1 . The West Potomac Park in Washington, DC, lies just west of the National Mall. It is home to some of Washington’s most iconic (标志性) sites. But the park’s most famous attraction? Cherry blossoms.
Thousands of cherry trees bloom around the waters of the Tidal Basin (潮汐湖), which reflect the trees’ images. The basin was created in the late1800s to prevent the Potomac River from flooding. The original cherry trees were a gift from Japan. On March 26, 1912, more than 3, 000 cherry trees arrived in Washington. Most were planted around the Tidal Basin. But cherry trees were also planted near the Washington Monument and the White House.
Mike Litterst, a spokesperson for the U. S. National Park Service, which maintains the West Potomac Park, helps protect the cherry trees. “This wonderful gift is over 100 years old now and, if you will, the gift keeps on giving. You can enjoy its beauty every year”.
The cherry blossoms also serve as a symbol of the beginning of springtime. Every year, Washington celebrates the arrival of spring with a two - week Cherry Blossom Festival. More than 1.5 million people from around the world visit the nation’s capital during the festival. They all hope to see the cherry trees at their “peak (高峰) bloom”,which lasts several days each year. Experts begin making peak bloom predictions in February. Visitors make their travel plans to Washington based on these predictions. Last year, officials correctly predicted the peak bloom six weeks in advance. But this year, unpredictable weather in March in Washington has made guessing it difficult. “Peak bloom” dates have changed many times.
The cherry blossoms have also become a worldwide symbol of Washington itself. BoWen moved to Washington from China seven years ago. He comes to the Cherry Blossom Festival. “It’s so famous. Everywhere you can see Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival, on like Twitter and Instagram.”
1. What do we learn about the West Potomac Park?| A．It is just next to the Tidal Basin. | B．There are some iconic sites around it. |
| C．It includes a man - made body of water. | D．All the cherry trees from Japan were there. |
| A．The old cherry trees are still in blossom. | B．Visitors can pick the flowers if they like. |
| C．Japan is still giving them the cherry trees. | D．Visitors want to have the cherry trees as a gift. |
| A．It usually lasts one week. | B．Its time is not the same every year. |
| C．It is held when cherry trees start to bloom. | D．Its celebration is held all over the country. |
| A．It can be enjoyed just online. | B．It is liked by the Chinese very much. |
| C．It is one of the most important ones. | D．It is widely known all over the world. |
2 . There are not only strange animals in the world; there are also some crazy plants.
Cactuses grow in places that have very little rain. These plants don’t have leaves because plants lose water through their leaves. Cactuses want to keep water inside their bodies. If you are ever stuck in a desert, you can get water by cutting a cactus. The water is not very nice because it tastes bitter. Sharp thorns protect cactuses. This is why desert animals won’t eat them. Their roots are spread out very close to the top of the sand.
Venus flytraps got their name because they trap and digest small insects in their leaves. They grow in wet places where the soil does not have the right food for the plants, so the plants have to catch their own food. Venus flytraps are small plants that have little white flowers.
Mangrove trees are trees that are able to grow in salty water. As a mangrove gets taller, it grows roots from its branches. When it is fully grown, hundreds of roots hold the leaves above the salty water. Mangroves grow mainly in the shallow water of rivers, close to where the river runs into the sea. Trees do not need much salt and mangroves have special ways of releasing excess salt, to stop it damaging the tree. Other mangroves send the salt to be stored in the oldest leaves on the tree, so that when they drop off, the tree gets rid of all unwanted salt.
Plants are able to change so that they can live in certain environments.
1. What’s the tone of the article?| A．Terrifying. | B．Thrilling. | C．Serious. | D．Frightening. |
| A．Poisonous. | B．Costly. | C．Extra. | D．Bitter. |
| A．In a science fiction. | B．In a biology book. | C．In a fashion magazine. | D．In a novel. |
| A．Unique plants. | B．Wet plants. | C．Shallow plants. | D．Salty plants. |
3 . With no special equipment, no fences and no watering, two abandoned agricultural fields in the UK have been rewilded (重新野化), in large part due to the efforts of jays, which actually “engineered” these new woodlands. Researchers now hope that rewilding projects can take a more natural and hands-off approach and that jays can shed some of their bad reputations.
The two fields, which researchers have called the New Wilderness and the Old Wilderness, had been abandoned in 1996 and 1961 respectively. The former was a bare field, while the latter was grassland—both lay next to ancient woodlands. Researchers had suspected that the fields would gradually return to wilderness, but it was impressive to see just how quickly this happened, and how much of it was owed to birds.
Using aerial data, the researchers monitored the two sites. After just 24 years, the New Wilderness had grown into a young, healthy wood with 132 live trees per hectare, over half of which (57%) were oaks. Meanwhile, the Old Wilderness resembled a mature woodland after 39 years, with 390 trees per hectare.
“This native woodland restoration was approaching the structure (but not the species composition) of long-established woodlands within six decades,” the researchers explained in the study.
Part of this reforestation was done by the wind, and researchers suspect that previous ground disturbance may have aided the woodland establishment—which is good news, as it would suggest that agricultural areas may be reforested faster than anticipated. However, animals—Eurasian jays, thrushes, wood mice, and squirrels—also played an important role in helping the forests take shape. This handful of species provided much of the natural regeneration needed for the forest to develop. Jays, in particular, seem to have done a lot of heavy lifting.
1. What does the underlined word “shed” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Be opposed to. |
| B．Be ashamed of. |
| C．Get used to. |
| D．Get rid of. |
| A．The scale of the woodlands. |
| B．The diversity of the fields. |
| C．The rate of the changes. |
| D．The frequency of the wilderness. |
| A．The woodland restoration was approaching the structure of long-established ones. |
| B．Much of the wilderness of the fields was owed to birds. |
| C．Previous ground disturbance aided the woodland establishment. |
| D．How quickly the fields returned to wilderness over time. |
| A．The essential role of humans in the reforestation. |
| B．The factors that contribute to the reforestation. |
| C．The importance of woodland establishment. |
| D．The threats faced by a handful of wild animals. |
4 . Lichens (地衣)
Lichens look like splashes of paint left behind by a careless painter. Unlike many plants, they do not require soil to grow. They grow on trunk of trees in steaming tropical rain forests, on farmers’ fenceposts, on the bricks of big-city buildings, and on old gravestones. Lichens can tolerate extremes of climate. They grow on rocks in hot springs, on wind-swept mountaintops, and on stones in the driest deserts. In the Arctic, lichens are the principal source of food for reindeer. Whole mountainsides in Antarctica appear green and orange because of the presence of lichens; they are one of the few plants that can survive there. They are among the oldest of known plants. Recently, scientists discovered lichen fossils on a rock in a mine in southwest China that date back 600 million years.
When conditions become harsh, lichens become dormant (休眠). If there is not enough moisture, they simply dry up, but a short rain or even a heavy dew gives them new life. When growing on rock surfaces, lichens produce acids that dissolve (溶解) the minerals, contributing to the process of weathering by which rocks are slowly turned to soil. This property enables lichens to be pioneers. They appear on barren rock rubbed clean by glaciers, fires, lava flows, or floods, beginning the process of soil formation that allows mosses (苔藓) and other plants to later take root. But, despite their hardiness, lichens are extremely sensitive to airborne particles(颗粒). That’s why they serve as an early warning system for air pollution.
It is the acids lichens produce that give them their distinctive colors. Lichens are often spoken of in the same breath as mosses, and some lichens are even called mosses, but true mosses are all distinctively green, whereas lichens appear in many vivid colors. At one time, acids from lichens were used to make dyes, such as the purple dye, the blue dye, and the red dye, and they are sometimes still used that way today. Some lichens, such as oakmoss, contain oils that produce fragrant odors used in scented soaps, cosmetics and perfumes. Some lichens are also known to have antibiotic properties to kill bacteria.
So definite are the form, color, and characteristics of these organisms that for hundreds of years lichens were constantly under scientists’ microscope.
1. What characteristic of lichens is mainly talked about in paragraph 1?| A．They grow only on rock surfaces. |
| B．They live primarily in cold places. |
| C．They have adapted to a wide variety of environments. |
| D．They live in remote locations far from human communities. |
| A．have their primitive structure |
| B．grow in areas before other plants do |
| C．are found in remote parts of the world |
| D．develop so early in the history of the planet |
| A．as a means of coloring clothing |
| B．as a type of medicine |
| C．as a source of food |
| D．as an ingredient in perfume |
| A．Lichens are important in Canada because of their abundance in the north. |
| B．Extracts of lichens were sold as herbal medicines to facilitate hair growth. |
| C．Glacier Park’s vast array of lichens indicate relatively good air quality. |
| D．A German botanist first found lichens are composed of two life forms. |
5 . The rapid pace of global warming and its effects on habitats raise the question of whether species are able to keep up so that they remain in suitable living conditions. Some animals can move fast to adjust to a swiftly changing climate. Plants, being less mobile, rely on means such as seed dispersal(传播) by animals, wind or water to move to new areas, but this redistribution typically occurs within one kilometre of the original plant.
When the climate in a plant’s usual range becomes hotter than it can tolerate, it must find new, cooler areas that might lie many kilometres away. One explanation for long-distance seed dispersal is through transport by migratory (迁徙的) birds. Such birds swallow seeds when eating fruit and can move them tens or hundreds of kilometres outside the range of a plant species.
Gonzáiez-Vary and colleagues report how plants might be able to keep pace with rapid climate change with the help of migratory birds. The authors analysed the fruiting times of plants, patterns of bird migration and the interactions between fruit-eating birds and fleshy-fruited plants across Europe. Plants with fleshy fruits were chosen for this study because most of their seed transport is by migratory birds, and because fleshy-fruited plants are an important part of the woody-plant community in Europe. The common approach until now has been to predict plant dispersal using models fitted to abiotic (非生物的) factors such as the current climate. Gonzáiez-Vary instead analysed an impressive data set of 949 different seed-dispersal interactions between bird and plant communities, together with data on entire fruiting times and migratory patterns of birds across Europe. The researchers also analysed DNA traces from bird wastes to identify the plants and birds responsible for seed dispersal.
1. How do species adapt to climate changes when it’s too hot?| A．All animals will move away across great distanced. |
| B．Some plants depend on migratory birds to carry seeds. |
| C．Some plants depend on animals, wind or water to move. |
| D．Plants’ seeds disperse to cooler places of several kilometres away. |
| A．Most of these can’t fit rapid climate change |
| B．Migratory birds like making nests in them |
| C．Migratory birds transport their seeds. |
| D．They are favoured by most birds. |
| A．To explain relations between fruit plants and migratory birds. |
| B．To clarify the reason why birds migrate in fruiting times. |
| C．To present a fact that migratory bird eats flesh fruits. |
| D．To show that fruits depend on migratory birds. |
| A．The advantage of fruit plants. |
| B．The destination of the bird migration. |
| C．The adaptation of fruit plants to the climate change. |
| D．The influence of climate change on plants and animals. |
6 . Covered in lush fur, the thickest in the animal kingdom, sea otters (海獭) can live their entire lives in the ocean, feeding heavily upon seafloor animals such as shellfish. They are often seen to eat clams(蛤), which bury themselves in meadows of eelgrass (大叶藻场), a wide-ranging plant species growing in water. Eelgrass meadows where sea otters dig for clams become partly bare, which is commonly a concern for ecologists.
As it turns out, the meadows with otters are healthier, with more eelgrass, according to a new study published in Science. That's because by gently disturbing the seabed, the otters make the plants flower and produce seeds. What's more, their digging provides more space and sunlight for seeds to settle and grow. The enhanced genetic diversity caused by sea otters could make eelgrass more adaptable to present and future threats.
The finding is a powerful example of how animals such as otters influence their ecosystems beyond predation (捕食), often in unseen and little-known ways, says study leader Erin Foster, a research associate at the Hakai Institute. It also means sea otters, an endangered species, are vital to their environments and give eelgrass, which is in danger worldwide, a better chance at staying healthy and surviving.
Seagrass habitats are also important for many fish, providing food for animals, absorbing, and filtering harmful pollution and bacteria from the water. "Genetic diversity typically strengthens the adaptability of species, and considering the challenges we're facing…this will be important for eelgrass meadows, and from this aspect, the impact the otters are having deserves our lasting concern," says Foster.
1. What do we know about sea otters?| A．They live part of their lives underwater. | B．They mainly feed on sea animals like fish. |
| C．They eat clams beneath eelgrass meadows. | D．They become a new concern for ecologists. |
| A．By giving opinions. | B．By presenting reasons. |
| C．By clarifying concepts. | D．By comparing results. |
| A．To provide examples of sea otters' predation. |
| B．To show the urgency to protect the environment. |
| C．To highlight the role of otters in their ecosystems. |
| D．To warn against the potential risk of climate change. |
| A．Overestimated. | B．Noteworthy. | C．Temporary. | D．Unpredictable. |
7 . There are many theories that suggest different ways of improving memory or thinking more clearly. One of those is the idea that adding rosemary (迷迭香) to your food or water, or even breathing in its fragrance, can give your brain a boost.
First, it’s important to understand what rosemary is.
Rosemary is related to the mint (薄荷) family of plants. When it blooms, its flowers are white, purple, pink or deep blue. It is often used as a flavor in food, including soups, meat, fish and other Mediterranean food. And it has a somewhat bitter flavor. Some people also enjoy tea flavored with rosemary.
One study that involved 28 older adults found that consumption of a small amount of dried rosemary powder was associated with statistically significantly improved memory speed.
While rosemary shows some promise for boosting our brain power, it’s important to check with your doctor before you begin having it.
| A．But it is grown in the United States, as well. |
| B．Rosemary is a herb with needle-like leaves. |
| C．Here’s what research has found about rosemary. |
| D．It is unknown if those benefits would hold true for humans. |
| E．It’s not known for sure why there may be a benefit from rosemary. |
| F．Rosemary is also used as a perfume and added to shampoo and soap. |
| G．Another study was performed with 53 students between 13 and 15 years old. |
1. What is the main topic of the talk?
| A．Crop harvest. | B．Hot weather. | C．Food quality. |
| A．The same as last year. |
| B．Twice as much as last year. |
| C．Three times as much as last year. |
| A．Apples. | B．Peaches. | C．Oranges. |
| A．Profits are lower. |
| B．Quality is lower. |
| C．Prices are lower. |
9 . Do plants listen to music? How can a plant possibly respond to music? Well, plants breathe through their many mouths, which are also known as stomata and it has been discovered that plant stomata respond to music!
A few years ago, scientists at the University of California, San Diego discovered what controls a plant’s stomata.The two cells that form the stoma consist of specialized cells adjusted to the resonant(共鸣的)frequency of calcium(钙). When exposed to this frequency the stomata close. However, if the frequency isn’t exactly right the cells will open again within an hour.This happens even if the concentration of calcium is high enough that the stomata would normally close.
When specific music or bird songs cause the plant to vibrate(颤动), but not at the exact frequency for calcium resonance, the stomata will open after a misjudgment of time, even though the plant would keep them closed under normal circumstances.
Testing has shown that a leaf fertilizer(肥料)applied to the plant will have more effect on the development and growth of the plant if its stomata are wide open. This is quite logical, because plants absorb the leaf fertilizer through their stomata.Combinations of frequency and leaf fertilizer are available for many different crops. However, if the stomata are forced to remain open, the plant won’t be able to control the amount of water lost and so it risks dehydration(脱水). As a result, exposing plants to music for over 3 hours a day could endanger their health.There could also be bad effects on plants if the volume or frequency is too high.
It isn’t exactly clear how music influences the development and growth of plants, but more and more is being discovered about resonance physics and we’re closer than ever to solid scientific proof and theories in this area. Maybe, in twenty years’ time people will laugh if you say plants don’t have ears!
1. Why does the author ask the questions in Paragraph 1?| A．To express his doubts. |
| B．To present different ideas. |
| C．To describe the lifestyle of plants. |
| D．To introduce points for discussion. |
| A．The reopening of the cells. |
| B．The change in frequency. |
| C．The frequency of calcium. |
| D．The closing of the stomata. |
| A．future plants are likely to have ears |
| B．how music affects plant growth is widely known |
| C．growers must be careful when exposing plants to music |
| D．the stomata don’t affect the effect of leaf fertilizer on plants |
| A．Benefits of Music to Plants |
| B．Influence of Music on Plants |
| C．How to Improve Plant Growth? |
| D．How Do Plants Listen Without Ears? |
10 . Contrary to the longheld belief that plants in natural world are always in competition, new research has found in bad environments mature (成熟的) plants help smaller ones — and thrive as a result. The research team, led by Dr.Rocio PérezBarrales studied adult and young plants in the “ecological desert” of soil in the southeast of Spain.
The findings could have significance for those managing bad environments like coastal areas. Dr.PérezBarrales said, “What we have found surprising is that a strong large plant, called a ‘nurse’， shields a young one, and it also produces more flowers than those of similar size growing on their own.” Dr.PérezBarrales and her team studied plant growth in southern Spain for over three months during summer and found that the young and “nurse” are more likely to thrive when grown together, compared to either plant growing alone.
The young plants benefit from shade, more moisture and more nutrients, from the leaf litter (落叶层) of the “nurse” plants, and probably higher bacteria and fungus (真菌) in the soil. As it matures, the “nurse” plant grows more flowers than those similar ones nearby growing alone, greatly increasing its chances of producing seeds and reproducing. Besides, vegetation of “nurse” and facilitated plants with more flowers might be able to attract a greater number and variety of pollinators (传粉昆虫) in an area. In turn, it supports insect and soil life, and even provides a larger range of different fruit types for birds and mammals. This is the greatest achievement of the ecosystem.
The research is likely to be of value to those who manage to protect plants in hostile and harsh environments, such as shingle and sanddune (沙丘) ecosystems, which are considered at high risk due to human action and climate change. Most home gardeners and farmers are happy with the research as well, but the findings might be of more value to those who garden in harsh places.
1. What's the finding of the study?| A．The mature and smaller plants benefit each other when growing together. |
| B．Large plants sacrifice themselves for the smaller ones. |
| C．Young plants compete with the adults for larger space. |
| D．Young plants struggle to survive in harsh environments. |
| A．Because it produces more flowers. |
| B．Because it competes with a larger one. |
| C．Because it protects and helps the young. |
| D．Because it grows well in bad environments. |
| A．The natural selection. |
| B．The biodiversity (生物多样性) in an area. |
| C．The improvement of the soil. |
| D．The high rate of animal reproduction (繁殖). |
| A．The effects of the research on agriculture. |
| B．The shortcomings of the research at present. |
| C．The influence of the research on climate change. |
| D．The significance of the research findings in some fields. |
