1 . If you’ve seen the movie Cast Away, you probably remember the scene in which Tom Hanks’ character, who survived a plane crash and found a refuge on a desert island, struggles to crack open coconuts before finally figuring out how to make use of one and drink from it. Well, it turns out that, in such a situation, a coconut palm tree actually could be your best hope for survival.

The coconut palm tree is native to tropical islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is a tall tree, growing as tall as 100 feet, and with a branchless, light gray trunk that’s swollen at the base and topped by a crown of arching green leaves that stretch as long as 20 feet. It has fragrant (芳香的) yellow flowers, which appear in groups, and of course coconuts, which technically are a fruit rather than a nut, grow up to 14 inches long.

The fruit has a wooden shell surrounded by a fibrous cover, but inside is the stuff that a person wants — the coconut meat, which can be eaten raw or cooked, and the drinkable liquid. The nutritional qualities of a coconut — its meat and its juice — are nothing short of miracles. The meat is high in health fats, which are very important for survival, and the juice is filled with minerals like copper, iron and zinc, and can keep your electrolytes (电解质) balanced and blood levels healthy.

In Hawaii, coconut palm trees are known as “niu”, and are considered as a very important food source. While they are not native to this place, they are one of the famous “canoe plants”. Some of the ancestors of the trees currently found in Hawaii also moved slowly on water to or on the shore, alive for up four months at sea, still able to germinate (发芽). They are the symbol of vitality. They are admired here so much that traditionally, a coconut palm tree is planted at the birth time of a child born in Hawaii.

1. Why does the author speak of the movie Cast Away in Para.1?

A．To explain the way to prevent a terrible situation.

B．To introduce the theme of the movie.

C．To lead in the topic of the text.

D．To show Tom Hank’s success.

2. What can we learn about the coconut palm tree from the text?

A．The trunk of the tree is swollen at the top.

B．The tree can grow tall and has no branches.

C．Yellow flowers appear in groups without any smell.

D．Coconuts are a kind of nut instead of a kind of fruit.

3. What does the author mainly tell us about the juice of a coconut in Paragraph 3?

A．It has a unique taste.	B．Its price is quite high.
C．It can help people remain healthy.	D．Its production is increasing.

4. How do Hawaiians celebrate the birth of a baby?

A．They decorate their houses with green leaves of coconut trees.

B．They drink the liquid inside coconuts.

C．They have a taste of coconut meat.

D．They plant a coconut plum tree.

2 . Four houseplants that anyone can grow

Filling your home with greenery is something that can improve the quality of your indoor air, and help you to relax. So turn your brown thumb green by picking some of these houseplants.

Snake Plant

Snake plants have thicker leaves for keeping water even in drought conditions. They can also tolerate (经受) medium to bright light so you should keep them near a window. But one of the best things about snake plants is that they are great for cleaning indoor air.

Christmas Cactus

The Christmas cactus is one of the most beautiful plants of the holiday season and it seems to be able to do best even if you ignore it. The cactus can tolerate low light but will produce more pink or red flowers in bright light. Getting the plant to produce flowers for the season is a bit harder because it will have to be kept cool beginning in November. Just leave the cactus beside a window at home with the heat off.

Jade Plant

Jade plants can make your home more beautiful with its bright egg-shaped leaves. The plant does well in any lighting and doesn’t need to be watered very often because it stores water in its leaves. This plant is also simple to propagate (繁殖) so you can have one in every room of your home.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera needs very little water, indirect sunlight, and can live in the same pot for years. But you may not know that aloe vera is a plant that can help heal(治愈) minor cuts and burns like sunburns so it is a great addition for your home. When you are cutting leaves to use, don’t cut off more than a third of the plant at one time.

1. What is the author’s advice on making Christmas cactus flower in winter?

A．Paying no much attention to it.	B．Keeping it growing in low light.
C．Putting it somewhere cool.	D．Planting it during the holiday season.

2. What do snake plants and jade plants have in common?

A．They do well in any lighting.	B．They are easy to produce new plants.
C．They can grow better in drought conditions.	D．They can store water in their leaves.

3. Which of the following can describe aloe vera?

A．It can adapt to any environment.	B．It can be used as medicine.
C．It is difficult to propagate.	D．It protects people from the sun.

3 . Researchers in Israel have found that tomato and tobacco plants that are dealing with stress factors make a popping sound that can be detected over 3 feet away, a reaction that seems similar to a human yelling in pain.

Plants were previously known to produce ultrasonic vibrations (超声波振动), but the new work notes that the sounds produced by at least two plants are airborne. The team’s work is published in Cell. “We know that there’s a lot of ultrasound out there—every time you use a microphone, you find that a lot of materials produce sounds that we humans cannot hear-but the fact that plants are making these sounds opens a brand new access of opportunities for us to eavesdrop (窃听)and use these sounds,” said Yossi Yovel, a neuro-ecologist and a co-author of the paper.

The researchers recorded tomato and tobacco plants in a soundproof room and in an ordinary greenhouse. They troubled the plants by not watering them for a few days and by stem cutting; both approaches caused pop- or click-like sounds from the plants. Unstressed plants also made sounds, but far fewer; the stressed plants sent out between 30 and 50 clicks per hour.

The team thinks the sounds may be caused by air bubbles in the plants’ vascular systems. It’s not clear whether the sounds serve any purpose, such as an attempt to communicate with other organisms. The pop sounds are beyond human ear frequencies but fall within the range that other mammals, insects, and perhaps other plants could pick them up.

“For example, a moth that intends to lay eggs on a plant or an animal that intends to eat a plant could use the sounds to help guide their decision.”

Besides tomato and tobacco plants, the corn, wheat, grape and cactus plants were also found to make sounds.

The researchers are still out on plant intelligence, but some experts do think that plants are conscious in their own way. Plenty more work will need to be done to understand the exact nature of these sounds.

1. What is the significance of the plants’ ability to produce airborne sounds?

A．It enables the plants to attract beneficial insects.

B．It helps the plants send messages to humans.

C．It inspires the application of ultrasound on microphone.

D．It creates new chances for researches on the sound of plants.

2. How did the researchers carry on the experiment?

A．They eavesdropped the plants in the greenhouse.

B．They deprived the plants of water and harmed their stems.

C．They troubled the plants by pop- or click-like sounds.

D．They provided the plants with artificial lighting conditions.

3. What is the potential use of the sounds made by the plants?

A．The sounds could be used by plants to warn each other of threats.

B．The sounds could be used as a form of renewable energy.

C．The sounds could be used to monitor the stress levels of plants.

D．The sounds could be used as a guidance for other creatures.

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

A．The Surprising Sounds of Stressed Plants

B．The Musical Melodies of the Green World

C．Plants’ New Language: The Popping Sound

D．Tomato and Tobacco Plants: The Secret Sound

4 . Be a Better Gardener

There are always lots of things to learn as a gardener, and many of them can only be learned through getting your hands dirty. But there are some things gardeners can learn from reading or watching.     1    .

What plant families are

Actually, plants have formal scientific Latin names. These names help to categorize (分类) plants, and make it clearer to identify and study those plants. Specific plants are specific varieties of particular species. Species are members of a certain genus (属). And each genus belongs to a broader plant family.

    2    . For example, plants in the Lamiaceae family (mint family) include garden herbs such as lavender, mint and rosemary. In the family, members will generally have aromatic (芳香的) leaves, among other shared characteristics.

    3    

Learning plant families can be a great step forward for those who want to identify more plants around them. Even when we cannot identify plants down to species and variety, knowing which family they belong to can often give us a lot of the information we need. This will often help us to understand the broad characteristics of the plant we are looking at, and where it might be placed in our gardens, or which neighbors it will like.

How to learn plant families

    4    . But I find that a good way to begin is by researching the plants we already have in our garden. Find out which family the different plants belong to, and then take a good and long look at those plants to see their characteristics.     5    .

A．Why to learn plant families

B．Where to get information about houseplants

C．Plants in the same family have a lot in common

D．It takes a lot of practice to grow different species

E．We can learn plant families in several different ways

F．To become a good gardener, we can start with learning plant families

G．By comparing different plants, we can easily understand plant families

5 . As the world’s oldest living organisms, trees have been our silent companions. Although they inspire a large quantity of fancy tales, the richness of what they say is beyond description.

The German forester Peter Wohlleben spent decades working and learning their secrets. Feelings are rarely applied to trees, but Wohlleben has done so without hesitation. According to Wohlleben, that humans do not speak the trees’ language does not mean they do not communicate. Trees are badly misunderstood even if they communicate with chemical and electrical signals.

Wohlleben claims that trees are creatures as human beings. In one of 50 cases, Wohlleben’s team sees the special friendships between trees, as they can distinguish between one individual and another. This means that trees do not treat all other trees the same. For instance, Wohlleben saw two old beeches standing next to each other. Compared to the usual case, each one growing its branches turned away from the other rather than toward each other. This kind of partnership is well-known to foresters. They know that such tree pairs are really like a human couple. If they chop one down, they need to chop down both because the other will die anyway.

Trees were also found to keep each other alive in different ways. They pass food to nearby sick trees and send signals to warn others of dangerous insects. In one of his investigations, Wohlleben also discovered a beech tree cut about 400 to 500 years ago. The trunk is still alive and was found with green chlorophyll (叶绿素) under the thick bark. Since it has no leaves to create sugar, the only explanation is that neighbouring trees have supported this tree for more than centuries.

The trees that suffered through drought were found to consume less water in the spring so that they will have more water available in the summer months. This implies that a tree can learn and remember a drought its whole life, acting on that memory by being more cautious about its water consumption.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To arouse readers’ interest.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To present a new discovery.	D．To demonstrate a heated debate.

2. According to Wohlleben’s research, what can we learn about trees?

A．Trees communicate in the same way as humans.

B．Trees can’t tell friends and enemies apart.

C．Trees are loyal to their partners.

D．Trees can keep each other alive within limited periods.

3. Why do some trees consume less water in the spring?

A．Because they have more water available in summer

B．Because they have suffered through drought before.

C．Because they don’t need so much water in the spring.

D．Because they can depend on the support from other trees.

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

A．Mysteries of trees are unfolded	B．Trees are our silent companions
C．Trees can adapt to the environment	D．Trees can form special relationships

6 . Sargassum is a kind of floating seaweed (海草) that has been growing in size every year. It looks pretty in the ocean. However, sargassum can almost completely block out sunlight. Important kinds of seagrass suffer when light is blocked by seaweed. As sargassum piles up on beaches, it makes it hard for mother sea turtles to lay eggs, and nearly impossible for baby turtles to return to the sea.

So much sargassum piles up on beaches, and it breaks down slowly, giving out a bad smell like rotten eggs. “Even when governments clear the seaweed from beaches, they face problems of getting rid of it. Heavy machines can put turtle nests in danger. Some people have thought about using sargassum as a fertilizer (肥料), but it contains harmful heavy metals. So far, removing these harmful metal s costs too much to make it worth doing,” said the scientist Steven Kelley.

Sargassum grows faster in warming oceans, so climate change is definitely part of the problem. But scientists believe the unusual growth of the seawood is also caused by huge quantities of fertilizers washed into the ocean from farmlands.

Scientists and students are working hard to figure out how to deal with sargassum. Some suggest using sargassum as a building material, or possibly a fuel. One unusual solution is to drop it deep in the sea by using robots. Sargassum takes in huge amounts of carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) as it grows. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is one important part of fighting the climate crisis. Sargassum could deal with this carbon dioxide in the deep ocean. Scientists are still testing this idea to see if it will work.

For now, scientists say the quickest solution is to stop filling the ocean with fertilizers. It is wise for farmers to change the way they farm. Moreover, the seaweed’s growth can have serious effects on islands that depend heavily on tourism and fishing. Island communities play a role in cleaning up the seaweed and promoting responsible tourism. At the same time, officials have to work towards changing policies to solve the issues.

1. What can we know about sargassum according to the first paragraph?

A．It affects the ecosystem negatively.

B．It adds to the variety of life in the ocean.

C．It causes a shortage of food for sea animals.

D．It creates a good living environment for seagrass.

2. What does Steven Kelley mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Reusing metal s from sargassum is a wise choice.

B．Fertilizers can help sargarrum break down quickly.

C．Dealing with sargassum safely is challenging work.

D．Practical ways have been developed to remove sargassum.

3. How can the unusual solution mentioned in Paragraph 4 do good to the environment?

A．By spreading sargassum widely to increase sunlight.

B．By changing sargassum into a renewable energy source.

C．By employing sargassum as a cleaner for ocean pollution.

D．By making use of sargassum’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Public attempts to recycle seaside sargassum.

B．The change in sargassum’s living environment.

C．Challenges and approaches concerning sargassum.

D．The influence of sargassum’s growth on climate change.

7 . The Art of Spreading New Plants from Cuttings

In the world of gardening, there’s a magical journey where you use the power of cuttings to create new life. Spreading plants from cuttings is a satisfying and sustainable (可持续的) practice. This increases your green treasures.    1    

Selecting and Preparing Cuttings

Not all plants respond equally to the spreading process.    2     Many plants are proper for spreading through cuttings. Research the specific needs of the plants you’re interested in, paying attention to factors like season, plant age, and overall health.

Choose healthy, disease-free stems (茎). Using clean, sharp knives, take your cuttings in the morning when the plant’s water levels are best. Once you have your cuttings, remove leaves from the lower part of the stem to reduce water loss.

Developing Your Cuttings to Plants

    3     Regularly water the cuttings to maintain wetness and monitor the soil condition. As roots develop and the plant establishes itself, gradually adapt it to the conditions of its future home. The journey from a simple cutting to a healthy plant may take weeks or even months, but the rewards are well worth the wait.

Sustainable Gardening Practice

Spreading plants through cuttings is not just about expanding your garden. It’s a sustainable practice.    4     Sharing your new plants with friends and fellow gardeners creates a sense of community and spreads the joy of growing your green family.

Creating new plants from cuttings is a fascinating journey that will change your garden into a pleasant plant-filled garden.     5     With a bit of patience, care, and a touch, you’ll find great joy in seeing the cycle of life happen in your very own garden. Happy spreading!

A．It also starts a deeper connection with nature.

B．This technique can not be easily learned.

C．So, it’s important to choose the right plants.

D．The reason is that it creates new plants without using seeds.

E．Growing plants from cuttings is a lesson in patience.

F．Getting an independent plant from just a tiny cutting is a fortune in itself.

G．As you start on this journey, each cutting holds the possibility for a new beginning.

8 . What foods do you use to celebrate with your family? Do you eat something special on your birthday or holidays? Among the Hopi people, many foods for special celebrations are made from corn.

The Hopi people are Native Americans who live in Black Mesa, Arizona, USA. They grow special types of corn with long roots (根), which help the corn reach water in the ground in the hot and dry desert (沙漠).     1     In fact, in Hopi tradition, corn is the first solid food a baby eats.

The Hopi use each color of corn for something different. For example, blue corn is used to make some traditional Hopi foods. Piki is one Hopi food made with blue com. It is like a paper-thin, rolled pancake.     2     When a new baby is born, cobs (玉米棒子) of white corn are placed in the baby’s cradle (摇篮).     3     When girls grow up, they grind (磨碎) com for four days as part of their Coming of Age Ceremony. The Hopi also grind com by hand for wedding ceremonies.

    4     For example, in some Hopi villages, women walk down the Mesa to gather water and firewood every day. Men in those villages run up to 40 miles to their farms every day to grow corn, bean, and chili pepper crops. Other Hopi live in modern homes and use modern technology in their daily lives.     5     Corn is an important part of Hopi life today.

A．The Hopi people have a long history.

B．Corn is also used in Hopi ceremonies.

C．There are different types of corn as well.

D．Corn plays an important role in the Hopi diet.

E．Some Hopi today still live as they did hundreds of years ago.

F．White corn is used to wish a baby good health and long life.

G．But both groups still practice Hopi spirituality and other traditions.

9 . Every tree tells a story. They hold our memories, represent belief, and witness countless moments of joy and sorrow. In our imagination, there is always a place for a tree.

For the locals in Naunde, Mozambique, a mango tree provides more than just shade from the Saharan sun. It is also a traditional setting for storytelling, ceremonies, and regulating village life. “It is a place to meet and talk, to seek agreement and settle arguments, to bridge differences and develop unity,” wrote Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the UN. “If you have a problem and can’t find a solution, you meet again tomorrow under the tree and you keep talking.”

The mango tree always stands there, witnessing and remembering everything, and at the same time becomes an inseparable part of the collective memory of the locals. “Each growth layer that trees add every year contains a bit of the air from that year. The trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air through tiny pores (气孔) , which helps build their tissues, so they physically hold the record of the years of their surroundings,” said Benjamin Swett, author of New York City of Trees. In this way, trees also serve as nature’s memory stick, keeping a record of a history as long as themselves.

The English language borrows a lot from trees: We turn over a new leaf and branch out, meaning we move on from the past and start something new. And there are times when we can’t see the wood for the trees. We tend to enjoy the flourishing leaves, branches, and roots of the trees. However, we pay little attention to the forests that embrace trees. The same things often happen to us in our own lives. We often dip ourselves into some bad experiences in life. As a result, we may give up at a terrible moment instead of imagining satisfying success after defeating the failure.

Trees inspire mankind, not just through language, but through ideas. Perhaps the most famous is a tree in a garden in Lincolnshire, England, where an apple fell and inspired young Isaac Newton to wonder: Why would that apple always fall directly to the ground? According to an   18th-century account, Newton was home from Cambridge when he stepped into the garden and into a reverie (沉思) . There, the idea of gravitation came into his mind, inspired by an apple.

1. What is the role of a mango tree in Naunde?

A．A spot to bind the locals together.	B．A witness to the changing weather.
C．A generous food supplier on Earth.	D．A shelter to protect villagers in disasters.

2. How do trees keep a record of their surroundings?

A．By changing the width of their growth layer.

B．By sticking out branches in different directions.

C．By absorbing carbon dioxide to build their tissues.

D．By reflecting changing climate conditions with their tiny pores.

3. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Suggestions on facing failure.	B．Famous English stories about trees.
C．The relationship between trees and forests.	D．Lessons from English expressions related to trees.

4. Why does the author mention Newton in the last paragraph?

A．To explain the necessity of observation.	B．To show how gravitation was discovered.
C．To stress the importance of trees in inspiring ideas.	D．To introduce how trees serve as a mirror of history.

10 . There are a number of animals that give off light in some way-including several kinds of insects and fish. Some kinds of mushrooms give off light, too. But most plants don’t give out light. Now, scientists are working to change that.

When a living thing gives off light, it’s called bioluminescence (生物发光). Fireflies are a well-known example of bioluminescence. Though less well-known, many mushrooms are also bioluminescent. These bioluminescent creatures light up thanks to the chemicals called luciferins (荧光素)inside their bodies. Luciferins cause a chemical reaction that can give off light.

Plants don’t naturally have luciferins, so there are no naturally bioluminescent plants. But that hasn’t stopped scientists from trying to create them. In the past, scientists have created plants that made less bright by adding DNA from shining objects. Scientists have also created plants that can give off light by adding luciferins to plants. But it only works as long as the chemicals last. In 2017, a team was able to cause a plant to give off light for about four hours.

Now, researchers at a Russian company have come up with a new method of creating shining plants. By adding certain parts of the DNA from shining mushrooms to ordinary tobacco plants, the researchers were able to create plants that could make their own luciferins. The scientists reported that the light was about 10 times brighter than in earlier shining plants.

The researchers believe that shining plants could help scientists learn more about the way plants work. For example, the moving patterns or waves of light in the plants may show activities in plants that normally can’t be seen. The shining also helps reveal how plants may be affected by things around them. For example, the plants gave off much more light strongly when a ripe banana skin was nearby. But the researchers don’t think the plants will just be used for science. They think many people may want shining plants for their beauty. So they are working with a company to develop shining plants for sale.

1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 1?

A．Most animals hate giving off light.

B．Many plants give off light through scientists’ efforts.

C．Animals give off light to protect themselves.

D．It’s hard to find plants that give out light.

2. What happens when a firefly lights up?

A．It gives off lots of heat to warm itself.

B．It has chemical reactions inside its body.

C．It lacks energy due to chemical reactions.

D．It informs other fireflies of the danger.

3. How does the author support his viewpoint in the last paragraph?

A．By showing numbers.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By providing examples.	D．By making a summary.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Human development results in less shining plants

B．Scientists manage to create shining plants

C．People’s lifestyles are reflected in shining plants

D．Geography determines the types of shining plants