1 . Readers can explore the wonders of nature with Big Tree. The book was written by famous author and illustrator (插画家) Brian Selznick. It is filled with detailed black-and-white illustrations, which took years to complete.

The story introduces Merwin and Louise, two tiny Sycamore seeds (梧桐树种子) who began life during the time when dinosaurs (恐龙) travelled around the Earth. After they fell from their mother tree, they started a dangerous 147-million-year adventure to the modern day.

After reading it, I met with the famous author and illustrator at his home in La Jolla, California. Selznick explained the lessons that nature offers about helping our planet and each other. “All of us can do something to help the real seed,” Selznick said. “No matter how small you feel, there’s always something you can do.”

As for his main goal when writing Big Tree, Selznick said, “Readers feel like they are learning about interesting stories when they read Big Tree, but actually and secretly, they are learning about real science. That’s why I wrote Big Tree.”

In order to write Big Tree, Selznick went to the New York Botanical Garden, where he talked to a wonderful park manager. She walked him through the forest and talked about the way leaves work, the way trees grow and the way trees experience time.

Selznick said he learned a lot while creating Big Tree. “The manager thinks that forests are really communities. It really surprised me,” he said. “We live in communities, and when we run into trouble or danger, we communicate with each other to find solutions. Trees are doing the same thing. We’re all part of a community. And that, to me, was a really important part of Big Tree.”

1. What does paragraph 2 mainly focus on?

A．The main idea of Big Tree.	B．The discussion about Big Tree.
C．The review of Big Tree.	D．The story behind Big Tree.

2. What is Selznick’s goal in writing Big Tree?

A．To show the illustration art.	B．To share an interesting story.
C．To encourage readers to learn.	D．To make real science interesting.

3. What did Selznick do in order to write Big Tree?

A．He did some research.	B．He planted some trees.
C．He asked others’ advice.	D．He stayed in the forest alone.

4. What did the author learn when writing the book?

A．Trees are important for communities.	B．Trees can communicate with each other.
C．Trees can protect people against danger.	D．Trees run into trouble more often.

2 . Have you ever tried a cactus (仙人掌) pear? Yes, its prickly surface makes it an unusual-looking fruit but it is widely used in Mexican dishes. This fruit from the cactus is really good for you because it is helpful in fighting against many diseases, and has many health benefits (利益). There are actually over 200 types of cactus fruit and they grow in hot dry places.

Since the world is getting hotter and drier, it is even more difficult for hot dry places to grow major crops (庄稼) that need more water. Therefore, providing food and fuel will go a long way in a world that is heating up. Researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno, set out to see if the cactus pear could become a superfood that could feed people and animals, remove carbon (碳) from the atmosphere and be used as a biofuel.

While the study looked at many types of cactuses, they settled on the nopal cactus or Opuntia. The fruit can be gathered as food and the rest of the cactus can be used for taking in carbon and can be used as biofuels according to biology professor Cushman. The plant keeps water by closing its pores (气孔) during the hottest part of the day to limit water loss and opens them at night. Cushman hopes to use the genes from this plant to add them to other plants.

They are also studying the Opuntia stunting disease, which causes cactuses to grow smaller plants and less fruits, in order to find out how it spreads. They hope to learn how to create tools to recognize and treat it so that they can help Opuntia become a prolific crop.

In a world that is also gaining population, finding a new superfood will go a long way in feeding a planet that will need 50-90 percent more food in 2050. Eating more plant-based foods will also reduce the amount of land needed for more food protection.

1. What can we know about the cactus pear?

A．It is of great benefit to people.

B．It is the main food for Mexicans.

C．It can’t be seen outside Mexico.

D．It grows in hot wet places.

2. What is the feature of the nopal cactus?

A．It is easy to be gathered.

B．It has fewer pores 10 save water.

C．It is suitable for various conditions.

D．It is eatable and good for the environment.

3. What does the underlined word “prolific” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Helpful.

B．Unusual.

C．Attractive.

D．Fruitful.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Getting away from increasingly higher temperatures

B．Cactus pears may become the new superfood crop

C．A cactus is the plant living well in dry areas

D．Providing plant-based food for the world

3 . How to Care for Your Tree

1. Water the newly planted tree. Once the tree is planted, water it and keep up a _________ schedule of watering.

Water the tree every day for several weeks to let the _________ get established in the surrounding soil. After this you can reduce the frequency of watering.

Water as necessary for the conditions in your area. _________ humidity into consideration to help you decide _________ to water your tree.

If you are planting fruit or nut trees for a small home orchard, continue to water weekly for the _________of the tree, as your crop depends on consistent irrigation. You’ll also want to fertilize fruit and nut trees monthly, or _________ package directions.

2. Use mulch (覆盖物). Considering adding a layer of mulch _________ your tree to help keep moisture in and weeds out.

Cover the planting hole with 1-3 inches of shredded hardwood or leaf mulch. Keep the mulch at least 12 inches away from the trunk _________ it may cause the trunk to rot.

Mulching around the tree will _________ the tree from trampling and lawnmowers, __________ are two activities that commonly kill young trees.

3. Prune the tree if necessary. If there are any broken, dead, or diseased limbs on your tree,   __________ them gently with knife. If there is nothing wrong with the tree, there is no need to prune it until after the first growing season.

4. Enjoy the tree as it grows over the years. Appreciate its __________ and beauty and thank yourself for adding another tree to the world. You won’t regret it and __________ you properly care for it, the tree can grow long time!

You’ll need to make sure that you water your plant to keep it thriving. You want to achieve __________ of giving it enough water to penetrate (穿透) the roots while not drowning it.

Watering your tree with a steady stream from a garden hose for about 30 seconds should be sufficient. The soil should feel moist at all times and mulch will help retain the moisture.

Check soil moisture by digging about 2 inches below the surface and then use your __________ to test if the soil is moist. If it is, you don’t need to water.

1.

A．native

B．particular

C．regular

D．positive

2.

A．twigs

B．barks

C．trunk

D．roots

3.

A．Give

B．Take

C．Think

D．Look

4.

A．when

B．why

C．how

D．what

5.

A．life

B．color

C．shape

D．beauty

6.

A．related to

B．due to

C．owing to

D．according to

7.

A．around

B．across

C．beside

D．along

8.

A．so

B．and

C．or

D．if

9.

A．protect

B．provide

C．plant

D．grow

10.

A．for which

B．which

C．that

D．on that

11.

A．water

B．remove

C．treat

D．handle

12.

A．color

B．landscape

C．shade

D．scene

13.

A．as long as

B．even if

C．in spite of

D．in terms of

14.

A．unity

B．fact

C．chance

D．balance

15.

A．ruler

B．finger

C．hand

D．stick

4 . At first, the grains of rice that Ingo Potrykus held in his fingers did not seem at all _________, but inside, these grains were not white, as ordinary rice is, but a very pale yellow — thanks to beta-carotene (胡萝卜素), a building block for vitamin A.

For more than a decade Potrykus had _________ creating a golden rice that could improve the lives of millions of the poorest people in the world, strengthening their eyesight and their _________ disease.

_________ imagining golden rice was one thing and creating one quite another. Year after year, Potrykus and his colleagues ran into one _________ after another until success finally came in the spring of 1999.

At that point, he tackled an even greater challenge. The golden grains _________ pieces of DNA borrowed from bacteria and flowers. It was what some would call Frankenfood, a product of genetic engineering. As such, it _________ a web of hopes and fears.

The debate began the moment genetically engineered crops (GM crops) were first sold in the 1990s, and it has _________ ever since. First to start major protests against biotechnology were European environmentalists and consumer-advocacy groups. They were soon followed by their U.S. counterparts (相对应的人事物).

The hostility is _________. Most of the GM crops __________ so far have been developed to produce a plant that is not harmed by chemicals used to kill weeds (杂草) in the fields. These genetically engineered crops are often sold by the same large, multinational corporations that __________ the weed-killing chemicals that farmers spray on their fields. Consumers have become suspicious (怀疑的).

The benefits did seem small __________ golden rice was developed. It is the first strong example of a GM crop that may __________ not just the farmers who grow it but also the consumers who eat it. In this case, those include at least a million children who die every year because they are weakened by vitamin-A deficiency (缺乏) and an additional 350,000 who go blind.

Many people __________ poverty and hunger look at golden rice and see it as evidence that GM crops can be made to serve the greater public good. They see a critical role for GM crops in feeding the world’s ever-increasing population. As former U.S. President Jimmy Carter put it, “Responsible biotechnology is not the enemy; __________ is.”

1.

A．typical

B．special

C．local

D．white

2.

A．dreamed of

B．come in handy

C．been reminded of

D．broken up

3.

A．attempt at

B．effort to

C．resistance to

D．majority of

4.

A．But

B．And

C．While

D．Since

5.

A．surprise

B．obstacle

C．norm

D．opposition

6.

A．achieved

B．stressed

C．overlooked

D．contained

7.

A．was caught in

B．was alive with

C．be conscious of

D．was honored by

8.

A．announced

B．maintained

C．escalated

D．applied

9.

A．brilliant

B．understandable

C．discharged

D．rewarding

10.

A．introduced

B．reminded

C．respected

D．overlooked

11.

A．toss and turn

B．give and take

C．produce and sell

D．demand and supply

12.

A．until

B．after

C．although

D．when

13.

A．feature

B．mark

C．build

D．benefit

14.

A．worried about

B．ashamed of

C．filled with

D．admired for

15.

A．terror

B．misery

C．starvation

D．crisis

5 . Gotham Greens started as a single rooftop (外屋顶) greenhouse in Brooklyn. New York City. Now, it is one of the largest greenhouse lettuce (生菜) producers in North America, with soon-to-be 13 sites across nine states.

“Ninety-nine percent of the food that we eat in New York City has to be brought in from other places and has to travel very far. For example, lettuce like this usually comes from places like California that are 3,000 miles away.” explains Chief Executive Officer Viraj Puri.

The company plans to grow 100 million heads of lettuce this year. Puri founded Gotham Greens because he wanted to bring farms close to the communities they serve. For example, the lettuce grown on the roof on Third Street in Gowanus only needs to be transported down using a lift to reach the supermarket Whole Foods.        

Many people might not think of New York City as a place to grow produce, but rooftop farms can be easily found in the city. “Here, it’s about 70 degrees and the plants are growing well because we are creating the perfect growing conditions for them,“ Puri explains.

Grown completely in water in renewably-powered greenhouses, the farms use less water and land. “The plants are grown in water to which nutrients (营养物) are added, making them grow very quickly. We can avoid the use of chemicals (化学品),” says Puri.

The company also donates (捐赠) tens of thousands of young plants a year to organizations that work to feed people and provide educational programming around city farming. In the Claremont Village area of the Bronx, local students like 16-year-old Jill Bonilla care for towers of herbs and vegetables in a unique classroom.

”Plants don’t take that long to grow; you just got to take care of them properly,“ she says. ”It helps me stay healthy and stay away from junk food.“

Bonilla and hundreds of other kids are part of the educational organization Green Bronx Machine, which partners with Gotham Greens to educate students. Green Bronx Machine’s programs are in 675 schools across the country. Last year, it grew more than 8,000 pounds of food in the Bronx, and donated 150,000 pounds of healthy produce.

1. What can we learn from paragraphs 2 and 3?

A．Most of New York City’s lettuce comes from Brooklyn.

B．Rooftop farms are becoming popular in New York City.

C．Planting lettuce in New York City makes a big difference.

D．Gotham Greens was founded to make New York City greener.

2. What does paragraph 5 mainly tell us about rooftop farms?

A．Their numbers are growing rapidly.

B．They are environmentally friendly.

C．Their market has already opened up.

D．They are less costly than traditional farms.

3. What does Bonilla say about studying in the special classroom?

A．It is worth the time.

B．It is a bit challenging.

C．It has built up her confidence,

D．It has changed her ideas about farmers.

4. What do Gotham Greens and Green Bronx Machine have in common?

A．They support poor students.

B．They have their own schools.

C．They run educational programs.

D．They have farms in the countryside.

6 . Tomatoes taste great. With a lot of vitamins, they are good for you, too! People around the world enjoy this amazing fruit.

Not all tomatoes are red. They can be yellow, orange, pink or white. All tomatoes are green before they are ready to be picked. Then the tomatoes turn their true color. That’s when they are ready to eat!

Tomatoes first grew in the Americas. The Incas (印加人) grew them over 1,000 years ago. They were introduced to Europe by the Spanish in the early 16th century. The Spanish and Italians seem to have been the first Europeans to accept them as food. In France, people grew tomatoes in the garden just to enjoy their beauty. Many people there thought tomatoes would make them sick. It was years before some of them would eat tomatoes.

Tomatoes are fruits. They grow from seeds. They won’t grow in cold weather. But with water, sunlight and warmth, tomatoes grow fast. They can grow in pots or in the ground. As the plant grows taller, people may tie it to a stick. Next is the blooming stage. Flowers appear. The flowers turn into fruit. Some kinds of tomatoes can be picked in about six more weeks. Some tomatoes are large. One kind of tomato can weigh as much as two pounds.

You can eat raw tomatoes. First, wash them. Then, cut them up for salads or sandwiches. Tomatoes can be cooked, too. They can be grilled, boiled, or even fried. Do you use ketchup (番茄酱)? It is made from tomatoes. Tomatoes don’t have a smell. But they taste great in foods around the world. Many dishes from India use tomatoes. Italians use them to make spaghetti sauce and pizza, too.

1. What can we know from the passage?

A．Tomatoes come in different colors.	B．Tomatoes grew in Europe first.
C．Tomatoes can grow in all weathers.	D．Tomatoes have a special smell.

2. What does the underlined word “stage” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Time.

B．Board.

C．Set.

D．Flower.

3. Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

4. What’s the theme (主题) of the passage?

A．Family.

B．Food.

C．Science.

D．Health.

7 . 原文填空

Every living thing in nature struggles to survive. Most plants are     1     by animals and people, as well as by other plants, and may have to live in difficult conditions. Plants survive by     2     to life in different environments, and by competing     3     with other living things.

Over time, some plants develop features which help them to survive in particular conditions. Plants with helpful features are more     4     to survive and reproduce. Plants without these features often die out. The process is called natural     5    .

8 . Indoor plants might look as if they just sit around not doing much, but in many ways they are the unsung heroes of the home.     1    , but studies have shown that they can promote people’s wellbeing by improving their mood (心情), reducing stress and helping their memory. What’s more, indoor plants are easy to look after and are not very expensive.

What are indoor plants?

Indoor plants, also known as houseplants or pot plants, are plants that like to grow indoors. Many of these species (物种) are not ideally suited to growing outside in the UK, especially in the winter.     2    .

Why are indoor plants good for you?

Will Spoelstra, who works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, says, “    3    . I find during the winter months, plants around the house can really lift your mood.” Several studies have backed this up and found that indoor plants can improve creativity, focus and memory. There is also research showing that pot plants can clean the air around them by removing harmful gases, such as carbon dioxide. They also remove some harmful chemicals from paints or cooking.     4    .

Which plants can you grow?

Aloe vera, peace lilies and spider plants are some of the species that are easy to grow indoors. You can buy plants from supermarkets, garden centres or online. Younger plants are often cheaper than fully grown ones, and you get to care for them as they mature — which is part of the joy of owning plants. “    5    ,” Spoelstra says. “It can bring a new interest and focus into people’s lives and help to make the link between home and nature.”

A．All plants are different

B．Not only do they look beautiful

C．There are many benefits to growing plants indoors

D．Instead, they grow better inside, where it is warmer

E．Plants like peace lilies and devil’s ivy are among the best

F．Changing the pot of your plant from time to time will also help

G．Learning about the requirements of each plant can be very rewarding

9 . Indoor plants are a beautiful way to brighten up your home, especially in the gray months of winter. But there can be a dark side to houseplants if you have children or if children visit your home. I’s important that you know which plants are poisonous to them.

Gardening expert Jessica Damiano often points out houseplants in friends’ homes should be kept out of children’s mouths. “I don’t mind ruining friends’ hopes of a beautiful indoor jungle if it means preventing harm,” Damiano said.

America’s Poison Centers in Arlington, Virginia get an average of 33,000 calls a year from people whose kids put different plants in their mouths. The cases usually involve children under 3 because they would explore their environment and put everything in their mouths. Most accidental exposures aren’t serious. But in some cases a child’s breathing, skin and eyes can be badly harmed.

Damiano recently visited her cousin’s home and saw a dieffenbachia plant in the kitchen. Her cousin told her that her young son, who had just begun crawling (爬), had shown interest in the leaves. Damiano had to explain to her cousin that eating a small amount of the plant’s stem (茎) can cause temporary but severe pain. The plant parts can cause throat and mouth swelling. The plant’s sap (树液) can cause nose, skin and eye pain. Other plants that can cause similar reactions include: caladium, flamingo flower, Swiss cheese plant, peace lily and pothos.

Damiano said that parents should teach their young children not to put non-food plant parts into their mouths. Besides, she urges parents to research whether the plants in their homes are safe to grow around children. She also suggests learning the official botanical names of houseplants so that they’re able to provide that information quickly to a poison control expert, if needed.

Not all houseplants are problematic, of course. Spider plants are nontoxic (无毒的) and are also among the easiest indoor plants to grow. African violets, Boston ferns and Christmas cactus are other safe choices.

1. Why are children under 3 more likely to become victims of houseplants?

A．They have easier access to houseplants.

B．They enjoy tasting anything out of curiosity.

C．They tend to mistake houseplants for candies.

D．They are more sensitive to poison of any kind.

2. What can we learn about the dieffenbachia plant according to the text?

A．Its sap can lead to pain in the skin.

B．Its stem can cause long lasting pain,

C．It harms health only when eaten a lot.

D．It looks like the peace lily in appearance.

3. What is Damiano’s suggestion for parents with young children?

A．They should avoid growing houseplants.

B．They should ask their children not to touch plants.

C．They should teach themselves knowledge about houseplants.

D．They should keep in close touch with poison control experts.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How to Choose Safe Houseplants’

B．How to Decorate Houses with Plants

C．Keep Young Children Away from Houseplants

D．Watch Young Children around Some Houseplants

10 . What if someone told you about a kind of grass as tall as the tallest trees? A grass as strong as steel? Would you believe that person? You should, for that grass is bamboo   (竹子), which has more than 1,000 uses. It is not just a material for making useful products. Young bamboo is eaten, often mixed with other vegetables.

Bamboo grows in many parts of the world. In the USA it grows in many states like Virginia and Florida. Most bamboo, however, is found in wet and warm climates, especially in Asia and on the islands of the South Pacific Ocean.

In most Asian countries, bamboo is nearly as important as rice. This unusual material is used to not only build large buildings but also make water pipes, musical instruments and paper. There are over 1,000 kinds of bamboo. No wonder the lives of nearly half the people on earth would change greatly if there were no longer any bamboo.

1. According to the text, bamboo is actually a kind of         .

A．grass

B．steel

C．tree

D．vegetable

2. Where does most bamboo grow?

A．Only in Asia.	B．Only in the USA.
C．In wet and warm climates.	D．All over the world.

3. What is bamboo used to do in paragraph 3?

A．Build large buildings.	B．Make water pipes.
C．Make musical instruments and paper.	D．All of the above.

4. How many kinds of bamboo are there according to the text?

A．Over 1,000.

B．Over 800.

C．Over 600.

D．Over 400.