1. What kind of plant can you start with according to the speaker?
| A．Something big. | B．Something easy. | C．Something safe. |
| A．At least six hours. | B．About five hours. | C．Less than four hours. |
| A．To keep it safe from thieves. |
| B．To keep it safe from hungry animals. |
| C．To prevent kids from entering. |
| A．A radio program. | B．A newspaper. | C．A scientific research. |
2 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．They produce more oxygen. | B．They prevent flooding more effectively. |
| C．They need less care. | D．They add more nutrients to the soil. |
| 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. |
3 . The story started from a popular video, in which a tourist pulled a flower out of the ground in Tibet and boiled it with other food.
He might not know what he dug up was not an ordinary one but snow lotus, an extremely rare species. The exact number existing in the wild is unknown, but scientists believe that the species is dying out and people are not allowed to collect them for private or even scientific use since 2000.
The snow lotus generally only grows above the snowline of the Tibetan Himalayas or Heaven Mountain in Central Asia. In order to survive the harsh environment and strong wind, it grows thick hair on the outside, which keeps the plant from the cold. And it often has to grow around six to eight years before its only flowering time in life.
Only very few plants and animals survive in such an environment. Therefore, each snow lotus is key part of fragile (脆弱的) ecosystem around it. When someone digs one out of the ground, he/she not only wastes the plant’s own years of efforts, but also threatens the ecological (生态的) balance of about one square kilometer around it.
For a long time, many people collect the lotus flowers to sell as herbal (药草的) plants to others, even though their herbal effects are not proved. Regardless of the fact, some traders do misleading advertising about them and illegally sell them at high prices. As a result, the species is in danger. The snow lotus is not the only plant that suffers from the illegal sale of certain people because they carry a sense of mystery. It is time the law offered stricter protection of these rare plants for the ecological environment.
1. What did the author intend to tell us about the tourist?| A．He destroyed an endangered plant. | B．He has good outdoor survival skills. |
| C．He discovered a special kind of flowers. | D．He has made many popular short videos. |
| A．To fight for enough living space. | B．To make the flower less obvious. |
| C．To protect it from extreme conditions. | D．To prevent it from being dug out easily. |
| A．It is hard for people to find a snow lotus. |
| B．It takes many years for a snow lotus to fully grow. |
| C．Some rare plants usually grow in weak environments. |
| D．The snow lotus is very important to the local ecosystem. |
| A．We should call on the public to protect rare plants. |
| B．We should learn to recognize different plants. |
| C．We should follow all the laws in our country. |
| D．We should avoid taking wild plants as food. |
4 . Imagine a plate holding two strawberries, similar in appearance. One came out of a supermarket box, meaning it was probably harvested before it is fully grown, immediately placed in a forced-air cooling unit, loaded onto a refrigerated truck and driven hundreds of miles. By the time it reached the plate two weeks may have passed. The other strawberry was picked from a garden minutes before being eaten.
The first one will probably not taste good as expected. The second is likely to be sweet; the flavor will remain in the mouth. Supermarket strawberries are not entirely without advantages: they are convenient and available even in winter. But the two berries differ from each other in the same way that hearing music in a concert hall differs from listening to an MP3. The home-grown fruit is an eatable case for planting a home garden.
Planting cool-weather greens can seem meaningless as well-stocked supermarket shelves are available all week. But the same could be said of cooking: cheap and good restaurants everywhere, so why bother to make your own meals?
That attitude fails to understand the basic appeal of gardening: it mistakes the product for the purpose. It is true that a garden can produce tomatoes and carrots that taste like themselves rather than the plastic they are usually packaged in. Finding some favorite vegetables in the shops can take some time, effort and expense; growing your own vegetables, rare or routine, ensures a reliable supply.
On the other hand, a garden, especially in the early years, can also produce frustration. Creative gardeners may plant the wrong crops for their soil. Little animals may have the habit of taking single bites of cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. And even expert gardeners can lose a season’s harvest to uncooperative weather.
No matter. The real joy of gardening is the time spent doing it. The deepest pleasure- -as with cooking, writing, bringing up children or almost anything worthwhile- -is in the work itself. A gardener’s memories center not around the food produced, but around long summer afternoons with hands in the dirt of a home garden, surrounded by family. To garden is to patiently and lovingly help life grow, in the ground and above it.
1. What might have caused the strawberries to taste different in paragraph 1?| A．Temperature. | B．Freshness. | C．Appearance. | D．Soil. |
| A．To promote supermarket strawberries. |
| B．To highlight the value of a home garden. |
| C．To stress the differences between them. |
| D．To provide suggestions on fruit shopping. |
| A．Regarding planting a garden as worthless. |
| B．Favoring what is grown in a home garden. |
| C．Enjoying food made by yourself at home. |
| D．Understanding what a garden is intended for. |
| A．Stores can never take the place of a garden. |
| B．Garden products are not for sale in the stores. |
| C．Gardens may fail to produce what you want. |
| D．Training is required for productive gardens. |
| A．Observe patiently how plants grow all summer. |
| B．Spend time taking care of a garden with family. |
| C．Make friends with gardeners in the neighborhood. |
| D．Labor lovingly to clean the dirt out of the garden. |
5 . Greenhouse gas emissions would rise if all farms in England and Wales went organic. Though the emissions of each farm would go down, much more food would have to be imported, as the amount they would produce would decrease greatly.
“The key message from my perspective is that you can't really have your cake and eat it,” says Laurence Smith, now at the Royal Agricultural University in the UK, who was part of the team that ran the numbers. Smith is a supporter of organic farming and says “there are a lot of merits of the organic approach”, but his analysis shows that organic farming has downsides too.
Farming and changes in land use, such as cutting down forests, are responsible for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. That means reducing farming emissions and the land needed for farming is required to limit further global warming.
Smith and his colleagues found that emissions per unit of food are, on average, 20 per cent lower for organic crops and 4 per cent lower for organic animal products. However, organic harvests per hectare (公顷) are also lower on average. For wheat and barley, for instance, harvests are just half of those of conventional farms. This means 1.5 times as much land would be needed to grow the same amount of these foods.
The estimated increase in emissions varies greatly, depending on where the extra farmland comes from. If only half comes from turning grassland into farms, the increase could be as low as 20 per cent. If grassland that would otherwise have been reforested is turned into farmland, emissions could nearly double.
This doesn't necessarily mean people should stop eating organic produce, says Smith. People might choose organic food for other reasons, such as to reduce their pesticide exposure (though contrary to popular belief, organic farmers do use pesticides) or for the sake of wildlife.
Going 100 per cent organic could also harm global biodiversity. The extra land used for farming would mean the land available for wildlife would be smaller and more fragmented (碎片化的).
Smith says the best option may be to use some organic and conventional farming methods at the same time.
1. Why may greenhouse gas emissions increase if a country goes organic?| A．Organic farms take longer to build. |
| B．The agricultural output will increase greatly. |
| C．The emissions of each farm unit will increase. |
| D．Greater demand for imported food will be created. |
| A．Changes. | B．Challenges. | C．Advantages. | D．Differences. |
| A．Organic harvests per unit are greater than traditional harvests. |
| B．Organic farming needs more farmland to feed a country. |
| C．Global warming could be brought under control. |
| D．Land was not used in a responsible way. |
| A．Stopping using pesticides. |
| B．Eating less organic produce. |
| C．Going back to traditional farming. |
| D．Adopting mixed farming methods. |
6 . In 2010, Barack Obama was to pay a visit to Mumbai’s Gandhi Museum, where palm(棕榈)trees full of me dotted the grounds. The president knew me well-coconuts (椰子)are a part of life in Indonesia, where he spent his boyhood. Before his visit, Indian authorities, however, removed every last sign of me around the museum. They were afraid the president of the United States would be taken out by one of me falling on his head.
Let’s get this out of the way: My reputation as the “killer fruit” of countless innocents was then and still is a misbelief. A repeatedly misinterpreted 1984 study overstated the number of deaths I caused by hitting people on the head, and the word spread. Today, the only things about me “to die for” are the sometimes too-delicious foods you humans make with me, such as cookies and pies. A decade ago, health experts briefly gave me a halo because some of my fats may raise beneficial cholesterol (胆固醇). But ask a heart doctor today and they’ll tell you that coconut oil will raise your bad cholesterol as much. Death by coconut, indeed!
People have other wrong ideas about me. But allow me to leave you with a sweet presidential tale. A World War II boat commanded by one John F.Kennedy was destroyed in 1943 by a Japanese warship. Kennedy and his surviving crew were stuck on an island. They were suffering from hunger, thirst and injuries when they met two friendly native coast-watchers. Kennedy scratched a message into a coconut shell: “NAURO ISL...COMMANDER...11 ALIVE...NEED SMALL BOAT...KENNEDY.”
The coast-watchers delivered this successfully and all the crew were saved. Years later, the coconut shell was given to the newly elected president. It sat on his office desk throughout his presidency and now is a center-piece of the John F.Kennedy Library in Boston-as the proof that we coconuts don’t take lives, we save them.
1. Why did Indian officials get rid of “me”?| A．To reduce Obama’s fear. | B．To avoid unexpected injuries. |
| C．To show their welcome tradition. | D．To follow the request from the US. |
| A．thought little of me | B．did great damage to me |
| C．made me well-known | D．brought me a good name |
| A．Amusing. | B．Anxious. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Romantic. |
| A．To show a new discovery. | B．To correct people’s misbelief. |
| C．To tell the history of coconuts. | D．To describe a successful rescue. |
7 . A few weeks ago, I received a package containing a small batch (一批) of seeds from my friend. When I asked her what it would grow
I sowed the seeds in a beautiful flowerpot. In the first few days, I was excited to search for the slightest
I watered the plant carefully. I placed the plant in the sunlight and rotated (旋转) it for a
Bending down and carefully studying the seedlings, I could almost
Now they are taller than the edge of the pot,
I am certain that after a few more days, my coriander plants will be ready for
| A．into | B．for | C．up | D．out |
| A．gradually | B．incredibly | C．ultimately | D．intently |
| A．samples | B．signs | C．routes | D．proofs |
| A．apparent | B．distinct | C．conventional | D．massive |
| A．allowed for | B．longed for | C．provided for | D．went for |
| A．intense | B．violent | C．balanced | D．exceptional |
| A．emerged | B．hatched | C．reserved | D．sank |
| A．pray | B．assess | C．forecast | D．hear |
| A．conflicted | B．facilitated | C．crowded | D．surrounded |
| A．subsequently | B．constantly | C．extensively | D．merely |
| A．howl | B．scream | C．thunder | D．whisper |
| A．initiative | B．leisure | C．harmony | D．luxury |
| A．possession | B．consumption | C．exposure | D．harvest |
| A．breaking into | B．relating to | C．brightening up | D．wearing down |
| A．touch | B．bunch | C．host | D．lot |
8 . Coffee is one of the world’s favorite drinks. Globally, 600 billion cups are drunk each year—profits from global coffee production will top ＄400 billion in 2021. However, the coffee bean itself is under threat from climate change. Now a Finnish research group has grown beans in the lab to offer the world a sustainable espresso (浓缩咖啡).
Plant cells were adapted to produce coffee cell cultures (培养物) and then grown at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Bio-technologists, chemists, and food scientists worked together to select the right cell lines and developed a roasting process. Afterwards, a group of specialists created the taste and smell pattern. The result is a drink that smells and tastes almost the same as the traditionally grown coffee. “It’s not perfect,” admitted lead researcher Heiko Lash, “because good coffee-making is an art, but this could be the start of something beautiful.”
Scientists say the issues with coffee as a commercial crop are widely known. The worst of them are the loss of trees (especially in major exporting countries like Brazil), water pollution and bio-diversity loss. Lab-grown coffee could actually do the planet a huge favor. Growing coffee cultures takes a lot of energy, but transportation can be reduced to the lowest level if production takes place locally. Besides, chemicals are not needed at all, and any water used in the process can be recycled.
“We have now proved that lab-grown coffee can be a reality,” said VTT’s Paige Rischer. “The true effect of this scientific work will happen through companies who are willing to re-think about food production. Finally, all efforts would result in more sustainable and healthy food for the benefit of the consumer and the planet.”
The Sustainable Coffee Challenge (SCC) thinks coffee consumption could triple (三倍) by 2050, so society will need to produce the drink in much more efficient ways. Solving some of its most painful problems is a priority, but with science on our side, at least we have better alternatives.
1. What can we know about the VTT research on their coffee?| A．It is grown in a traditional way. | B．It is the result of a new art. |
| C．It develops without cell lines. | D．It tastes similar to common coffee. |
| A．Coffee beans will be recycled. | B．Water pollution will be reduced. |
| C．Little energy will be needed. | D．Chemicals will be better used. |
| A．A scientific way to grow coffee. | B．Consumers’ changed attitudes. |
| C．People’s environmental awareness. | D．The food companies’ participation. |
| A．Drinking coffee is becoming a global trend. | B．Coffee bean production is under threat. |
| C．Lab-grown coffee has become a reality. | D．Problems of coffee growing will be solved. |
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. |
| 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. |
| A．Their tendrils. | B．Their biological network. |
| C．Their communication systems. | D．Their conscious awareness. |
| A．Do plants feel pain? | B．How plants protect themselves? |
| C．Do plants communicate? | D．How plants grow and reproduce? |
10 . Baseball Plant
Where it's found: South Africa
This is a ball-shaped juicy plant. Unluckily, it was unsustainably harvested because more people around the globe have decided to grow baseball plants around them. Luckily, some botanical gardens have started to grow this plant. In this way, it will no longer need to be obtained from the wild so that it does not become extinct.
Corpse Flower
Where it's found: Sumatra, Indonesia
The corpse flower is also listed as an endangered plant and there are about 1, 000 plants growing in the wild. This plant sends out a smell of rotting（腐烂）meat during its nightly peak bloom. This allows it to attract pollinators like flies from miles away. It can grow an astonishing eight feet tall and can weigh up to 170 pounds.
African Starfish Flower
Where it's found: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Don't fall in love with its beautiful flowers, because this is yet another plant that's known for its bad smell. It smells like rotting meat and looks like a rotting animal! Unluckily, it is endangered due to destroyed habitats, plant collectors as well as the Zulus, who use the plant as a cure for hysteria（癔病）.
Hydnora Africana
Where it's found: Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Ethiopia
This has an appearance similar to mushroom until the flower opens. At this point, the plant transforms from a leafless brown-gray plant to something that looks more like an animal than a plant. While this is also a smelly plant, it is an edible（可食用的）fruit that is loved by many animals and even humans! It makes for a tasty food when mixed with cream and can also treat conditions like diarrhea（腹泻）.
1. What can be inferred about the baseball plant?| A．It gives out a bad smell. | B．Its flowers have a strange shape. |
| C．It is a kind of food for the locals. | D．It is endangered in its wild habitat. |
| A．South Africa. | B．Botswana. | C．Indonesia. | D．Ethiopia. |
| A．They have great sizes. |
| B．They can be used as drugs. |
| C．They look like rotting animals. |
| D．They change shapes to keep away enemies. |
