1 . 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.

2 . 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

3 . 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.

4 . 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.

5 . 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。

The use of bamboo in science and technology is really exciting. In the Warring States period, Li Bing     1     (lead) the local people to build the Dujiang Weir, the first irrigation network in the world,     2     bamboo played an important role. During the Han dynasty, the Sichuan people successfully sank     3     1,600-meter-deep well with thick bamboo ropes. This technology didn’t spread to Europe     4     the 19th century and in 1859 Americans sank the first oil well in Pennsylvania by     5     (employ) the technology.

Papermaking     6     (be) one of China’s four ancient great inventions. In the Han dynasty, people began to use bamboo     7     (make) paper, which was of excellent quality and fair price. Even now it is considered as one of the important materials in papermaking. Some of the Xuan paper for traditional Chinese painting is also made     8     bamboo.

In the Yuan dynasty, a man     9     (plan) to send a person on the chair to space tied a big bamboo tube filled with gunpowder onto each of the four legs of a chair. Although it appears amusing, it is regarded as the     10     (early) “manned rocket design”.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many people died in a landslide in 2003?

A．About two hundred.

B．Over one thousand.

C．About two thousand.

2. What has the Philippines banned for several years?

A．Growing grass.

B．Cutting down trees.

C．Growing population.

3. What does the speaker advise to protect our environment?

A．Growing more forests.

B．Chopping down the old forests.

C．Getting busy in protecting our country.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Jacob ask Amy to do?

A．Enjoy the flowers.

B．Provide help.

C．Grow flowers.

2. How often does Jacob water flowers?

A．Every day.

B．Every two days.

C．Every three days.

3. What do we know about Jacob’s flowers?

A．They lack water.

B．They lack sunshine.

C．Their leaves turn yellow.

4. What will Jacob do?

A．Water flowers in time.

B．Learn about growing flowers.

C．Grow flowers with Amy.

8 . 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.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Jacob ask Amy to do?

A．Enjoy the flowers.

B．Provide help.

C．Grow flowers.

2. How often does Jacob water flowers?

A．Every day.

B．Every two days.

C．Every three days.

3. What do we know about Jacob’s flowers?

A．They lack water.

B．They lack sunshine.

C．Their leaves turn yellow.

4. What will Jacob do?

A．Water flowers in time.

B．Learn about growing flowers.

C．Grow flowers with Amy.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many people died in a landslide in 2003?

A．About two hundred.

B．Over one thousand.

C．About two thousand.

2. What has the Philippines banned for several years?

A．Growing grass.

B．Cutting down trees.

C．Growing population.

3. What does the speaker advise to protect our environment?

A．Growing more forests.

B．Chopping down the old forests.

C．Getting busy in protecting our country.