1 . The candy we eat, the tea we drink, the lotion we use---they all likely contain ingredients from wild plants. While natural ingredients can be beneficial to buyers, the way those plants are harvested could harm ecosystems. In a recent United Nations report, medicinal plant experts revealed the risks behind several of them, including Brazil nuts, frankincense, goldenseal, gum arabic, and licorice.

Plant derivatives （衍生物） in household products “sit there somewhere in the middle of the ingredients list” on product labels, often going unnoticed, says Caitlin Schindler, lead author of the report. Even if consumers do take note, there’s no information about what’s involved in obtaining or processing the derivatives.

Many of these plants are threatened with extinction from overharvesting, disease and pests, climate change, and habitat loss. The endangered state of more than 20,000 medicinal plant species has never been assessed, which means it’s impossible to know whether their use is sustainable.

Meanwhile, the trade in wild plants is booming. U. S. consumers spent more than $12.3 billion on herbal dietary supplements in 2021---up more than 9 percent from 2020. Wild plants have been used locally for centuries, but today’s global demand puts many at risk. And international customers often have no idea where these products originate.

Should consumers stop buying the products? No. Schindler says, because “the ingredients are really critical to a lot of people’s livelihoods.” Solutions for transforming the trade in wild plants are rooted in awareness. The first step for consumers is to “just notice that you’re buying something that has a wild ingredient,” she says. It’s generally safer to purchase local products and splurge on more expensive ones, if possible.

Consumers can also look for organic and fair-trade certifications. Various programs evaluate wild-plant supply chains for sustainability, and many companies advertise these certifications, either on the product or online. One of the most prominent is Fair Wild, which assesses environmental risks and recommends best sourcing practices. If certifications are missing, Schindler encourages people to challenge companies to do better. “Until businesses get a bit more pressure from consumers, we won’t see any changes happening,” she says.

1. What can we learn about wild plants according to the report?

A．Their current situation is ignored.	B．They are limited on a global scale.
C．They have been evaluated regularly.	D．Their process information is on the label.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined words “splurge on” in paragraph 5?

A．Get rid of.	B．Spend much money on.
C．Pay attention to.	D．Conduct many experiments on.

3. Why are the organic and fair-trade certifications valued?

A．They confirm the quality of the wild plants.

B．They offer consumers rights to assess the products.

C．They ensure the use of wild plants at a steady level.

D．They inspire companies to make more advertisements.

4. What is the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

2 . To reduce the carbon emissions from passenger jets and long-haul trucks, a vast volume of soy-based renewable fuel will be needed. To produce it, American farmers could ruin existing cornfields to clear space, plant millions of additional acres of soybeans and shut down all soybean exports. Researchers at startups and biotech giants alike have found ways to create a new kind of soybeans through genetic recombination that generates more oil.

One of the startups, ZeaKal Inc., funded in part by seed giant Corteva Inc., plans to introduce its first batch of high-oil seeds for commercial planting in 2024. Scientists have tricked the plant into sustaining photosynthesis for longer with genetic recombination, ultimately producing more oil as well as more protein.

Companies are racing to build more capacity to process soy, a critical component for expanding green fuel supplies. Tax credits make companies in the transportation industry switch to fuel with lower carbon emission. S&P Global sees domestic demand for renewable biofuel reaching 4 billion gallons in 2030, up from around 2.7 billion this year. It projects that the use of sustainable aviation fuel will total 1.7 billion gallons annually by the end of the decade, compared with just 182 million gallons a year now.

Despite the bullish predictions, the soy-based transportation fuel market is still a drop in the bucket for the fuel industry. And even if the new breed of high-oil seeds takes off, widespread adoption will take time. Farmers may be reluctant to become early adopters of a technology that hasn’t yet proven its benefits, especially if the oil content comes at the expense of existing genetic recombinations that improve disease or pest resistance.

Chicken producer Perdue Farms Inc. has signed a deal with Zeakal, agreeing to pay farmers a higher price for harvested supplies of the new variety, which is good for chicken feed because of its higher protein levels. If large oil companies follow suit, the soybean market might never look the same. “We could have an opportunity for the oil component of soybeans to actually become more important in some markets than the protein aspect,” says Mike Dillon, vice president of ZeaKal, “That’s a very dramatic shift.”

1. How did researchers plan to produce more oil?

A．By planting more soybeans.

B．By banning soybean exports.

C．By fertilizing soybean fields.

D．By engineering soybean genes.

2. What does the author want to show by mentioning the figure in paragraph 3?

A．The continuous use of the fuel.

B．The growing demand for biofuel.

C．The serious lack of green fuel supplies.

D．The fierce competition between companies.

3. Who can change the current biofuel market according to the last paragraph?

A．Companies.

B．Farmers.

C．Scientists.

D．Governments

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

A．Biofuel: A New Way to Cut Down Carbon Emissions

B．Oilier Soybeans: Possible Reliance of the Future Fuel

C．A Big Shift: From Conventional Soybeans to Altered Ones

D．Genetic Modification: A Technology to Breed New Soybeans

3 . 阅读下面材料，在题后空白处填入适当的内容(每空一词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

The record of the    1    (tall) tree in Asia has been refreshed this week, as a team of Chinese researchers announced     2    (recent) that they discovered a giant cypress(柏树)measuring 102.3 meters in Tibet.

The record-breaking high tree, called Cupressus torulosa(西藏柏木),    3    (find) at the national nature reserve of the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Bome county, Nyingchi city, during a scientific investigation led by Peking University in May.

    4    (use) drones and laser radar to map the local cypress aggregation area, the team members confirmed the     5    (present) of the 102.3-meter tree. Besides, they detected a large number of trees over 85 meters high, including 25 over 90 meters. The findings have also contributed    6    the region having the highest density of giant trees in China and Asia after precision measurement, said Ren Yu,    7    is a team member from Peking University.

Mainly distributed in southeastern Tibet, Cupressus, torulosa has a narrow distribution area and     8    small population. Therefore, it has been listed    9    a national first-class protected plant.

The previous China tree height record     10    (hold) was an evergreen fir(常绿冷杉) measured at 83.4 meters by scientists in Tibet last year.

4 . Now it’s the perfect time to teach kids about growing things. Try one or more of these plant experiments for fun and learning.

Color carnations(康乃馨).

Fill a glass with water and color the water. Add a white carnation stalk(茎) and watch the plant become colorful as it “drinks” the colored water. This is a great, short experiment to show how plants absorb water.

Plant root vegetables.

Find out how root vegetables form underground by planting root vegetables in a clear container. First, fill the bottom of the container with small stones. Next, add potting soil and plant root vegetable seeds, trying carrots or onions, evenly. Keep the soil wet and enjoy watching the root form. Best of all, when the vegetable is done growing, you can eat it!

Study speedy sunflowers.

Sunflower seeds sprout(发芽) and grow quickly, making this the perfect flower for impatient children. These seeds can be started just about anywhere, even in a paper coffee cup or yogurt container. Kids love seeing the plant push its way out of the soil, wearing the seed’s outer part like a hat! Move your plant to a flower pot after it sprouts to observe the flower as it forms.

Make a grass basket.

Grass is another seed that grows quickly, Make a living basket by lining a basket with plastic and filling it with potting soil, Put grass seeds on top and water them lightly every day.

Growing plants is a great way to bring some learning — and a little sunshine — to your daily life. Try any of these inexpensive garden experiments for a fun project this spring.

1. Which garden experiment will you choose to see how plants take in water?

A．Color carnations.

B．Make a grass basket.

C．Plant root vegetables.

D．Study speedy sunflowers.

2. What is special about the experiment of “plant root vegetables”?

A．It has strict requirements for temperature.

B．It offers you the tasty fruits of your labor.

C．It is perfect for impatient kids.

D．It is convenient to carry on.

3. What do sunflowers and grass have in common?

A．They both need little water.

B．They both like shade.

C．They both grow very quickly.

D．They both prefer clear containers.

5 . Scientists have found the world’s biggest seagrass ecosystem in the Bahamas. Seagrass refers to dozens of different species of flowering plants that live entirely underwater, producing energy through photosynthesis (光合作用) by absorbing sunlight. Like their land-based relatives, seagrasses have roots and leaves and also produce seeds. Seagrasses grow in salty coastal waters around the world, usually in shallow waters where sunlight is more plentiful. Since seagrasses carry out the process of photosynthesis, they are known to be very effective at storing carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas. This is because photosynthesis involves plants using sunlight to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen.

These underwater plants play an important role in carbon sequestration, in which carbon is stored in the environment rather than being allowed to float freely in the atmosphere where it can contribute to global warming. According to Gallagher, one of the new study’s authors, carbon enters the ocean as part of the carbon cycle, and the seagrass takes in this carbon through photosynthesis via their leaves. This is part one. The second part is when the seagrass transports this carbon through itself, burying and storing it in its root system. Seagrass stores this carbon permanently.

The purpose of the study by Gallagher and his colleagues was to map seagrass in the Bahamas, using data from 15 tiger sharks equipped with tracking instruments that could also take images of the sea floor. That information was then combined with reports from 2,500 surveys by human divers.

Mark Huxham, professor of teaching and research in environmental biology, said “This brilliant study uses imaginative and exciting new technology, in partnership with tiger sharks. We know seagrass is important for the health of our seas and our planet, but there are major gaps in our understanding about it.”

1. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The cause of photosynthesis.

B．Living conditions for seagrass.

C．Environmental effect of seagrass.

D．The introduction of photosynthesis.

2. What does the underlined part “carbon sequestration” refer to in Paragraph 2?

A．Absorbing carbon from the air.

B．Reducing carbon in the roots.

C．Releasing carbon into the air.

D．Keeping carbon in sea plants.

3. What may Mark Huxham agree with?

A．Scientists have fully studied seagrass.

B．The study contributes to a new technology.

C．There is still a lot of work to study seagrass.

D．Tiger sharks will be the focus of future studies.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To inform.

B．To criticize.

C．To advertise.

D．To persuade.

6 . 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.

7 . Though they may not know it, about half a billion people depend on the ecosystems created and sustained by corals. And with climate change threatening coral’s survival, marine scientist Enric Sala had a goal that might have seemed impossible.

“We wanted to get into a time machine, go back hundreds of years and actually see a coral reef like they used to be everywhere, before we started exploiting, polluting and killing them,” Sala said.

The goal was made possible during an expedition Sala led in 2009. The team traveled to a corner of the South Pacific Ocean, to see if the almost untouched reefs held any clues to bringing damaged reefs in other parts of the ocean back to health.

“The bottom was covered by thriving coral. Vivid colors surrounded me－purples, reds, oranges, yellows and greens. It was so beautiful,” Sala said.

His team presented their findings to officials in the island country of Kiribati. The government took steps to protect the waters from fishing. But between 2015 and 2016, record levels of ocean warming damaged half the coral reefs the team had been studying.

After hearing that news, they lost hope for the health of coral reefs. Last year, they went in for another dive. Despite the reported conditions, the reef had somehow restored itself, filled with life and color once more. Sala and his team were overjoyed. This is something that Sala says can be owed to two key factors.

The first is, thankfully, half of the corals had not died. Despite the rise in temperatures, there were enough surviving corals left behind to help reproduce the reefs. The second was the Kiribati government’s decision to fully protect those waters.

“It has an abundance of fish. So they were eating all the algae (藻类) that would cover the dead corals, and make it impossible for the corals to come back, which is what happens in other places like the Caribbean,” Sala explained.

1. What seemingly impossible goal does Sala have?

A．Educating the public to protect the ecosystems.

B．Calling on people to actively respond to climate change.

C．Going to old days when corals were in healthy condition.

D．Leading an expedition to the South Pacific Ocean.

2. What does the underlined word “This” in paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The bad news.	B．The second diving.
C．The reef’s restoration.	D．The cheerful mood.

3. What can we infer about Caribbean from Sala’s words?

A．There is abundant fish in its ocean.

B．Algae lie thick over corals there.

C．Global warming does little harm to its marine life.

D．Corals come back to life thanks to government’s efforts.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Kiribati—A Country of Biodiversity	B．A Scientist’s Love for Diving
C．The Coral Reef Restored Itself	D．Ocean Warming Bothered Government

8 . Earth Day is April 22. Every year, people around the world observe the day by helping to care for the environment. They carry out all kinds of activities in an effort to better the planet’s heath.

One way to support this goal is to grow plants native to your area. This helps wildlife like birds and insects that evolved alongside native plants. For many of these animals, plant pollen (花粉) is their food. Native pollinators often cannot recognize non-native plants as food. This means they do not collect the pollen or spread plants’ seeds. Planting non-native species creates so-called “food deserts” for pollinators including bees, birds, bats, butterflies and more.

Doug Taamy is a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware. Entomology is the study of insects. He found that non-native plant species can harm the natural food chain, which can lead to a collapse of the environment. “Plant choice matters,” he said. “The plants we choose to landscape our properties should be determined by how much life can live there.”

Humans depend strongly on insects. Without them, we would have no flowering plants, which would harm the food web that supports important animals. Birds, for example, depend on plants for food and spread their seeds while keeping the populations of harmful insects down.

Insects support plants that provide oxygen, clean our water, capture carbon and add nutrients to the soil. That builds topsoil and prevents flooding. Without insects, the biosphere — the living parts of the Earth — would rot because of the loss of insect decomposers. Humans simply could not survive that, Tallamy said.

In addition to providing food and habitat for insects and other wildlife, native plants are able to grow easily and do not require much care. That means less watering and less fertilizing. The situation is a win-win for gardeners and pollinators.

1. Which section of a website is the text probably taken from?

A．Around the globe.	B．Technology report.
C．The secret of nature.	D．Healthy Lifestyle.

2. Why should we avoid planting non-native species?

A．They attract more insects.	B．They do harm to native plants.
C．They turn soil into desert.	D．They break the balance of nature.

3. In what aspect are native plants superior to non-native plants?

A．They produce more oxygen.	B．They prevent flooding more effectively.
C．They need less care.	D．They add more nutrients to the soil.

4. What does the author advise us to do?

A．Take effective measures to protect insects.

B．Raise environmental awareness on Earth Day.

C．Make great effort to better the planet's health.

D．Plant native plants to support local environment.

9 . For many people, catching a smell of freshly cut grass is a pleasant sign that warmer weather is here to stay. For the grass, however, this scent signals an entirely different story.

The smell we associate with freshly cut grass is actually a chemical SOS, one used by plants to beg nearby creatures to save them from attack. After all, when danger strikes —whether it's gardening equipment or a hungry caterpillar — plants can't lift their roots and run. They must fight where they stand. To protect themselves, plants employ a string of molecular (分子) responses. These chemical communications can be used to poison an enemy, warn surrounding plants of dangers or attract helpful insects to perform needed services.

Clearly, plants can communicate. But does that mean they can feel pain? According to some researchers, plants release gases that are the equivalent of crying out in pain. Using a laser-powered microphone, researchers have picked up sound waves produced by plants releasing gases when cut or injured. Although not audible to the human ear, the secret voices of plants have revealed that cucumbers scream when they are sick, and flowers cry when their leaves are cut.

There's also evidence that plants can hear themselves being eaten. Researches show that plants understand and respond to chewing sounds made by caterpillars dining on them. As soon as the plants hear the noises, they respond with several defense mechanisms.

For some researchers, evidence of these complex communication systems — giving out noises via gas when in pain — signals that plants feel pain. Others argue that there cannot be pain without a brain to register the feeling. Still more scientists infer that plants can exhibit intelligent behavior without possessing a brain or conscious awareness.

As they grow, plants can change their paths to avoid obstacles or reach for support with their tendrils (卷须). This activity comes from a complex biological network distributed through the plants' roots, leaves and stems. This network helps plants reproduce, grow and survive.

1. What does the smell of freshly cut grass signal?

A．Warmer weather.	B．Being poisonous.
C．Cry for help.	D．The need of services.

2. How do plants convey their pain?

A．By giving out gases.	B．By changing the color of their leaves.
C．By producing audible sound waves.	D．By sharing it through the root systems.

3. What makes plants' intelligent behavior possible?

A．Their tendrils.	B．Their biological network.
C．Their communication systems.	D．Their conscious awareness.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Do plants feel pain?	B．How plants protect themselves?
C．Do plants communicate?	D．How plants grow and reproduce?

10 . Underground farming, as the name may suggest, is the practice of growing food underground.     1     Food can then be grown in stable, predictable and sustainable ways there.

Until recently, underground farming is a recent and important trend, but why? Because of its potential (潜力) and the benefits that it brings.

·    2    

It has been estimated that even if cities were to build rooftop greenhouses on every possible building and fill the parking spots with growing containers — it would only be able to reach around 5% of the crop requirements of the city.     3     Rooftop greenhouses, on the other hand, require buildings that have very large flat roofs and are strong enough structurally, yet most buildings simply don’t have that. That’s where underground farms stand out. They require less surface space and can be applied to almost any new building.

·Lowers Heating Costs for Building Above

Even the most efficient LED lights generate waste heat, which means that they heat up the farm, and for most modern indoor farms that's a major issue because not only energy is lost through lighting, but it's also required to cool down the farm.     4     Besides, people are working on ways to recycle the waste heat in order to help heat the building above and reduce its energy.

·Enables Farming in Unfriendly Environments

Obviously when going under a certain depth, the weather and environmental conditions of the surface have no effect on the growing environment.     5    

A．Replaces rooftop greenhouses.

B．Increases the urban farming capacity (容量).

C．Underground farms have a big advantage here.

D．It aims at creating stable underground environments.

E．Growing in cities is highly limited due to less empty space.

F．Underground farms can reduce that waste of energy as much as possible.

G．So it's possible to build productive farms in deserts and even mountainous areas.