A seed bank stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity; hence it is a type of gene bank. Many people may wonder     1     the seeds are stored. One of the major reasons is to preserve the genes that plant growers need to increase yield (产量), disease resistance, drought tolerance, nutritional quality, and the taste of crops. Another is to prevent     2     (lose) of genetic diversity in rare or endangered plant species in     3     effort to conserve biodiversity. Many plants     4     (grow) centuries ago by humans are used less frequently now; seed banks offer a way to preserve that historical and cultural value. Collections of seeds stored     5     constant low temperature and low water level are guarded against reduction of genetic resources which are otherwise maintained in field collections. These alternative “living” collections can     6     (damage) by natural disasters, outbreaks of disease,     7     war. Containing valuable information about evolved strategies to reduce plant stress, seed banks are considered seed     8     (library), and can help to create genetically modified (调整过的) versions of     9     (exist) seeds. The work of seed banks often span decades and even centuries. Most seed banks are     10     (public) funded and seeds are usually available for research that benefits the public.

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.

Hawthorn (山楂) trees or bushes are a familiar sight in the UK, where they are often found     1    (plant) along the edges of fields or used as garden boundaries. In May, they produce     2    (bunch) of white flowers, followed by fresh red berries.

    3     its name suggests, the plant has large thorns (刺),     4    (make)it possible for self-protection. Both the flowers and the berries can be used     5    (medical) and are a traditional remedy (疗法) for heart conditions.

The use of hawthorn as a herbal medicine to protect the heart can be traced back for centuries. Its use     6     modern times dates from an Irish physician, who used it to treat heart diseases. This doctor guarded his secret remedy closely, and it was not until after his death that his remedy was examined     7    (find) how it worked. And it turned out to be an active ingredient made from the bright red berries of hawthorn.

Hawthorn is now a popular heart remedy throughout Europe. It can help to protect the blood system that feeds the heart. Hawthorn can also contribute to mild chest pains     8    (relieve). Some specialists suggest it may also     9    (apply) to reduce the extra fat in the blood system.

Hawthorn is regarded as one of the     10    (safe) herbal medicines and although side-effects such as sweating and tiredness have been reported, they are extremely rare.

Every year, at the end of October, tens of thousands of people flock to a Buddhist temple in China to see a huge gingko biloba tree (银杏树) drop its foliage (枝叶) and turn     1     temple from green to gold. The Gu Guanyin Buddhist temple,     2     (locate) in the Zhongnan Mountains of China’s Shaanxi Province is home     3     a 1,400-year-old gingko biloba tree. It was planted for the Tang dynasty (618-907) emperor Li Shimin,     4     is one of the     5     (great) rulers in Chinese history. It towers superbly over the temple,     6     for a few days every autumn, it rains down a gold carpet of     7     (leaf) that stands out against the muted tones of the season. Because of its     8     (amaze) appearance, it has been called the world’s most beautiful gingko biloba tree, and     9     (become) a tourist attraction in its own right.

Due to the increasing     10     (popular) of its ancient gingko biloba tree, the Gu Guanyin Buddhist temple has reportedly increased daily visitor capacity to around 7,200, between 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon.