1 . Wildflower meadows are beautiful; so beautiful in fact that a village in Britain has found they act as natural speed traps from motorists slowing down to look at them.

The village of Long Newnton in Gloucestershire has a problem with fast-moving traffic between nearby towns. Almost all drivers moving through areas they frequent will break posted speed limits, and neither a 30 mile per hour limit, nor warning signs made any difference.

Officials first planted flowers along the roadside during the pandemic to help improve biodiversity. But they noticed that as well as attracting more wildlife, motorists also slowed down when they passed the flowers. The village, between Tetbury and Malmesbury, has traffic regularly travelling between them, and the small parish council(教区行政机构) receives limited funds from the government for traffic control measures.

Putting two and two together, the village is now relying on its flowers to do the work that the road signs could not, paying for the blooms with crowdfunding(众筹) in the village.

Why exactly people slow down isn’t entirely clear. “Evidence has shown that if you introduce things like wildflowers, drivers will slow down because they feel like they’re coming into somewhere that’s looked after,” said Jenny Forde, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Cotswold District Council. A crowdfunding campaign has raised almost £8,000 for traffic-calming measures, which will be used to fund a three-year care program for the wildflowers.

A sign that flashes and records data when people are breaking the 30 mph(48 kmph) speed limit was also fixed by the council. According to the data, 90% of motorists drive below the speed limit. It goes to show that something the homeschooling revolution in America is getting right applies elsewhere too, and that rewards for good behavior will always outperform(胜过) punishment for bad behavior.

1. What problem are villagers in Long Newnton facing?

A．Drivers often overspeed through the village.

B．Warning signs are unserviceable inside the village.

C．Traffic accidents often happen between the towns.

D．Large numbers of people are pouring to visit the village.

2. For what did officials plant flowers along the roadside initially?

A．Acting as traffic signals.	B．Attracting more tourists.
C．Increasing plant diversity.	D．Advising drivers to slow down.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．The longest journey begins with the first step.

B．Rewards outweigh punishment in some way.

C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

D．A good beginning is half of success.

4. Which of the following is probably the best title?

A．Pay for Flowers with Crowdfunding	B．Natural Traps Found in Long Newnton
C．More Measures Taken to Regulate Traffic	D．Handle Speeding with Wildflowers’ Help

2 . How to Start Gardening

If you are feeling the itch(渴望) to get a green thumb and start gardening, we cannot blame you.    1    So, let’s get you on the way to starting your own gardening that is right for you!

The first step is to come up with an idea of what you want to grow. If you are going to grow a crop, make sure it is something you will eat. You also need to make sure your area has the right climate, and that you are planting at the right time. Most plants will require planting in spring, but sometime planting in the fall,so make sure you know the life cycle of a plant and when you should plant it.    2    

After you have chosen what you want to grow, picture your garden or even draw up a plan. Look at what will go where depending on how much sun it needs.     3    Think about walls and fences and how they will impact the suns’ placement in your garden. You should also think about access for watering, picking and nurturing your plants.

Testing your soil is necessary.     4    A majority of crops in your garden will need neutral pH 7 soil. If the soil is not nutritious enough, consider fertilizer on a more regular basis. Always find out what kind of soil the plant needs first and then supply the correct soil to the correct plant.

    5    You should always make sure that you choose the right seeds before you start planting. It is wise to learn which plants will grow best when directly seeded in the garden and which plants are better as transplanted plants. Then it is time to get planting.

A．Choose the right seeds and then plant them.

B．It has so many benefits and it is hard to resist.

C．You should also look up a seeding calendar as well.

D．Consider the sun in the sky above your garden as well.

E．And keep the kids’ play area away from the planting areas.

F．Many green hands to the gardening scene do not know this.

G．It is also worth looking into what grows well in your local area and what doesn’t.

3 . 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。

This scene at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics amazed the world. Fireworks     1     the shape of the “Guest-Greeting Pine“ made the world feel the enthusiasm of an open China. The “Guest-Greeting Pine”, named after its shape like a person    2    (wave) to welcome visitors, is one of the landmarks on Mount Huangshan, which     3    (sit) in the south of Anhui Province.

As a UNESCO natural and cultural heritage site, Mount Huangshan is also a global geopark characterized by a Mesozoic granite landscape. This     4    (drama) landscape includes formations of natural stone pillars, strangely-shaped rocks, waterfalls, caves, lakes and hot springs, formed by    5    (it) complex geological history. Its magnificent natural scenery of massive granitic stones and ancient pine trees is often    6    (far) enhanced by cloud and mist effects.

Mount Huangshan boasts 72 peaks, among    7     Lianhua Peak, Guangmingding Peak and Tiandu Peak are the three main peaks, with    8     altitude(海拔) of over 1, 800 meters. In Mount Huangshan, there are more than 200 cloudy days in a year. When the water vapor rises or the fog does not disappear after the rain, it     9    (form) a sea of clouds, presenting a fairyland landscape.

As a famous traditional mountain in China, Mount Huangshan bears profound historical and cultural     10    (mean) with ancient buildings, ancient pedals, cliff stone carvings, etc. , and has bred the “Huangshan Painting School” of Chinese landscape painting.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个词(冠词，介词，代词或连词)，或在空白处填入单词的正确形式。

Plants cannot move from place to place, but seeds can. They can travel great distances. They may be carried by the wind or upon the water. They may also be carried by animals or people. Seeds     1     (carry) by the wind often have special shapes. Maple seeds have wings that spin and keep them in the air for longer, allowing them to land in all kinds of places.     2     (depend) on the strength of the wind, they can sometimes travel for hundreds of kilometres.

Coconuts are carried along by ocean     3     (current). When a coconut falls from a tree onto the beach, the sea picks     4     up at high tide and carries it away to grow somewhere else. Its hard shell allows it to float on the water for    5     long time. Another way for seeds to travel is through the digestive systems of animals. Many plants produce     6     (attract) fruits that animals like to eat. The animal receives the nutrients of the fruit,     7     it does not digest the seed, which is passed out some time     8     (late). Of course, animals move, so the seed can easily end     9     a long way away from the parent plant, especially if the fruit     10     (eat) by a bird.

5 . Earth is lighted up by bioluminescence but, for many of us, seeing the natural phenomenon is a rare treat: Catching the glow of a firefly or witnessing a dolphin swimming through electric blue waters is a thrill.

Researchers are currently engineering glowing flowers and decorative plants that can cast a green light onto our living rooms. Observing a plant’s health via its glow can be a way to instantly measure its health, and the side-effect is anybody who wants a healthy glowing plant in their living room can have one.

A study published on Monday in Nature Biotechnology shows that this goal is well on its way to being a reality. The study authors announce they’ve created a method that causes plants to glow much brighter, and for a longer period of time, than previous efforts. Plants adapted by this method should be available for purchase within a few years.

The research was conducted through a teamwork between three scientific institutions and Planta, a biotech startup in Moscow. When this team examined a poisonous mushroom, they discovered that caffeic acid is responsible for its bioluminescence. In this new study, the team employed that information and inserted enzymes — which are specific to the mushroom — into the DNA of tobacco plants. In turn, the enzymes were able to interact with the caffeic acid in the tobacco plants, and cause them to glow both in the dark and in the daylight.

This method, the scientists claimed, made the plants 10 times brighter than previous efforts and the continuous light production didn’t harm the health of the plants. Interestingly, the light decreased as the leaves aged — but it also increased when the leaves were damaged. In turn, the team suggested this method could also help other researchers monitor plant responses to various pressures and changes in the environment. If a plant is short of water or a hungry sheep is harming a plant, bioluminescence could warn of this damage before it’s too late.

1. How can people quickly identify a decorative flower’s health condition?

A．By making it greener.	B．By monitoring its glow.
C．By testing the chemicals in it.	D．By putting it in the living room.

2. What can we expect of the adapted glowing plants?

A．They will appear on the market.	B．They may take the place of lamps.
C．They can light up a whole living room.	D．They glow less bright than previous efforts.

3. What did the team do with the mushroom in the new study?

A．They inserted caffeic acid into it.

B．They made it give out brighter light.

C．They grew it on the tobacco plant farm.

D．They put its enzymes into the tobacco plants.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Warning of potential damage from glowing plants.

B．Warning of the light production’s harm to plants.

C．Effects of continuous light production on the glowing plants.

D．Benefits of combining specific enzymes with caffeic acid in plants.

6 . 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。

With high yield and superior quality, Chinese hybrid rice varieties have been introduced around the world,     1     (benefit) more people. The export of China’s hybrid rice technology started many years ago. In 1979, China provided hybrid rice seeds to another country for the first time, and 40 years later, in     2     (real), China’s hybrid rice has been planted in dozens of countries in the world.

In the past 40 years, Chinese scientists     3     (devote) to providing assistance to many other countries. China has trained more than 14,000 hybrid rice professionals for more than 80 developing countries through international training courses. This technology has spread     4     more and more places in the world so far.

Yuan Longping,     5     cultivated the world’s first high-yield hybrid rice strain not only earned respect from Chinese people but also the global community. His hybrid rice research has been     6     (entire) saving millions of people from hunger. Yuan’s dream was     7     (solve) the global food shortage and promote hybrid rice around the world. China has achieved     8     great wonder, feeding nearly one fifth of the world’s population with less than nine percent of the world’s total land. And China is     9     (will) to contribute to global food security and calls for joint efforts to end global hunger and poverty.

It     10     (believe) that Yuan’s dream will come true one day.

7 . Plants and exposure to greenery have been found to have multiple mental health benefits, such as lowering stress, decreasing feelings of depression, increasing sociability, restoring focus, improving cognitive performance, improving mood, and increasing self-esteem.

Gardening and care for plants can help to turn people away from negative thoughts or emotions. So with all that, what do these experts recommend as the best plant?

Snake plant. It’s very easy to care for, thrives in spaces with low sunlight, has visual appeal, and cleans the air, and they are drought resistant if you forget to water them.

Spider plants. Spider plants, with plenty of light-green leaves, are another low-maintenance selection.When a spider plant thrives, it will grow new offshoots that can be clipped and potted as a new plant.

Aloe Vera. Drought-resistant and easy to grow. Aloe Vera is low-maintenance, you can just water it monthly, and it helps clean the airspace and is helpful for burns, cuts, and scrapes to help injuries heal faster or soothe pain.

Lavender is well-known for its relaxing scent, and it has a calming effect, aids in reducing stress, promotes sleep.This means it’s great both in the garden, or clipped and dried in a bowl inside your space .

Basil is a summertime herb that loves the sun. Not only is it delicious in meals, but eating basil has health benefits, too. It has properties which help to relieve stress and anxiety.

Lemon balm. This fragrant green herb is part of the mint family and is simple to cultivate. Known for its calming properties, it has a light lemony scent that can be wonderfully intensified by rubbing the leaves between your fingers. It has been used to improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, improve appetite, and help with indigestion.

1. What can we know from the passage?

A．Spider plants will still survive if you forget to water them.

B．Lavender is recognized for its mint scent and calming effects.

C．Snake plants grow well in spaces without enough sunlight.

D．Basil is not edible but has some valuable properties.

2. What do these plants have in common?

A．They need little water.	B．They appeal to the eye.
C．They help us calm down.	D．They enhance health.

3. How many of the plants mentioned in the passage can help people to handle stress or anxiety?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．Five

8 . From cowboy hats and cattle to barbecue and football, Texas is known for many things. One thing the Lone Star State is not known for, however, is winter weather.

That changed in February last year, when winter storm buried Texas in ice and snow. It raged for a total of eight days, 23 hours, and 23 minutes, which was one of the most impactful winter events in recent history.

According to Texas TV station, winter storm Landon was so extreme that it caused trees across north Texas to “explode”, filling local communities with booms that sounded more like gunshots than tree branches.

The phenomenon of “exploding trees” isn’t as unusual or as terrifying as it sounds, according to Janet, who says trees often freeze and burst as a result of rapid temperature shifts. “Our wide temperature swings mean that trees may not be completely dormant (休眠的) or prepared for the cold,” Janet said. “Trees have several mechanisms they use to prevent freezing. They take cues to get adapted and ready for the freeze.”

In trees that aren’t completely inactive, cold weather causes tree sap to freeze. When that happens, the sap expands beyond what the tree’s bark can contain. And so, the tree splits in places that can’t cope with the pressure, creating cracks known as “frost cracks”. Although trees do not actually explode into pieces when frost cracks happen, there may be loud noises and visible fractures (折断), and heavy branches can fall to the ground.

“Trees explode in cold weather because the water content in the cells and tissues freezes,” MacKenzie said. “From midwinter to early spring this can occur when the temperature swings, snow melts and warm sun, cold nights work in harmony. It is usually nothing to be too concerned about; the tree will start to heal just as quickly. I have been awakened many cold winter nights hearing the trees explode.”

1. What does the underlined word “That” refer to?

A．Texas is related to American football.

B．Texas is little known for its winter weather.

C．Texas is a suitable place for raising cattle.

D．Texas has a famous history of cowboys.

2. What does Janet think causes the trees to explode?

A．The occurrence of the winter storm.

B．The fragile tree branches in winter.

C．The sudden change of temperatures.

D．The trees’ preparation for the cold.

3. What does the fifth paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The effect of cold weather on plants.

B．Ways to help trees prevent freezing.

C．The role of sap in winter.

D．The reason why trees explode.

4. What does MacKenzie imply in his words?

A．Tree explosion is a natural phenomenon.

B．Melting snow can lead to tree explosion.

C．Trees may explode even in warm nights.

D．People should be careful about exploding trees.

9 . Mushrooms on a log may each seem like quiet, separate organisms, but they are actually the above-ground fruit belonging to a fungus (真菌)，connected to the large organism by a root network called mycelium (菌丝). Although mushrooms may not seem very talkative either, a new study shows electrical signals travelling through their mycelium network could help the organism communicate.

According to the research, some mushrooms can use electrical impulse (脉冲) to share and process information in their body. When signal activity increases, it creates complicated patterns that may function like words in human speech.

Previous research has found that mushrooms can send electrical signals underground through long, thread-like structures, which expand to form a network of mycelium. It works like nerve cells that send signals to other parts of the human body. Some studies have shown that electrical activity will increase when the mycelium of wood-digesting mushrooms touches blocks, which may indicate that mushrooms can use these impulses to share information about food or injury.

In the new study, four species were analyzed. Researchers listened to the mushrooms’ chat using tiny electrodes (电极) connected to mycelium to measure the power in signal activity. Each result in the activity was organized into several groups and given a linguistic (语言的) and information complexity analysis. The power varied in duration and length, with some lasting up to 21 hours. The electrical points resembled a human vocabulary of up to 50 words. However, only 15 to 20 mushrooms’ words are used frequently.

Mushrooms’ words are also similar in length to human words. The mushroom’s word length averaged over the four species is 5.97, which is of the same range as an average word length in some human languages. For instance, it is 4.8 in English and 6 in Russian.

While the research shows mushrooms can produce patterns of electrical signals, there’s no way to tell what they are talking about, if they are at all. Though comparing the mushroom’s electrical signals to human speech is interesting and notable, some researchers are doubtful. “Though interesting, the interpretation as language seems somewhat overenthusiastic and requires more research,” says Dan Bebber from the University of Exeter.

1. How do mushrooms communicate according to the research?

A．Through their mycelium.

B．Through their nerve cells.

C．Through electrical signals.

D．Through the root network.

2. What do the studies suggest about mushroom communication?

A．It is similar to human speech in several aspects.

B．It is far too complicated to understand anything.

C．It is not impulses that they use to communicate.

D．It is easy to tell the exact information they share.

3. What does Dan Bebber think of “the interpretation as language”?

A．It is simply unquestionable.

B．It is definitely contradictory.

C．It is absolutely groundless.

D．It is not convincing enough.

4. Which magazine is the text probably taken from?

A．Health Guide.	B．Science World.
C．Travel Journal.	D．Business Week.

10 . This summer, Guinness World Records chose a big cherry as the heaviest ever recorded. A Carmen cherry, harvested by brothers Giuseppe and Alberto Rosso, clocked up 33 grams with a circumference (周长) of around 5 inches. At their farm, Cascina Canape, in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, the Rosso brothers claim to have grown many cherries of similar size over the last few years. But it was only in 2021 that they decided to “get serious” in seeking official recognition for their fruit.

However, this is the second time the world record has been broken for the heaviest cherry in 2021. Another grower, from Ferrara, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, harvested a cherry this year weighing 26.45 grams. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that the record was broken twice in Italy, since the country is Europe’s largest cherry producer. Yet Piedmont, where the latest record was set, is not one of the many Italian regions that grow the most cherries, such as Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Campania, and Lazio.

Though their farm is only 15 acres, the Rosso brothers grow over 70 types of cherries. Consumers today tend to buy the larger, sweeter fruits, and the winning Carmen variety has both of these characteristics. But to achieve the record size, nothing can be left to chance, “Pruning (修剪) is very important,” explains Alberto. “The main purpose is not to overload the plant with fruits: if there are too many, they may all ripen. But then we would have cherries of smaller dimensions with less sugar in them, because the plant would not be able to feed everyone in the same way.”

Also, one may think that large cherries must grow on very large trees. It’s actually the opposite: many new cherry tree types are only about 13 feet high, yet they are the ones that produce the largest fruits.

1. What can we learn about the winning cherry?

A．It is 5 inches in height.

B．It is 26.45 grams in weight.

C．It was brought in by two Italian brothers.

D．It was from the region growing the most cherries.

2. What does the underlined phrase “clock up” mean in paragraph 1?

A．timed

B．grew

C．equalled

D．weighed

3. Which cherry trees may produce the largest fruits?

A．Those growing in Piedmont.	B．Those small trees pruned properly.
C．Those extremely tall trees.	D．Those with cherries ripening fast.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A journal.

B．An advertisement.

C．A textbook.

D．A brochure.