1 . Suzanne Simard, a professor of forest ecology who called herself a “forest detective”, was raised in mountains in Canada. Few scientists make much impact with their PhD thesis, but, in 1997, she did just that. Her research on the “wood wide web” made the cover of Nature and transformed our understanding of forests. What was then a challenge to traditional ideas is today widely accepted.

A mushroom is the part of a fungus (真菌) that sticks up above the ground. Thin, white threads grow from its stem deep into the soil. These threads are called hyphae (菌丝). Hyphae connect themselves to tree roots. They also stretch from root system to root system, like an underground network. This network may go for miles. Hyphae pick up nutrients and water from soil. The fungus threads that connect to tree roots share their nutrients and water with the trees. In return, they sip a bit of the sugar the trees make. Sharing helps both trees and mushrooms live. It’s also how trees communicate.

When a tree is being eaten by bugs, it makes chemicals to shoo them away, sort of like bug repellent (驱虫剂). The chemicals travel through the tree, down its roots, and into the hyphae network. Other trees connected to the network taste the chemicals. That tells them a nearby tree is under attack, so they start to make their own bug repellent. Trees do more than share warnings through the hyphae. They also help each other. In the fall, paper birch trees drop their leaves and can no longer make sugar. So, a fir tree that stays green all winter uses the network to send extra sugar to the birch until spring comes again. This system of sharing information and nutrients through the hyphae is sometimes called the “wood wide web”, because it works a bit like the Internet.

Local climate sets the stage for the wood wide web, researchers say. In cool temperature and boreal forests, where wood and organic matter decay slowly, network-building EM fungi rule. By contrast, in the warmer tropics where wood and organic matter decay quickly, AM fungi dominate. These fungi form smaller webs and do less intertree swapping, meaning the tropical wood wide web is likely more localized.

Ecologist Thomas Crowther’s results suggest that as the planet warms, about 10% of EM-associated trees could be replaced by AM-associated trees. Microbes in forests dominated by AM fungi deal with carbon-containing organic matter faster, so they could liberate lots of heat-trapping carbon dioxide quickly, potentially accelerating a climate change process that is already happening at a frightening pace.

1. What do we know about Suzanne Simard?

A．She was a professor and a forest detective.

B．Growing up in the countryside, she made the cover of Nature.

C．Like many other scientists, she made big influence on her PhD thesis.

D．Her idea of the “wood wide web” used to challenge people’s thoughts.

2. Which of the following is not hyphae’s role in the forest ecosystem?

A．They facilitate tree communication.	B．They form an underground network.
C．They produce sugar and share it with trees.	D．They share nutrients and water with the trees.

3. How do trees use the “wood wide web” to deal with insect attacks?

A．They release warning signals through leaves.

B．They produce real bug repellent to kill insects.

C．They make use of hyphae to produce chemicals.

D．They send chemical signals through the network.

4. What might be the impact of replacing EM-associated trees with AM-associated trees?

A．It might slow down carbon release.	B．It would break down organic matter.
C．It might speed up climate change.	D．It might lead to faster tree growth.

2 . 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．

3 . In 1986, when he was only a prince. King Charles told a television interviewer that it was important to talk to plants. He was widely laughed at. But his wisdom seems to have been ahead of its time, for there is now plenty of evidence that plants can detect (察觉) sound, react to it, and even perhaps produce it.

Scientists have been experimenting with playing sounds to plants since at least the 1960s, during which time they have been exposed to everything from Beethoven to Michael Jackson. Over the years, evidence that this sort of thing can have an effect has been growing. One paper, published in 2018, announced that an Asian plant grew much larger leaves when exposed to 56 days of Buddhist chants — but not if it was exposed to Western pop music, or silence. Another, published last year, found that plants exposed to the noise of traffic from a busy motorway suffered slow growth, and produced a range of stress compounds (成分).

Another research reports that certain frequencies (频率), played in some environments like greenhouses, can affect seed growth and even improve crop production. And plants can make noises, too. Earlier this year a group of researchers at Tel Aviv University published an article in Cell Press, reporting that several plants gave out different noises in response to different stresses — although not at the sorts of frequencies that humans can hear. Humans can only hear frequencies of up to 16 kilohertz. Scientists discovered sounds given out by plants were up to 250 kilohertz.

If all that sounds strange, perhaps it should not. After all, sound carries useful information.

From an evolutionary point of view, there is no reason to expect that information to be applied only by animals.

1. What was most people’s attitude to Charles’ opinion?

A．Unclear.

B．Positive.

C．Cautious.

D．Negative.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Different sounds have different effects on plants.

B．Buddhist chants don’t make a difference to plants.

C．Western pop music does good to plants’ growth.

D．The noise of traffic produces stress compounds.

3. Why can’t humans hear sounds given out by plants?

A．The sounds are strange.	B．The plants grow in greenhouses.
C．The plants are under great stress.	D．The sounds are at high frequencies.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．It’s the important to talk to plants.

B．Sounds make a difference to plants.

C．Plants can discover and even make sound.

D．Humans can’t hear sounds produced by plants.

4 . In times of intense stress, people sometimes let it out with a scream and a new study suggests that plants might do the same. Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel has found that plants let out ultrasonic (超声的) screams when damaged or stressed by drought.

The noises, falling within a range of 20 to 100 kilohertz, are too high-frequency for humans to hear, but other plants and some animals perceive them. Insects might be listening for sounds from stressed plants to assess their condition before laying eggs on their leaves. A moth (蛾) may decide against laying eggs on a plant that sounds water-stressed.

Researchers attached recording devices directly to plants to listen for secret sounds inside their stems (茎). In drought, air bubbles formed, burst and caused vibrations (振动) within the tissue that normally carries water up the plants’ stems. The process was picked up by the attached recording devices, but researchers wanted to know if any plant sounds could travel through the air.

So the team placed microphones 10 centimetres from stressed-out tomato and tobacco plants. They subjected one set of crops to drought and another to physical damage. A third group was untouched.

The microphones did pick up distinct sounds. On average, drought-stressed tomato plants let out about 35 ultrasonic screams per hour, while those with cut stems made about 25. Drought-stressed tobacco plants let out about 11 screams per hour, and cut crops made about 15 sounds in the same time. The average number of sounds from untouched plants fell below one per hour.

The researchers also attempted to identify each plant group just based on its screams. Using a type of artificial intelligence calculations, the team picked out distinct features in each set of sounds and successfully sorted their plants into three kinds: “dry, cut or untouched.”

If it is not too costly to set up the recording in a field situation, farmers might be able to hear these stress signals too. In future, enabling farmers to listen for water-stressed plants could “open a new direction”, which will be increasingly important as climate change exposes more areas to drought.

1. The moth is mentioned in paragraph 2 to show __________.

A．moths need enough water when laying eggs

B．some animals are able to hear plants scream

C．some insects are picky about their surroundings

D．wildlife species depend on each other when stressed

2. What can we learn from the research?

A．Plants’ sounds couldn’t be detected by humans.

B．Plants can be grouped according to their features.

C．Plants’ screams are related to stress types in a way.

D．Air bubbles contribute to the lack of water in plants.

3. What does the last paragraph focus on?

A．Supporting evidence for the research result.

B．Potential application of the research findings.

C．A further explanation of the research methods.

D．A reasonable doubt about the research process.

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

A．Plants’ Vibrations: Way to React to Stress

B．Stress Signals: Secret Newly Found in Plants

C．Green Screams: Plants Make Noises When Stressed

D．Ultrasonic Screams: Discovery Opens a New Chapter

5 . Pacific Coast Range

Stretching along the west coast of North America from northern California to Alaska, the forests found along the Pacific Coast Range are the largest area of temperate (温带的) rainforest in the world. The forests are home to the coast redwood, the world’s tallest tree. Across the region, the forest understory (林下叶层) is wet and heavily vegetated.

Taiheiyo Evergreen Forests

Found in southern Japan, they are temperate rainforests of evergreen broadleaf trees. The forests can receive more than 100 inches of rain every year. The forests are covered by Japanese cedar and Japanese stone oak, while moso bamboo comprise the understory. The extent of the Taiheiyo forests has been reduced due to development and agriculture. Today,17%of the remaining forest is protected by national parks and other reserves.

Atlantic Oakwood Forest

The Atlantic Oakwood Forest covers the wettest parts of the United Kingdom. A species of oak tree (橡树) called sessile oak occupies the landscape. Unlike other temperate forests, these forests tend to have an open understory of grasses. Much of the historical range of the forest has given to agriculture and other development, though that has changed in recent decades.

Valdivian Temperate Rainforest

This forest is found on the west coast of Chile and Argentina, on the wet, western slopes (斜坡) of the Andes mountain range. With the coastline to the west, the peaks of the Andes to the east, and the Atacama Desert to the north, the region supports a number of plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. Uniquely, the forest is covered by evergreen flowering trees, which are native to Chile and little known outside the region.

1. Which of the four forest areas occupies the most land?

A．Pacific Coast Range.	B．Taiheiyo Evergreen Forests.
C．Atlantic Oakwood Forest.	D．Valdivian Temperate Rainforest.

2. What do Taiheiyo Evergreen Forests and Atlantic Oakwood Forest have in common?

A．They have open understory grasses.	B．They’re home to extremely tall trees.
C．They’re of great historical significance.	D．They used to be affected by agriculture.

3. What is unique to Valdivian Temperate Rainforest?

A．Wet climate.	B．Coastal location.
C．Evergreen flowering trees.	D．Well-protected national parks.

6 . Emmanuel Mendoza, a college student, is currently running a study at Texas A&M University, where he’s mixing simulated (模拟的)Martian (火星的) soil and frass(粪便)from fly larvae(幼虫)to find just the right recipe for growing plants on Mars.

The seed of this idea was planted when Mendoza was in middle school, watching Ridley Scott’s 2015 film The Martian, in which Mark Watney becomes stuck on the planet and grows potatoes to survive. “That got me really interested in what nutrients or what soil structure Martian soil has that we could potentially take advantage of, ”Mendoza said.

Now, he’s running an experiment growing English peas in simulated Martian soil. “I definitely considered potatoes like Mark Watney, ”he said. “But the fact was that I couldn’t necessarily get the data I wanted out of them. ”

He wanted to be able to measure plant growth as it occurred throughout his experiment. Since potatoes grow underground, he’d only be able to collect data once they were done growing. In the end, Mendoza chose to grow English peas because they’re self-pollinating(自花传粉), grow fairly quickly and he can see the shoots climb.

Martian soil, though it does contain other essential nutrients, isn’t exactly ideal for plants from Earth. It tends to be rocky and lacks the right organic (有机 的)matter. Here’s where the larvae come in. Mendoza turned to the larvae of black soldier flies, which produce a waste known as frass. “They can break down almost any biomatter and turn it into really useful matter, “Mendoza said. “And then you can use the frass as a nutrient alternative to soil.”

For this experiment, Mendoza mixed different percentages of simulated Martian soil and frass to see what best supported growing English pea plants. Now, he said he’s seeing growth across all his plants—even the ones growing in 100%simulated Martian soil.

1. Why does the author mention the film The Martian?

A．To show Mendoza’s enthusiasm for films.

B．To illustrate Mark Watney’s intelligence.

C．To prove Mark Watney’s interest in gardening.

D．To introduce the origin of Mendoza’s experiment.

2. Why did Mendoza grow English peas instead of potatoes?

A．He was unwilling to repeat others’ study.

B．English peas grew far faster than potatoes .

C．Potatoes needed stricter living conditions.

D．It was more convenient to collect the data.

3. What is the function of frass?

A．It serves as certain essential nutrients.

B．It loosens the soil for plants to grow.

C．It makes the soil become quite rocky.

D．It helps black soldier flies grow stronger.

4. How does Mendoza feel about his experiment results?

A．Doubtful.

B．Pleased.

C．Intolerant.

D．Disappointed.

7 . Growing plants at home is a fun and enjoyable activity to do and can be developed as a new hobby.     1     Let’s take a look.

Gardening reduces stress. Gardening is one of the most effective, and fun ways to free yourself from the physical, mental, and emotional stress you have been carrying since the beginning of the week. If you are overworking yourself during the weekdays or seeing yourself drowning in stressful thoughts, try to spend your weekends gardening at home.     2     The sweet smell of the wet soil and the plants’ fascinating colors has a calming effect on our minds.

    3     Just like plants that need sunlight to photosynthesize (光合作用), we also need to be exposed to sunlight. Our body produces or makes natural Vitamin D when the sunlight touches our skin. Gardening outdoors allows us to be exposed to sunlight and, in turn, the sunlight enriches us with Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps protect our body from getting diseases such as cancer.

Gardening is good for your heart. Gardening requires our body to move around by doing simple tasks such as digging the ground, planting seeds, pulling out weeds, and carrying a water container’s load.     4     They allows our body to burn calories and fats, and help strengthen our heart, reducing the risk of suffering from heart attack.

By spending our free time gardening and monitoring our plants’ growth, we are also taking care of ourselves as we gain lots of health and emotional benefits. It is a worthwhile activity because we get to see the results of our hard work when our plants start growing fonder and healthier. The way we take care of our plants reflects the way we take care of ourselves.     5    

A．Gardening is an act of self-love.

B．Gardening is good for your bones.

C．Gardening helps your body against diseases.

D．You will see a significant change in your mind.

E．These simple gardening tasks can be considered a low-level exercise.

F．It also has several positive health and emotional benefits that you can enjoy.

G．Returning home to a place full of beautiful plants helps us enjoy the freshness of the air.

8 . The World Full of Eye-catching Things

The following flowers and plants might not be so eye-pleasing, but are certainly eye-catching, since they all look like some objects.

Lady’s Slipper

The lady’s slipper orchid is considered to be the rarest type of wild orchid. Now Lancashire in England is the only place where this plant can be found.The flower was so unique that people picked almost all of them. A single cutting of this plant is sold for US $5,000. Fortunately, strict protection policies have been established to protect it since 1917 when this endangered plant was once declared extinct in England.

Hot Lips

When you see a plant like this in reality, don’t get confused! No. They are not a woman’s lips! You can find these plants in countries with tropical rain forests, such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. Due to the cutting down of trees, these unique and rare plants have become endangered. This plant bears a bright red flower which is similar to the lips of a woman with red lipstick.

Black Bat Flower

The black bat flower is an unusual flower that grows in the wild and tropical forests of Yunnan Province in China. It is famous for its bat-shaped black flowers. This flowering plant is often confused with a flying bat. The flower may also appear in white and brown shades. It needs specific environmental conditions to grow. This is the reason why it is an endangered species.

All the plants mentioned above are becoming nearly extinct. Hopefully, there are other unique and rare flowers left undiscovered. This proves the world is full of surprising things!

1. Where can the Lady’s Slipper be discovered currently?

A．In Panama.	B．In Colombia.
C．In Lancashire in England.	D．In Yunnan Province in China.

2. Why are Hot Lips becoming nearly extinct?

A．Forest destruction.	B．Human picking.
C．Lack of awareness.	D．Specific locations.

3. What is unique about the Black Bat Flower?

A．Its red flowers.	B．Its bat-shaped flowers.
C．Its slipper-shaped flowers.	D．Its white and brown flowers.

9 . Many green plants that are used to decorate living rooms and kitchens are marketed as air-purifying. However, scientists largely agree that plants can’t do very much to clean an entire room. Now, a Parisian company known as Neoplants is trying to change that by growing genetically modified (转基因的) plants that help remove harmful chemicals from the air.

Its first product, called the Neo P1, is a bioengineered version of the pothos (绿萝). Pothos is characterized by its green leaves and is relatively easy to care for. The Neo P1 is meant to capture and recycle dangerous air pollutants commonly found in homes called volatile organic compounds (挥发性有机化合物VOCs), which are often human-made chemicals. So it’s a popular choice for people looking to beautify their living spaces. But the Neo P1 starts at $179, and to purchase one, potential shoppers must first join a waitlist.

The idea of air-purifying plants came from a 1989 study by NASA, in which regular houseplants were tested in two-by-two-foot rooms. When scientists filled these rooms with VOCs, they found the plants could absorb some of the harmful compounds. “Actually, it’d take about ten houseplants per square foot to noticeably improve air quality,” Michael Waring, an environmental engineer at Drexel University who wasn’t involved with Neoplants, reported in a 2019 study. “Plants, though they do remove VOCs, remove them at such a slow rate that they can’t compete with the air exchange mechanisms already happening in buildings,” Waring said.

As for Neoplants, its Neo Pl was tested in a 35-liter glass room. In it, the Neo P1’s results were 30 times better than NASA’s, according to the company — which means it’d still take a large number of them to clean a room. Currently, the company’s engineers are designing testing sites that more accurately resemble living spaces. To Neoplants’ executives, cleaning the air inside a home is a more logical starting point than trying to filter (过滤) the entire atmosphere.

1. What might prevent the Neo P1 from becoming popular?

A．Its poor quality.	B．Its unstable security.
C．Its high maintenance (维护，保养).	D．Its difficult availability.

2. What can be inferred from the 2019 study?

A．Plants can significantly improve air quality in a room.

B．Plants contribute little to removing harmful chemicals.

C．The Neo P1 plays a big role in removing harmful compounds.

D．Houseplants are expected to replace air exchange mechanisms.

3. What are the company’s engineers doing now?

A．Exploring new ways to genetically modify plants.

B．Proving the Neo P1’s effectiveness in a living room.

C．Improving the air exchange mechanisms in buildings.

D．Designing testing sites that are similar to living spaces.

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

A．How do plants reduce air pollution?	B．What is the best plant to help clean the air?
C．Could genetically modified plants clean the air?	D．How can we decorate living rooms with plants?

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式，并将答案填写在答题卡相应的位置上。

From “pocket parks” between communities to forest parks in the outer cities, local governments are     1     (ambition) to make China’s cities greener. That’s     2     there are more parks in cities these days.

From 2021 to 2022, Shanghai transformed 62 woodlands into leisure spaces. These leisure spaces open up forests,     3     allows visitors to enjoy natural beauty as well as wildlife. In urban     4     (area), more companies and universities are sharing their greenery. For instance, the Shanghai Research Institute of Sports Science opened its 1,000-square-meter green space to the public.     5     (join) by historical buildings in the area, the park can provide more space for tourists to rest.

Apart from meeting people’s needs, parks can also do good to the environment. Take Beijing’s Central Green Forest Park     6     an example. Since it was opened in 2020, the park     7     (reach)carbon neutrality (碳中和). It means although the park’s facilities produce carbon dioxide, more can be     8     (take) in by the plants there. The park also fully reuses rainwater and creates green energy     9     (supply) the park. As cities in China become greener, “park cities” are becoming a reality. The concept of a park city was     10     (initial) put forward in 2018. It is a concept that takes the form of an improved natural environment in all aspects, noted China Daily.