its cheapness is its crucial selling point.

D．Its natural makeup often appeal to its users.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Therapy Fighting back Mosquitoes

B．A Cost-Effective Natural Mosquito Repellent

C．Dengue: A common Disease from Mosquitoes

D．Lemongrass: A Compound Extract from Nature

2 . Every spring, in regions at high altitudes around the world, one of Earth’s tiniest migrations takes place. The migrants are single-celled green algae (海藻); they are relatives to plants growing in the sea, but instead of living in the sea they live in snow. They spend the winter deep in the snow. In the spring, they wake and swim up through flowing streams of melted snow to the surface, dividing and photosynthesizing (进行光合作用) as they go. Then, at the top, they turn red. This creates what scientists call pink snow.

The color comes from astaxanthin (虾青素), a substance that gives some living things their reddish color. The algae produce astaxanthin as a form of sun protection; it absorbs UV light, thereby warming the organisms and thus melting the surrounding snow. “The melting helps them a lot,” said Roman Dial, a biologist at Alaska Pacific University. “The moment there is liquid water on the snow, the algae start growing.”

Pink snow is a perfectly natural phenomenon, but in an age of disappearing glaciers (冰川), it is also problematic. Last year, scientists discovered that the algae turned the snow surface dark, reducing the amount of sunlight reflected by some glaciers in Scandinavia—and increasing the amount of sunlight absorbed—by 30%. The result, as Dial and his colleagues demonstrated in this month’s issue of Nature Geoscience, is faster melting. As in other parts of the warming planet—particularly the Arctic, where scientists fear that melting permafrost (永冻土层) may lead to further climatic changes. Ice sheets are already being darkened by dust and ash, which makes the process of melting faster and provides nutrients for algae growth. As the organisms multiply, they melt even more snow, which allows them to increase in their population again. “It spreads more rapidly than people realize, once it gets established,” Dial said.

Snow algae need snow; when that’s gone, which seems to be the direction of things, the snow algae will go, too. Before the snow algae disappear, though, and while there’s still some glacier left, it’s entirely possible that the last snow we’ll see on Earth will be pink or even red, a wound on Earth.

1. What causes the color of pink snow?

A．The migration that involves the algae and other plants.

B．The flowing streams that the algae travel through.

C．The algae that turn red at the snow’s surface.

D．The sunlight that directly reflects on the algae.

2. How does astaxanthin benefit the algae according to Paragraph 2?

A．It absorbs UV light to cool down the algae.	B．It prevents the algae from photosynthesizing.
C．It colors the algae for the purpose of decoration.	D．It helps protect the algae from the sun.

3. What is the problem associated with pink snow mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．It increases the reflection of sunlight.	B．It speeds up the melting of glaciers.
C．It leads to a decrease in algae populations.	D．It reduces the amount of liquid water available.

4. According to the passage, what concern do scientists have regarding the Arctic region?

A．The rapid melting of glaciers may lead to an increase in permafrost.

B．The darkening of ice sheets may slow down the process of melting.

C．The warming climate may result in the extinction of algae in the region.

D．Darkening ice sheets and multiplied algae may worsen climate change.

5. What is the author’s attitude towards pink snow in the passage?

A．Concerned.

B．Indifferent.

C．Neutral.

D．Optimistic.

3 . As I was standing in a long line to get into the grocery store waiting to buy fruits and vegetables, I realized I could turn my backyard into a garden.     1     Here are several expert tips to help you break ground on your garden.

Before you start your work, think about the space you’re changing. Is your space a yard? A rooftop? How much sunlight does it get? Watch out for the temperature and find out which plants adapt well in your region.     2    

Set the stage with healthy soil. It’s full of billions of bacteria and helps plant roots grow. Then consider the structure of the soil. Different plants require different soil.     3     Tomatoes want more clay for keeping water.

    4     The decision depends on your preferences, space, what you’re growing and your budget. Stay away from containers that have been used for poisonous materials. They can bring chemicals into the soil as they break down from sunlight.

Should I plant seeds or transplants? In general, a seed is like a baby. It needs tons of care, but not everyone knows how to get it to survive. Transplants are for starters.     5     They still need your love but they’re not going to fall down and kill themselves.

With a little planning, I was able to watch three adorable baby trees take root in my yard. One of them recently had its first fruit — sweet little peaches. The yard has totally transformed too.

A．It used to be a junkyard.

B．Just create a vision based on your location.

C．You can start a garden in pots or containers.

D．You can buy your garden soil at a hardware (五金) store.

E．It enables me to grow my own food and save waiting time.

F．Carrots want sandier soil, so their roots can more easily grow.

G．They are plants that are a few inches high grown in small pots.

4 . Maples are known for their autumn colors. Many species put on a display of oranges, browns, yellows, and reds every year. Here are four excellent species of maple for your landscape.

Bigleaf maple
Native Area: North America
Height: 50 to 100 feet

As the name suggests, the leaves are quite large on this tree. It has the biggest leaves of any maple; the classic palm-shape leaves can be over 12 inches wide. This large tree is an excellent shade tree for large landscapes and parks.

Hedge maple
Native Area: Europe and Asia
Height: 25 to 35 feet

The hedge maple is a great choice for the urban garden, as it does well in many severe environments: drought, salty soils, shady locations, and climates where there is ozone deficiency. It can also be used as a street tree if the power lines are high enough.

Norway maple
Native Area: Europe and Asia
Height: usually 40 to 50 feet

Known either as Norway maple or European maple, this popular species was brought to North America from Europe in the 18th century. It has since become one of the most common trees. In the right settings, this species may become invasive (侵入的), so before planting it, check to make sure it is not a problem in your region.

Hornbeam maple
Native Area: Japan
Height: 15 to 30 feet

Many species of plant within a genus have a similar appearance, but there can be surprises, as is the case with the hornbeam maple. Its leaves are nothing like what you expect from a maple. This can be a somewhat difficult plant to find for sale, but it can make a good   small tree or a large shrub (灌木) in the landscape.

1. What might the name of the first maple be based on?

A．Its height.	B．Its native area.
C．The size of its leaves.	D．The function it performs.

2. Which can adapt to various challenging environments?

A．The bigleaf maple.	B．The hedge maple.
C．The norway maple.	D．The hornbeam maple.

3. What can we learn about the hornbeam maple?

A．Its leaves look like hands.

B．It is larger than other maples.

C．It is easy to find for sale at the market.

D．Its leaves differ from those of typical maples.

5 . Many people want to grow their own food in their own backyard, but they don’t know how to start. This article will teach you how to start!

Find out what plants to get. Get plants that can grow in your area, and make sure you plant them at the right time of the year.     1     Usually you should start your garden after the last frost date in the spring t While they’re technically fruits, a good starter plant to grow is tomatoes. You can plant these in a pot or in your garden.

    2     Make sure there is enough space to grow your plants. Use a tiller (犁) and till the whole space you will be gardening. Then pull out any weeds and move any large rocks. Find out how big your plants get and space them accordingly. If your plant needs slightly acidic (酸性的) soil, get an acid metre and make sure the soil has enough acidity.     3     To grow them well, you can buy fertilizer that can add acidity to the soil.

Buy your plants and fertilizers. You can either get seeds or get plant seedlings. Go to your local nursery and see what they have. Get fertilizer as well.     4     This will make your plants grow, better and faster!

Plant your plants in the garden. Use a hand shovel and dig a small hole big enough to put your plant in. Water your plant before you put it in so you can wet the root ball. Sprinkle (撒) in a little bit of fertilizer and put your plant in.     5    

For seeds, stick your finger into the dirt where you want to plant the seed until the dirt reaches the second joint on your finger.

A．Learn how to start a garden.

B．Plan out your garden wisely.

C．Make sure to get the right fertilizer for your plants.

D．Some plants that need acidity are tomatoes and blueberries.

E．You should grow and water them in spring if you want to have a good start.

F．Then surround the plant with dirt and make a small circle around it for water.

G．If you plant them too early or too late, they could freeze and die before you can harvest vegetables.

6 . It’s a fascinating story of how nature is reclaiming and transforming the broken soil we leave behind. Wildlife filmmaker Dan O’Neill and zoologist Yussef Rafik are on a mission to uncover the wildlife secrets hidden inside some abandoned places.

Inchkeith Island

This island off the Scottish coast had been an important strategic location for military defences for over 500 years by 1957. While its buildings might be empty and in bad condition, the wildlife has bloomed. Dan and Yussef watch young seal pups on the beach and spot seabirds and European cave spiders.

Dinorwi c Quarry

Dan and Yussef visit this former slate quarry（采石场） in Wales. Dinorwic closed its doors in 1969 and nature has slowly been reclaiming the land ever since. Dan and Yussef are searching for the fastest animal in the world, the peregrine falcon（游隼） and spot rare wild mountain goats.

Chatterley Whitfield

Today it looks more like a set from a film, but at its peak Chatterley Whitfield was a busy coalmine. Since it was closed in 1977, wildlife has taken hold. Dan and Yussef find plants including sunflowers that have sprung up in the most unlikely places. And hidden cameras capture footage of the rabbits and foxes wandering these empty buildings at night.

Nunhead Cemetery

Dan and Yussef explore one of the seven great graveyards in London, which was closed right after the Second World War and soon became neglected. Now hundreds of species live alongside the dead. Dan spots bright green ring-necked parakeets, the non-native bird that’s made London its home and the pair sample blackberries growing among the graves.

1. What do we know about Inchkeith Island?

A．It played a crucial role in wartime.	B．It is located on the Scottish coast.
C．It was used as a setting for a movie.	D．It has its buildings well maintained.

2. Which one was the last abandoned?

A．Inchkeith Island.	B．Dinorwic Quarry.
C．Chatterley Whitfield.	D．Nunhead Cemetery.

3. What is the common feature of the places?

A．They once served the same purpose.	B．They are turning wild over the years.
C．They are hidden inside the same island.	D．They are controlled by native wildlife.

7 . Every August the clustered carline thistle (蓟) is one of the only plants that flower in most of Spain’s dry Mediterranean habitats, making it a dominant plant on the local bees and other pollinators. But how can the thistle survive, much less flower, when its neighbors are reduced to twigs and dust?

Spanish National Research Council evolutionary ecologist Carlo s Herrera had an amazing discovery when one day he peered into a thistle blossom to see how much nectar was inside and lightly touched the flower. He discovered that even after hours in direct sun, the flower heads were routinely five degrees cooler than their surroundings during the heat of the day, with the difference approaching 10 degrees for some flowers on the hottest days.

Sanna Sevanto, a physicist and plant physiologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory says that Herrera’s finding is exciting and could confirm a risky plant survival strategy that has, until now, only been theorized.

Sevanto and other scientists have documented that to perform photosynthesis (光合作用), leaves need access to carbon dioxide, which enters through tiny pores (毛孔) called stomata on the leaf’s surface. When stomata open to let carbon dioxide in, some water escapes; this causes evaporative cooling that lowers the leaf’s temperature slightly.

But for the Spanish thistles, evaporative cooling could be the goal rather than just a side effect of photosynthesis. Herrera suggests the plant could essentially be sweating: sacrificing precious water, so scarce in Spain’s dry summers, to prevent its delicate reproductive organs from overheating. She added that some flower species have stomata on their petals, which Sevanto says would be an easy route for releasing water. Opening stomata in a drought is a big gamble, though, and she notes that, so far, “we have not observed a plant that would do it to cool themselves.”

As heat waves become more frequent and intense with climate change, it’s increasingly important to study unusual adaptations that help plants survive heat stress. But ultimately, “whether these plants will have water enough to keep the system working,” Herrera says, “that’s another story.”

1. What was Herrera’s discovery about carline thistle in August?

A．It was the only plant that blossomed.	B．It was the only plant that survived.
C．It had little nectar in the flower.	D．It had lower temperature in the flower head.

2. Why does carline thistle open stomata in hot weather?

A．To cool the key organs.	B．To take in carbon dioxide.
C．To accelerate photosynthesis.	D．To reduce water content in leaves.

3. What does the underlined word “gamble” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A．Advantage.

B．Risk.

C．Shift.

D．Evolution.

4. What is Herrera’s attitude towards the plants’ way to adapt to heat stress?

A．Suspicious.

B．Positive.

C．Objective.

D．Unconcerned.

8 . We are unavoidably linked to the ocean. Collectively, it covers about 71% of our world and is instrumental in the processes that keep us alive. While the rainforests may be referred to as “the lungs of the planet”, scientists say it’s actually the ocean that provides 50% — 80% of the oxygen we breathe. Besides, through a “conveyor belt” action, it helps regulate Earth’s climate by transporting heat away from the equator, towards the poles to cool. The ocean also proves itself essential in the fight against climate change too. It absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere-or rather, it’s not the ocean itself but what lives in it. And perhaps one of the most incredible forms is the humble seagrass.

Across the globe, there are more than 70 species of seagrass, growing in shallow and sheltered coastal areas and covering 300,000 square kilometres, which absorbs 10% of the ocean’s carbon each year and captures carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Seagrass builds its leaves and roots using carbon, which it extracts from water through the process of photosynthesis (光合作用) — and it holds on to it, even after death. Dead plant material decomposes (分解) slowly on the ocean floor, and this means that the carbon stored within is eventually buried under the seabed.

Significant as it is, seagrass is critically endangered. According to the U. N. Environment Programme, a seagrass area the size of a football pitch is destroyed every 30 minutes around the world. Fortunately, restoration missions are already underway, in places as far afield as Kenya, Mozambique, and the UK. But rising temperatures remain a twofold threat: an increase in storms that tear the shallow-rooted seagrass from its beds, and rising sea-levels that block out the sunlight.

However, seagrass is known to adapt to survive-and gene sequencing of the Zostera marina seagrass has shown it has done so on three separate occasions already. Could it be one of Earth’s great survivors that will save us all? Only time will tell.

1. How does the seagrass help regulate Earth’s climate?

A．It blocks out the sunlight.	B．It absorbs carbon dioxide.
C．It provides most of the oxygen.	D．It transports heat towards the poles.

2. What does the underlined word “extracts” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Obtains.

B．Replaces.

C．Consumes.

D．Delivers.

3. What can be inferred about the seagrass from the last two paragraphs?

A．It is no longer endangered after restoration.

B．It has saved the planet from climate change.

C．It hasn’t been affected by rising temperatures.

D．It is able to adapt to changes in its environment.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．The Fantastic World of Seagrass	B．The Uncertain Future of the Ocean
C．Seagrass: The Ocean’s Unsung Hero	D．The Battle to Save Seagrass from Extinction

9 . Tips For a Great Fall Garden

A fall garden can be a great place, which allows us to revel (陶醉) in the beauty and abundance of the season. Many gardeners seem to focus on summer so much that the garden can fade during the fall and not live up to its full potential.     1    

Grow annual crops in fall.

    2     When you switch from summer growing to year-round growing, you will beamazed by how much more you are able to grow and by the abundance of your yields. By growing the right crops at the right times, your garden can be incredibly productive.

    3    

Whether for production or for decoration, it is always a good idea to look first at native plants. Plants that are native to your area should always make up a high proportion of the plants you grow. Selecting plenty of native plants that bloom in the fall helps you to boost biodiversity and they look lovely and right at home.

Use and value fall leaves.

When trees drop their colorful leaves, creating a great fall garden means making the most of those leaves as a resource to keep your garden looking good. To make the most of fall leaves, you can use them to protect the soil and overwintering plants, to enrich the soil and fill planters or containers.     4    

Add garden features for year-round enjoyment.

Making a great fall garden is mostly about the plants you choose and the way you choose to garden. But gardens should not be entirely about hard work.     5     Covered seating areas, garden buildings, outdoor heat sources and perhaps outdoor lighting can help you enjoy your garden as much in the fall as you do in the summer.

A．Choose native plants for a diverse fall garden.

B．Make designs for forest gardening on a small scale.

C．To help these gardeners, here are some tips for a great fall garden.

D．Native plants for your area can become shopping lists for a fall garden.

E．You can take steps to ensure you can fully enjoy the space in cooler seasons.

F．You can even take on some arts and crafts projects to enjoy their colors and shapes.

G．In cooler gardens, it is possible to grow year-round if you create an underco ver growing area.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why is the baobab’s trunk really fat?

A．It is shaped by people.

B．It stores a large quantity of water.

C．It must be strong enough to support the tree.

2. What is the full height of a baobab?

A．About 12 metres.

B．About 15 metres.

C．About 30 metres.

3. What are baobabs often used as nowadays?

A．Shops.

B．Wildlife habitats.

C．Bus shelters.