1 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡相应的位置上。

From “pocket parks” between communities to forest parks in the outer cities, local governments are     1     (ambition) to make China’s cities greener. That’s     2     there are more parks in cities these days.

From 2021 to 2022, Shanghai transformed 62 woodlands into leisure spaces. These leisure spaces open up forests,     3     allows visitors to enjoy natural beauty as well as wildlife. In urban     4     (area), more companies and universities are sharing their greenery. For instance, the Shanghai Research Institute of Sports Science opened its 1,000-square-meter green space to the public.     5     (join) by historical buildings in the area, the park can provide more space for tourists to rest.

Apart from meeting people’s needs, parks can also do good to the environment. Take Beijing’s Central Green Forest Park     6     an example. Since it was opened in 2020, the park     7     (reach)carbon neutrality (碳中和). It means although the park’s facilities produce carbon dioxide, more can be     8     (take) in by the plants there. The park also fully reuses rainwater and creates green energy     9     (supply) the park. As cities in China become greener, “park cities” are becoming a reality. The concept of a park city was     10     (initial) put forward in 2018. It is a concept that takes the form of an improved natural environment in all aspects, noted China Daily.

2 . Scientists have known for years that plants respond to sounds around them. For example, flowers make sweeter nectar (花蜜) to the sound of buzzing bees. But now scientists in Israel have shown that plants also seem to be doing some “talking”.

Professor Lilach Hadany and her team at Tel Aviv University set up microphones to record tomato and tobacco plants under different conditions. Their recordings showed that the plants made ultrasonic (超声波的) sounds.

When the researchers adjusted their recordings so that humans could hear them, they heard sharp clicking noises. Plants clicked hardly at all when they had enough water. But as their soil got drier, they clicked more and more. When scientists cut off a stem (茎) from the plants, the plants also clicked more. But the clicking wasn’t the same as when the plants needed water.

It’s not clear how the plants make the sounds and whether the plants are making the sounds on purpose. But the plants are definitely making noises, and creating much more noises when they’re stressed (not enough water, stem cut off) than when they’re not.

The researchers trained an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to identify the different kinds of clicking sounds. The system was able to tell the difference between plants that needed water and plants with cuts about 70% of the time. The result suggests that researchers may one day be able to use a plant’s sounds to figure out when it is having trouble, and what trouble it is having. That could be very helpful to farmers.

The new discovery raises many more questions. One important question is: Do plants make sounds to communicate with each other? Other research has shown that plants do seem to communicate in some ways. Plants being attacked by insects send chemicals into the air. Soon, nearby plants (that haven’t been attacked yet) start to make other chemicals that don’t taste good to insects. It’s possible that the ultrasonic sounds could work in a similar way.

1. What do the researchers find in their recordings?

A．Plants’ stems click less when they are cut off.

B．Plants click harder if they have enough water.

C．Plants make more noises when they are thirsty.

D．Flowers make sweeter nectar to the sound of bees.

2. What can we learn about the plants from paragraph 4?

A．There are still some unknown issues.

B．Not all of them are able to make sounds.

C．There are ultrasonic sounds around them.

D．They make less noises when they’re stressed.

3. What is the purpose of the AI system created by the researchers?

A．To help farmers drive away insects.

B．To identify people who are in trouble.

C．To show the growing process of plants.

D．To distinguish types of clicking sounds.

4. What might the author continue talking about?

A．Methods for plants to protect themselves.

B．Other questions raised by the new finding.

C．When plants communicate with each other.

D．Under what conditions plants attract insects.

3 . The world loves a cup of tea. It only takes a few grams to make a cup of tea and millions of tons of tea are consumed every year. Tea can be good for you because it contains some things that help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Tea also contains caffeine(咖啡因), which improves not only mental alertness but can also increase anxiety and cause other problems.

What would be agreeable is a tea plant that provides all the taste and goodness but with little or none of caffeine. Chen Liang and Jin Jiqiang in the Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences think they have found just such a plant, growing wild in a remote area in southern China’s Fujian Province. Known locally as hongyacha, the discovered plant grows only between 700 meters and 1,000 meters above sea level around a handful of Chinese villages. As they report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, not only is the tea plant naturally caffeine-free but it also contains a number of unique medicinal compounds that, the locals believe, offer considerable health benefits.

The researchers are now exploring methods to protect hongyacha in its natural habitat while further studies are carried out. It can take time—and sometimes it does not work—for new plant varieties to be bred for commercial use. A pair of naturally caffeine-free coffee plants were discovered in 2003, but little progress has been reported. Tea lovers will be watching hongyacha with interest. And others will wonder what else is out there.

1. What’s the disadvantage of drinking tea according to paragraph 1?

A．It can make people hard to sleep.	B．It can make people feel anxious.
C．It can get people addicted.	D．It can take people much time.

2. What can we learn about hongyacha in paragraph 2?

A．It is nothing but just medicine.	B．It can only survive in greenhouses.
C．It is a good pick for caffeine lovers.	D．It has a good taste and little caffeine.

3. What might the follow-up study focus on about hongyacha?

A．Its future location.	B．Its natural habitats.
C．Its future market.	D．Its production process.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A health magazine.	B．An advertising brochure.
C．A travel guidebook.	D．A newspaper.

4 . With spring around the corner, stores are offering gardeners many choices for seeds. Starting a garden from seeds, rather than buying young plants, is a low-cost way to enjoy many kinds of flowers and food crops.

    1     Everything the plant needs to start growing is in the seed. All you have to do is put it into soil that is a little wet and not let the soil dry out while the seed does its own job. If there are any special requirements, they are usually printed in the simple directions on the back of every seed container.

Planting big seeds is simple.     2     Put the tip of a pencil in water and then use it to pick up each seed. It will hold one seed as you put it into its starting container.

When choosing containers to start plants, you can use any old plastic containers, newspapers or cardboards.     3     But remember to put drainage (排水) holes in each one. If you do not add holes, water can build up in the bottom and cause the seeds to rot.

Gardeners are reminded to be aware that it would be a shame to grow something in a container and then forget what it is called.     4    

And it is never too early to think about the next growing season. Once you have established plants in your garden, consider letting some “go to seed.”     5     That way you will have your own seeds for next year’s garden, and you will not have to buy them at all.

A．As a matter of fact, starting seeds is easy.

B．In fact, choosing the right seeds is important.

C．You can also use egg containers or anything that is available.

D．You can keep the containers inside your house or under a shelter.

E．This means you are growing them for their seeds, not for crops.

F．But very small seeds, like celery seeds, need a little equipment.

G．Write the names of the seeds on the containers to help you remember.

5 . When Lauren Schroeder, a teenager from Iowa, US, showed up to a community food drive last year, she didn’t see much food that actually provide people with nutrition — just a lot of canned goods. Determined to make a(n) _______, she took action. With the _______ of her parents, who provided her with half an acre (英亩) of land, she _________ 7,000 pounds of produce and gave it all away to local food banks and non-profits.

Although Lauren had no prior experience _________ a garden, she took up studies of agronomy (农学) and gardening, and really put her _________ into it. Her work soon drew the _______ of an organization called Future Farmers of America, which awarded her a small grant (补助金) for _______ and seeds.

Lauren _________ 2 to 3 hours daily to the tasks of watering and weeding (除杂草), and her efforts soon _______. She began __________ 15 types of vegetables to organizations like Wheatland Nursing Home. “It was really __________ for me to know that anyone who wanted fresh vegetables would be able to get them,” Lauren said.

Now, she has turned her half acre into a full acre and ________ the number of vegetables to 20 different species. “How could you not be ________,” said her mother, “she really chose to ________ learning about agronomy, and took it a step further by genuinely ________ those in need.”

1.

A．survey

B．attempt

C．living

D．change

2.

A．care

B．support

C．struggle

D．arrangement

3.

A．grew

B．bought

C．collected

D．saved

4.

A．establishing

B．designing

C．running

D．appreciating

5.

A．mood

B．heart

C．experience

D．gift

6.

A．approval

B．respect

C．attention

D．motivation

7.

A．creations

B．practices

C．supplies

D．experiments

8.

A．checked

B．committed

C．lost

D．released

9.

A．paid off

B．ran out

C．broke down

D．turned back

10.

A．selling

B．introducing

C．applying

D．donating

11.

A．encouraging

B．touching

C．convincing

D．embarrassing

12.

A．estimated

B．expanded

C．anticipated

D．mixed

13.

A．worried

B．envious

C．proud

D．confused

14.

A．focus on

B．give up

C．put off

D．hold up

15.

A．comforting

B．protecting

C．visiting

D．assisting

6 . On the streets of Manhattan and Washington, D. C., in neighborhoods in Seoul and parks in Paris, ginkgo (银杏) trees are losing their leaves in reaction to the first gust of cold winter air. This leaf drop, gradual at first, and then sudden, carpets streets with golden, fan-shaped leaves. Scientists are documenting evidence of the event happening later and later, a possible indication of climate change. But the story of ginkgos is not the familiar one of human carelessness with nature.

Thanks to fossils found in North Dakota, scientists found a ginkgo has genetically similar ancestors dating back 170 million years to the Jurassic Period. “It almost went extinct. Then humans rescued it and spread it around the world. It’s such a great evolutionary (进化) and cultural story,” says Peter Crane, a ginkgo expert.

One theory for the decline of the ginkgo species began 130 million years ago, when flowering plants began spreading. They grew faster and attracted more pollinators (传粉者) than ginkgos. “It’s possible that ginkgos were elbowed out of the way,” says Crane. Already competing to survive, ginkgos began to disappear during a time of global cooling that began around 66 million years ago. By the time the last ice age ended 11,000 years ago, the remaining survivors were found in China.

Ginkgo trees are smelly. “My guess is that they were eaten by animals that liked smelly things. They then passed through their body and grew.” Crane says. Those same seeds may have helped ginkgo find favor with humans 1,000 years ago. Once cleaned of their outer layer, ginkgo seeds are safe to eat. It’s then, when the trees had long since disappeared elsewhere, that people in China may have begun planting them and eating their seeds. Then gradually ginkgos spread across the world. Now it’s seemingly naturally resistant to insects and high levels of air pollution.

Crane isn’t worried about its future, though: The popularity of the species will help it survive. “Though its status in the wild may be difficult to access, it’s a plant that’s unlikely to ever go extinct,” he says.

1. What may have caused the further delay of ginkgo’s leaf drop?

A．The colder weather in winter.

B．The protection from city councils.

C．The global warming phenomenon.

D．The careless interaction with humans.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The reasons why ginkgos almost died out.

B．The advantages of ginkgos over other plants.

C．The theories of experts for multiplying ginkgos.

D．The competition between various flowering plants.

3. What might have contributed to ginkgos’ survival?

A．Their eatable seeds.	B．Their unpleasant smell.
C．The natural evolution.	D．The careful planting.

4. How does Crane feel about ginkgos’ future?

A．Worried.

B．Optimistic.

C．Uncertain.

D．Hopeless.

7 . Britain has a stubborn enemy called the “devil plant”, the Japanese knotweed (虎杖). The name originated in Japan, but it became a promoter behind a plant disaster in Britain. Initially it was introduced to England as a landscape plant. However, over time it has evolved into a harsh plant difficult to control.

The plant is disreputable (坏名声的) mainly because of its strong ability to survive. The Japanese knotweed can grow at an amazing speed. What’s more, Japan’s knotweed is penetrating. As long as you give it a small gap, it can follow it and make rapid growth. This gap may be a crack in the road, or a wall crack in the house, and even some Japanese knotweed will start to grow from the foundation of the house, gradually “destroy” the whole house. Such an invasion (入侵) is a nightmare for the British. The British simply love and hate the plant, but so far, they are still unable to find an effective way to remove it.

Fortunately, China’s knotweed is not identical to Japan’s, and in the China’s ecosystem, there are many natural enemies against it. As a result, China has not experienced a knotweed invasion as severe as Britain. Additionally, its tender stem can be made into delicious food. The root of knotweed is a very good Chinese medicine. Therefore, in some places there’s also a need to plant knotweed, to obtain economic benefits.

This case gives us a profound inspiration that it is important to be careful when introducing alien species and to fully understand the characteristics of plants or animals and the effects they may cause in a new environment, otherwise it may be easy to spend a huge amount of money every year to clean up the Japanese knotweed, as in the UK.

1. Why did Britain bring in Japanese knotweed at first?

A．To make profits.	B．For decoration.
C．For scientific research.	D．To promote biodiversity.

2. What does the underlined word “penetrating” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Fading away.	B．Dying out.
C．Multiplying rapidly.	D．Growing steadily.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．China’s ecosystem is not damaged by knotweed.

B．Knotweed is in great demand in the whole China.

C．Knotweed has made most of the Chinese people rich.

D．Chinese medicine includes knotweed’s stems and roots.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．A Natural Phenomenon We Know

B．A Plant That People Love and Hate

C．Alien Species’ Effect on the Local Economy

D．The Fight Against Invasive Plants and Animals

8 . 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。

Like China’s Kunming Institute of Botany, the Millennium Seed Bank(MSB)shines brightly for plant preservation. Located at the Wakehurst wild botanic garden in West Sussex, England, the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB), the world’s     1     (large)seed bank, has announced that it now holds more than 40, 000 wild plant species.     2     the aim of preserving rare, threatened and important wild plants, MSB     3     (create)by researchers from London’s Kew Gardens more than 20 years ago. Now around 2. 4 billion individual seeds from 190 countries are stored in     4     (it) underground rooms. Any seeds that arrive at MSB are dried, cleaned     5     then stored at-20℃. Scientists remove the seeds every 10 years     6     (see) if they can still grow into plants, and to develop new ways of       7     (help) wild plants survive. One of the most remarkable     8     (strong) of MSB is that it serves as a global backup for plant variety. Seeds in the bank include the world’s smallest water lily, a rare Australian pea and Antarctic hair grass, one of two flowering plants     9     grow in Antarctica. The bank ensures that if plants in the wild become extinct, they can be regrown from MSB seeds. There is no doubt that the MSB plays an     10     (extreme) important role in protecting the varieties of plant species on Earth.

9 . To reduce the carbon emissions from passenger jets and long-haul trucks, a vast volume of soy-based renewable fuel will be needed. To produce it, American farmers could ruin existing cornfields to clear space, plant millions of additional acres of soybeans and shut down all soybean exports. Researchers at startups and biotech giants alike have found ways to create a new kind of soybeans through genetic recombination that generates more oil.

One of the startups, ZeaKal Inc., funded in part by seed giant Corteva Inc., plans to introduce its first batch of high-oil seeds for commercial planting in 2024. Scientists have tricked the plant into sustaining photosynthesis for longer with genetic recombination, ultimately producing more oil as well as more protein.

Companies are racing to build more capacity to process soy, a critical component for expanding green fuel supplies. Tax credits make companies in the transportation industry switch to fuel with lower carbon emission. S&P Global sees domestic demand for renewable biofuel reaching 4 billion gallons in 2030, up from around 2.7 billion this year. It projects that the use of sustainable aviation fuel will total 1.7 billion gallons annually by the end of the decade, compared with just 182 million gallons a year now.

Despite the bullish predictions, the soy-based transportation fuel market is still a drop in the bucket for the fuel industry. And even if the new breed of high-oil seeds takes off, widespread adoption will take time. Farmers may be reluctant to become early adopters of a technology that hasn’t yet proven its benefits, especially if the oil content comes at the expense of existing genetic recombinations that improve disease or pest resistance.

Chicken producer Perdue Farms Inc. has signed a deal with Zeakal, agreeing to pay farmers a higher price for harvested supplies of the new variety, which is good for chicken feed because of its higher protein levels. If large oil companies follow suit, the soybean market might never look the same. “We could have an opportunity for the oil component of soybeans to actually become more important in some markets than the protein aspect,” says Mike Dillon, vice president of ZeaKal, “That’s a very dramatic shift.”

1. How did researchers plan to produce more oil?

A．By planting more soybeans.

B．By banning soybean exports.

C．By fertilizing soybean fields.

D．By engineering soybean genes.

2. What does the author want to show by mentioning the figure in paragraph 3?

A．The continuous use of the fuel.

B．The growing demand for biofuel.

C．The serious lack of green fuel supplies.

D．The fierce competition between companies.

3. Who can change the current biofuel market according to the last paragraph?

A．Companies.

B．Farmers.

C．Scientists.

D．Governments

4. Which can be the best title of the text?

A．Biofuel: A New Way to Cut Down Carbon Emissions

B．Oilier Soybeans: Possible Reliance of the Future Fuel

C．A Big Shift: From Conventional Soybeans to Altered Ones

D．Genetic Modification: A Technology to Breed New Soybeans

10 . Kongeegen

Kongeegen is a large oak tree located (位于) in the north of Denmark. Kongeegen’s real age is unknown. The tree went through a scientific study in 1965, through which Kongeegen was confirmed to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years of age. This would make it the oldest living oak in the northern part of Europe.

Granit Oak

The Granit Oak measures 2.38 meters in diameter (直径) and 23.4 meters in height. The head of the tree measures about 1,017 square meters, which covers nearly 11,000 square feet. Back in 1967, the Bulgarian government announced this oak was a protected tree and it has been under protection ever since.

Stelmuze Oak

Not all of the tree’s branches are still alive, but it continues to be considered a living tree. This makes it the oldest living tree in all of Lithuania. Stelmuze Oak was made a natural monument (纪念碑) in 1960. Ever since then, it has been on the Lithuanian list of protected monuments, and it is well looked after.

Major Oak

Local legends (传说) say that this is the tree where Robin Hood’s shelter was located. According to the tales, Robin and his merry men slept in this very tree. Back in 2003 in Dorset, England, 260 acorn saplings (橡子树苗) from the Major Oak were used to start an oak plantation.

	Kongeegen	Granit Oak	Stelmuze Oak	Major Oak
Estimated age	1, 500-2, 000yeas	1,700 years	1, 500-2, 000 years	800-1,000 years
Status	Alive	Dead	Alive	Alive
Location	Denmark	Bulgaria	Lithuania	England
Oak species(物种)	Quercus robur	Quercus robur	Quercus robur	Quercus robur

1. When was Kongeegen’s age announced?

A．In 1960.

B．In 1965.

C．In 1967.

D．In 2003.

2. Which is the youngest tree mentioned in the text?

A．Kongeegen.

B．Granit Oak

C．Stelmuze Oak.

D．Major Oak.

3. What do the four trees have in common?

A．They are of the same species.	B．There are beautiful stories about them.
C．Some of their branches aren’t alive now.	D．They are under good protection.