1 . Antioxidants (抗氧化剂) are found naturally inn plants like blueberries, blackberries, and red cabbage. Scientists believe antioxidants may help prevent heart disease and help fight against diseases like diabetes. But tomatoes naturally only have a small amount of antioxidants in them.
British scientist Cathie Martin wanted to see if she could create tomatoes with lots of antioxidants by changing the DNA of a tomato plant.
A plant developed from specially created DNA is known as a GMO, or “genetically modified organism”. For hundreds of years, farmers have created new kinds of plants by mixing existing plants together using natural methods. GMO plants are different because the plants’ DNA has been changed by scientists. Scientists who do this usually think they’re improving the plants in some way.
After working on developing purple tomatoes for years, Dr. Martin’s experiment worked. Soon her plants were producing small purple tomatoes. Though the color is unusual, what’s really special about the tomatoes is that they have very high levels of antioxidants. Even better, the tomatoes remained fresh almost twice as long as normal tomatoes. Soon, Dr. Martin and other scientists created a company to promote the tomatoes.
The company tested its tomatoes on mice that were likely to get cancer. The mice who were fed the purple tomatoes lived about 30% longer than the mice who were fed normal tomatoes. Though that’s good news, experiments on mice don’t always predict what effects on humans will be like.
And GMO products weren’t popular with customers. Many people were scared by the idea that the foods weren’t “natural”. There are still questions about the effects of GMO crops on the environment and other plants, but most scientists agree that food from GMO crops is safe to eat.
On September 7, the government approved a GMO plant designed to target human health. Dr. Martin and her company plan to introduce the tomatoes at farmers’ markets across the US in 2023. They also hope to sell the seeds to people who want to grow their own.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To define a concept. |
| B．To bring in the topic of the text. |
| C．To add background information. |
| D．To introduce the benefits of antioxidants. |
| A．Their medical value. | B．Their delicious flavor. |
| C．Their proper size. | D．Their pleasant color. |
| A．They are expensive to buy. |
| B．They are intended for animals. |
| C．They are thought to be harmful. |
| D．Their appearance isn’t appealing. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Unclear. | C．Positive. | D．Concemed. |
2 . When we think of insects that native plants support, we often think of bees and butterflies, but they really support many other insects as well as birds and mammals (哺乳动物). The fact that our native plants and wildlife have developed together means that they rely on each other to survive.
The biggest threat to these insects is the loss of their home. In fact, the insect population has reduced by an alarming 45% since 1974! By bringing native plant species into our gardens, we create natural feeding and nesting sites important to their survival and ours. By creating living areas for our native insects, we help to support native birds and other native wildlife, and thus, increase the natural biodiversity of our ecosystem.
Native plantings also have a positive effect on the overall health of our environment. They are used in bio-filters (生物过滤), and rain gardens. With their deep roots systems, natives are able to hold the soil, take in nutrients, catch and release water, as well as filter pollutants out of the water.
Native plants are the best choice for these situations because they are adapted to our soil, rainfall and climate, and are able to bear brief periods of wet soil and long periods of dryness. In addition to helping clear pollutants from our waterways, native plants, especially long-lived trees, also help our air quality by removing CO2 at a higher rate than grasses due to their large root systems.
Besides all the amazing things native plants already do for our environment, having them in your garden will also help you save time and money. Because native plants aren’t as susceptible to pests and bacteria as non-natives are, so they don’t require the use of fungicides or pesticides. Putting in native plants is much easier than you think and extremely beneficial for not only your local environment but also for you. We encourage you to design a small area of your garden for native plants or reconsider whether you can add a few native plants to your existing garden. A little work can go a long way in supporting our local wildlife and ecosystem!
1. What is most likely to put native insects in danger?| A．Native birds are increasing. | B．Their homes are gradually lost. |
| C．Foreign wildlife is introduced. | D．The climate disasters appear frequently. |
| A．Benefits of native plants. | B．Choices for native plants. |
| C．Relationships among native plants. | D．Advantages of long-lived plants. |
| A．Easily affected by. | B．Greatly harmful to. |
| C．Constantly dotted with. | D．Potentially beneficial to. |
| A．How you can clear your garden |
| B．How you can protect native wildlife |
| C．Why you need a garden with various plants |
| D．Why you should plant natives in your garden |
3 . We often try to save every drop of water in gardening. Yet this summer, over half of the world is experiencing “abnormally dry” weather, which means millions of people are living under drought conditions.
Choosing water-saving plants
If you are gardening under water restrictions, decide which plants need water least. Older trees, especially fruit, nut, and even evergreens, can suffer during drought, while newly planted trees require regular watering until their roots become established.
Watering effectively
Most plants require an average of 2 to 4 centimeters of water each week under normal conditions. That need could increase, however, during periods of extreme heat, when the soil dries out more quickly.
Consider using recycled household water, also called gray water, to water plants. Unsalted water left over from boiling eggs or vegetables provides extra nutrients. Dish and bath water that is not too oily will not harm plants.
| A．Using fresh clean water. |
| B．Choosing recycled water. |
| C．And melons have deep roots. |
| D．Try to water your plants all at once. |
| E．Do not water your plants once weekly. |
| F．And many of the people have plants to worry about. |
| G．And water from washing fruits and vegetables can be used around the garden. |
4 . Much of gardening is learned by trial and error — for many, mostly error. But the good news is that we can learn from others’ mistakes as well as our own.
Failing to test the soil
Proper soil pH value is vital for successful gardening. That’s because nutrition is available to plants only at proper pH levels, which vary for each type of plant. For example, blueberry plants will likely turn yellow and produce less if the pH level is higher than 5.5.
Watering incorrectly
Most garden plants require 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. But leaving the work to a sprinkler (喷头) puts your plants at risk.
A plant labeled as needing “full sun” will likely disappoint you if it is planted in the shade. And no matter how much you hope otherwise, “water tolerant” will never mean “likes wet soil”. Selecting plants suited to your growing conditions will result in a better-looking and healthier garden that requires less care.
Protecting the roots improperly
Proper covering keeps water and helps keep soil temperatures even. So it’s an important part of gardening. Improper covering, however, can kill your plants. Apply 2 to 3 inches of covering around plants. Never pile up against them.
| A．Applying proper nutrition to the soil |
| B．Planting wrong plants at wrong places |
| C．Here are some well-tested tips on good gardening |
| D．Instead, snake a watering tube over the soil surface |
| E．Otherwise, it will lock in too much water and heat which might kill them |
| F．Fortunately, test tools are relatively cheap and available at gardening stores |
| G．Here are some of the common gardening mistakes -and how to avoid them |
5 . Ashtyn Perry dug into the ground in Sequoia(红杉)Crest，California. In 2020, a wildfire burned through the mountain community and destroyed dozens of its massive trees. Ashtyn, who is 13 years old, planted a bright green seedling. “It’s really cool to know that it could be a big tree in the future,” Ashtyn said. Ashtyn said she’d like to return once a year to see how it’s growing. She hopes it can become a giant.
Her efforts are part of a project to plant seeds from some of the largest and oldest trees on the planet. The goal is to see if the genes that allowed the parent tree to survive for so long will protect the growth of new trees.
Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, which is an organization that preserves the genes of very old trees, leads the project. The group hopes to save the giant sequoias. Once considered nearly fireproof, the trees are at risk of being wiped out by intense wildfires.
Climate change is partly to blame for the problems sequoias face. Climate change is leading to more intense fires. Another factor contributing to the problem is a century of policies that prevent natural fires from burning. Allowing natural wildfires to burn actually prevents bigger future fires, Brigham said. But now when fires burn, they blaze through vegetation (植被) built up through years of fire suppression (抑制), making the fires more intense.
Last year’s destruction to the sequoias brought Brigham to tears. “They’re so big and so old and so individual and unusual that even people who don’t love trees, love them, ” Brigham said. To save the trees this year, crews wrapped trunks of the largest trees in a fire-resistant foil around the trees. But more needs to be done, Brigham said. This includes thinning the vegetation around the trees and replanting.
1. What do baby sequoias represent for Ashtyn?| A．Hope. | B．Wealth. | C．Progress. | D．Friendship. |
| A．The growing course of small trees. |
| B．The risk of intense wildfires for trees. |
| C．The best genes to help ancient trees survive. |
| D．The possibility of living through natural disasters. |
| A．Natural fires should be left alone. |
| B．Tree trunks should be wrapped tightly. |
| C．Climate change is the cause of wildfires. |
| D．The vegetation around the trees needs protection. |
| A．Tree genes help small trees grow well | B．Wildfires destroy oldest trees more |
| C．People are eager to protect ancient trees | D．Sequoias will disappear on the earth |
6 . Today, we will get you started with the basics to help your houseplants live their best life.
Find your light
Pick a pot
When you bring a new plant home, it is much better to let it settle in the original pot. Over time, you might notice roots growing out of that drainage (排水) holes.
Overwatering is one of the most common ways people kill their houseplants. So, how do you know when to give it a drink?
One of the simplest ways is the finger test. Stick your finger a few inches into the soil and feel if it’s still wet different houseplants have different needs, but a general guideline is to water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
Never stick to “Every Sunday I water my plants”.
| A．Water your plant properly. |
| B．Check the roots occasionally. |
| C．Low light is just enough light for you to read a book. |
| D．It should be whenever the soil itself needs to be watered. |
| E．Then it is time to find a bigger pot so its roots can expand. |
| F．The first thing you need to do is figure out the type of lighting you have. |
| G．Such measures will invite them to stay longer and help the plants grow better. |
7 . 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. |
