1 . A recent study in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems shows that tomato fruits are able to transmit alerts to their mother plant when attacked by caterpillars.

Plants have a large number of chemical and hormonal signaling pathways, which are generally transmitted through the sap (树液). Given the facts that fruits just hang from the main plant before ultimately falling off and sap typically only runs from the plant no the fruit—not back and forth between the two—it has long been unclear whether or not fruits can transmit information to the plant.

To address that question, scientists at Brazil’s Federal University of Pelotas placed tomato plants in a Faraday cage. Electrodes (电极) were attached to the ends of the plants’ branches, at the points where they connected to the fruits. Then they measured electrical responses within the branches before, during and after a 24-hour period in which the frits were attacked by caterpillars. Machine-learning-based algorithms were used to identify patterns in the signals.

It was found that there was a “clear difference” between the signals before and after caterpillar attacks. Additionally, defensive biochemical responses were observed throughout the plants’ bodies, suggesting that they had been triggered by signals sent by the fruits. The researchers gave the following explanation. The tomato fruit, sensing a nearby insect, emitted electrical signals to reach the rest of the plant. These warming impulses were received by the main plant and as a result, the rest of the plant got prepared to fight off the unwanted invaders. The tomato fruit made sure that the plant produced chemicals that were unpleasant to taste, so that hungry caterpillars stayed of the fruit.

The scientists now plan on investigating whether other fruiting plants behave in the same manner as tomatoes, and whether their fruits respond to threats other than insects. “It will be possible to detect early signs of pest presence, allowing for less aggressive control measures and more accurate insect management,” explains Niemeyer Reissig, first author of a paper on the study. “Understanding how the plant interacts with its fruits, and the fruits among themselves, may bring insights into bow to ‘manipulate’ this communication for enhancing fruit quality, resistance to pests and shelf life after harvest.”

1. What is the purpose of the research?

A．To state an issue about pest management.

B．To prove the significance of sap transmission.

C．To explain the effects of insect attacks on fruit quality.

D．To better know the interaction between fruits and plants.

2. What happened to the tomato plant during the research?

A．It got ready to protect itself.	B．It sent out poisonous chemicals.
C．It sent warning signals to the fruits.	D．It made few electrical responses.

3. What might future studies contribute to?

A．Extended fruit harvest periods.	B．Prevention of insect threats.
C．Improvement in the output of fruits.	D．Decrease in the number of pest species.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Do fruits of a plant sense insects first?

B．Can fruits warn mother plants of pest attacks?

C．Do plants experience the same threats as their fruits?

D．Can all parts of a plant communicate with each other?

2 . When planes have a problem, analysts can usually figure out what went wrong by checking the plane’s “black box”, which records exactly what was happening to the plane at the time. Similarly, there’s something for people. Developed for astronauts, a small device celled the CPOD does for people what black boxes do for airplanes.

Under the leadership of Stanford University professor Greg Kovacs and engineers Carsten Mundt and Kevin Montgomery, researchers have developed a compact, portable and wearable device — a single piece of equipment that gathers a wide variety of vital signs of astronauts in space. About the size of a computer mouse, a CPOD is worn around the waist. It’s comfortable enough to be worn while sleeping. It’s non-invasive. It takes only minutes to don. Importantly, it can track a person’s physiologic functioning as they go about their normal routine — they don’t have to be tethered to some fixed device. It can store data for eight-hour periods for later downloading; alternatively, it can send the data wirelessly, in real time, to some other device.

“This is a new tool,” says Kovacs. “It allows monitoring of the body without invasion of the body — without tethering the person down, letting them go about their normal business.”

For one thing, the CPOD could notice problems before the astronauts even became aware of them. “We have alarms set in our device,” says Mundt. “If the heart rate goes, let’s say, above 170, the CPOD would beep, and then the astronaut would know it’s time to take it easy.” And, in the case of an emergency, the CPOD could provide vital signs within seconds — and it could quickly stream that information back to doctors on Earth. The CPOD typically tracks heart performance, blood pressure, respiration, temperature, and blood oxygen levels. Using three tiny accelerometers (加速计), it also tracks a person’s movements — it can tell whether they’re running, for example, or spinning or tumbling.

The CPOD, says Kovacs, is an elegant job of putting the current state of the art in sensors in a compact, integrated package. “It’s an incredibly versatile tool,” he says. “It’s a medical monitor that just about any doctor can use.” And it can be used just about anywhere. Despite its small size, he says, “it’s a huge thing — a really huge thing.”

1. What can be inferred about the CPOD?

A．It’s hard for users to carry.

B．It can help users fall into a good seep.

C．It can monitor users’ physical condition.

D．It takes a long while to send data wirelessly.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “tethered” in paragraph 2?

A．Stored.

B．Applied.

C．Tied.

D．Recorded.

3. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．The breakthrough of space exploration.	B．The function of the CPOD.
C．The challenge of space exploration.	D．The complex design of the CPOD.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the application of the CPOD?

A．Ambiguous.

B．Doubtful.

C．Approving.

D．Cautious.

3 . Narrative Prize

THE $4,000 NARRATIVE PRIZE is awarded annually for the best short story, fiction, poem, one-act play, picture story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new writer in Narrative, as judged by the magazine’s editors.

The deadline for entries for each year’s award is June 15.

The winner is announced each September, and the prize is awarded in October. In some years, the prize may be divided between winners.

How to Send Us Your Work: We accept submissions only through our electronic submission system. You must send us your work in one of the following file forms: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .txt, .odf, .mp3, .mp4, . mov, and .flv.

Arranging Your Work: All works should be in 12-point type, with at least 2.54 cm margins (页边距), and clearly numbered pages. Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. Poetry should be single-spaced. The author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address should be typed at the top of the first page.

Submission Fees: Narrative is a non-profit organization set up to encourage good literary works. We do not charge readers for the magazine. However, for unasked submissions, we do charge a fee, which helps cover the basic costs related to receiving, reading, and responding to submissions. Also, a part of the reading fee helps fund our Narrative Prize.

Payment to Authors: Narrative is strongly committed to supporting our authors’ works. Our current rates for works are as follows:

—$150 for a Story of the Week.

—$150 to $350 for 500-to 2,000-word works.

—$350 to $1,000 for 2,000-to 15,000-word works.

—$50 for each accepted poem.

All submissions with a reading fee, from new authors, are eligible (有资格的) for the $4,000 Narrative Prize.

1. Who would most probably enter for Narrative Prize?

A．Literary enthusiasts.	B．Landscape painters.
C．Non-profit organizers.	D．Fashion photographers.

2. What is required for your entry?

A．It should be submitted before September.

B．It should be in the from of pdf.

C．It shouldn’t include personal information.

D．It should be in 12-point type.

3. How much will you get if your poem is published in Narrative?

A．$50.

B．$150.

C．$350.

D．$1,000.

4 . 现在正是春暖花开的时节，对你来说春天意味着什么呢？请你以“What spring means to me”为题写一篇英语短文，参加你校英文报举办的春季征文大赛，内容包括：
1. 春天对你的影响；
2. 你对春天的感悟。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 题目已为你写好。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Over and over at the UN climate summit in Glasgow, world leaders have stressed the need     1     (limit) global warming to 1. 5 degrees Celsius. Experts have said crossing the 1. 5 ℃threshold(界限）risks     2     （release) far more severe climate change effects on people, wildlife and ecosystems. Preventing it     3     (require) almost halving global CO₂ emissions(排放) by 2030 from 2010 levels and cutting them to net-zero by 2050.

Already, the world has heated to around 1. 1℃ above pre-industrial levels. Each of the last four decades was     4     (hot) than any decade since 1850. “We never had such a global warming in only a few decades,” said climate     5     (science) Daniela Jacob at the Climate Service Center Germany.

More warming to 1. 5 ℃ and beyond will     6     (worse) such impacts. For example, heatwaves would become both more frequent and more severe. A warmer atmosphere can also hold more moisture(水分), resulting in more extreme rainfall     7     raises flood risks. It also increases evaporation, leading to more intense droughts.

“At 1. 5 ℃, there’s     8     good chance that we can keep most of the Greenland and west Antarctic ice sheet     9     collapsing,” said climate expert Michael Mann at Pennsylvania State University. That would help limit sea level rise to a few     10     (foot) by the end of the century.

6 . I could hear footsteps following me. I stopped and ________ to see who it was. The dim (昏暗的) street lamp did not allow me to see ________ and it looked like I was alone.

I was returning home after a late ________ lesson. My parents were ________ a neighborhood meeting so I had to get home on my own. The ________ from my music teacher’s house to my home was just 500 meters. The street was ________ than I had expected bur I was not very worried about the short walk home. I was busy ________ my upcoming music exam when I became ________ that I was being followed.

I ________ on my way, alert (警觉) for any sound. There it was again, the ________ of someone walking behind me. I was frightened. I decided to run. To my horror, whoever was ________ me began to run too. I glanced behind me and saw a dark ________ catching up with me. The next instant, I ran into a dustbin by the road and ________ flat on my front. I felt a hand grasp my arm and I screamed in ________ . The hand ________ my arm and I stood up, getting ready to run again. Then I ________ myself looking at a shocked young lady.

The next moment, there was a rush of footsteps and someone calling my name. To my ________ , my parents appeared together with our neighbors. We all entered our house. I was asked to ________ why I ran away from Jagdeesh, the young lady. After listening to me, Jagdeesh ________ . She told us that she was new to the neighborhood. On the way home, she was walking behind me when she heard footsteps following her and she decided to run when she saw me run. It turned out that what she had heard was the neighborhood watch group patrolling the street. When I fell, she went to help me up, which ________ led to my screaming out in fear. The night ended with us having supper together. After that, we became firm friends.

1.

A．began

B．passed

C．started

D．turned

2.

A．deep

B．far

C．long

D．wide

3.

A．physics

B．maths

C．music

D．chemistry

4.

A．attending

B．canceling

C．running

D．inspecting

5.

A．distance

B．height

C．signal

D．speed

6.

A．busier

B．lighter

C．darker

D．narrower

7.

A．making up

B．talking about

C．thinking about

D．putting away

8.

A．excited

B．aware

C．sick

D．happy

9.

A．continued

B．depended

C．counted

D．insisted

10.

A．color

B．noise

C．voice

D．sound

11.

A．accompanying

B．following

C．seeking

D．searching

12.

A．picture

B．master

C．animal

D．figure

13.

A．fell

B．jumped

C．felt

D．climbed

14.

A．anger

B．relief

C．panic

D．puzzle

15.

A．rubbed

B．released

C．educated

D．pressed

16.

A．consider

B．thought

C．made

D．found

17.

A．astonishment

B．amusement

C．satisfaction

D．anxiety

18.

A．account

B．write

C．describe

D．explain

19.

A．cried

B．laughed

C．shouted

D．joked

20.

A．unbelievably

B．uncomfortably

C．unexpectedly

D．unconsciously

7 . We knew we were heading into a bleak (阴冷的) winter for our finances, but it is worse than expected. The cost of living is skyrocketing, households faced their toughest Christmas in a decade. And it’s not going to get better for a while.     1    

Mystery shopping.     2     Sign up to a few agencies-you may have to do a test but after it you can apply to testing out the service at pubs and restaurants. Pay is around 10 per job but you do get free food, shopping and maybe a hotel stay.

Make gifts. If you’re creative and enjoy baking, this can be a great way to supplement your income.     3     Christmas cakes, sweets, and hampers filled with either homemade goods or attractive items from a discount shop sell very well in the run-up to Christmas.

Get away with it. Get a free holiday by swapping your home with somebody else for a few weeks. No money is exchanged for the accommodation.     4     Go to a house-swapping site and read other people’s descriptions of their house and facilities and exchange destination. homeexchange.com and lovehomesuap.co.uk are good sites to use.

    5     You can share the petrol costs or, if you provide a lift to two people, you could find yourself having the whole cost covered by their contribution. It’s also worth trying Lift Share. com to help cover the price of your journeys. According to Liftshare, doing this with your daily commute can save you more than £1,000 a year.

A．Car sharing.

B．Cheaper petrol.

C．You can also usually get extras.

D．You will only need to cover the costs of travel.

E．Local markets are good places to sell homemade goods.

F．Happily, there are quite a few ways to be wise with your cash.

G．Make cash and get free dinners and shopping trips by being a mystery shopper.

8 . If you were born after 2008 in New Zealand, you’ll never ever be allowed to buy a pack of cigarettes there. In new legislation (立法) expected to take hold next year, no cigarettes or tobacco products will be available for people to purchase legally in the country. That means anyone who is 14 as of today will never be allowed to buy them in New Zealand. The four-year Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan hopes to reduce rates of smoking for older people while completely banning sales for the younger population.

Associate health minister Dr. Ayesha Verall, who announced the government’s plan, said the country is concentrating on a “smoke-free generation” with this legislation. “We want to make sure young people never start smoking so we will make it an offense to sell or supply smoked tobacco products to new population of youth.” said Verall in a statement.

The move comes as New Zealand’s health ministry pursues a large-scale crackdown (打压) on tobacco in the country. In April 2021, the country’s parliament announced its goal of being smoke free by 2025, arming to slowly reduce phase out, then entirely cut the prosper of smoking. There are already existing barriers to tobacco products in New Zealand, including high taxes and plain packaging on cigarettes.

“Clinical studies have shown that dramatically reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes makes at far easier for people to quit.” said Verall in parliament. “So the action plan will see New Zealand transition to low-nicotine cigarettes. This is a major change but it is based on clinical research and it is realistic, because with vapes (电子烟) widely available, there is a far less harmful option available for smokers who are addicted to nicotine. While vapes were introduced as a way to reduce cigarette consumption, they remain harmful according to research Vapes are also particularly appealing to young people, who have long been the target people for the product.

1. What is the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan expected to do?

A．Promote rapes in New Zealand.	B．Decrease smoking in New Zealand.
C．Reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes.	D．Ban selling cigarettes in New Zealand.

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

A．Expensive matter.

B．Honorable deed.

C．Illegal deed.

D．Easy affair.

3. Which is not a measure taken to crackdown on tobacco in New Zealand?

A．Raising taxes.

B．Packaging plainly.

C．No selling to teenagers.

D．Ban on planting.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．New Zealand cigarette ban	B．Benefits of vapes
C．Harm caused by smoking	D．New Zealand legislation on health

9 . Are calcium supplements (补钙) safe? The short answer is probably yes. Many people take calcium supplements. Most are women. They do it to build stronger bones. But it is not clear that calcium prevents fractures (骨折). The government advises post-middle-aged women not to take calcium supplements to prevent fractures.

What are the risks from calcium supplements? Kidney stones (肾结石) are the biggest risk. The risk depends on whether you are also taking Vitamin D. A study found that when calcium was taken with Vitamin D, there was a 17 percent increase in the incidence of kidney stones. Another report said the risk disappeared when calcium was taken without Vitamin D.

Another study asked if there was an increased risk of death and cancer associated with the use of calcium supplements and Vitamin D. This study and another study found that calcium supplements do not increase the risk of dying earlier. These and other studies also found no increased risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or cancer in general.

Calcium supplements do not seem to increase the risk of heart disease. A report state that “calcium intake has little or no effect on heart disease risk.”

Government guidelines stop short of recommending calcium supplements. The decision rests on your concerns about your health. Calcium can also interact with certain medicine. But there is sufficient evidence to suggest that calcium supplements are safe when not taken with Vitamin D.

1. Why do some women take calcium supplements?

A．To follow the trends.	B．To beautify themselves.
C．To strengthen their bones.	D．To lengthen their lives.

2. What determines the risk of taking calcium supplements?

A．How one takes calcium supplements.	B．When one takes calcium supplements.
C．How many calcium supplements one takes.	D．What brand calcium supplements one takes.

3. Which of the following is consistent with studies?

A．Calcium supplements are safe when taken with Vitamin D.

B．Calcium taken with Vitamin D will decrease kidney stones.

C．Calcium supplements will increase the risk of dying earlier.

D．Calcium supplements will not increase the risk of cancer.

4. In which section may the text appear on a newspaper?

A．Sports.

B．Health.

C．Climate.

D．Economy.

10 . You’ve likely heard of the Group of Seven, artists who travelled the remote landscapes of Ontario to capture their rough beauty by brush. But they weren’t the only artists who travelled rough and painted what they saw!

Fifty years before the Group of Seven. Frances Anne Hopkins was roughing it in a voyageur (船夫) canoe between Lachine (Montreal) and Fort William (Thunder Bay). She was born in England in 1838. She married Edward Hopkins, who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and moved to Lachine, Canada.

In 1860, her husband was promoted to Chief Factor of Montreal, which led to the couple occasionally joining voyageurs on their journeys up the river, sometimes travelling all the way to Fort William by canoe. These trips would take weeks of rough living with the men who paddled the canoe. The couple travelled along the shores of the Mattawa River, where Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park is located today.

While the voyageurs paddled the canoe or set up camp, Hopkins would sketch (素描) what she saw. She documented the lives of voyageurs in her sketches in the same way we might take a photograph. Most of her paintings describing voyageurs were completed after she returned to London in 1870. Many of her works, such as Canoes in a Fog and Running a Rapid on the Mattawa River were displayed at the Royal Academy exhibition in England during her career.

By the time Frances Anne Hopkins began documenting the voyageurs’ lives, the need for them was declining. Faster travel methods such as trains and steamboats were becoming popular, and the demand for canoes was decreasing. However, one could argue that she arrived in the canoe just in time to capture the final years of the voyageurs before they could truly fade away.

1. Why did the author mention Group of Seven?

A．To show their achievements in art.	B．To attract the attention of art lovers.
C．To introduce the heroine of this article.	D．To prove their influence on other artists.

2. What made Frances Anne Hopkins join voyageurs on their journeys?

A．Her husband’s promotion.	B．Her love for travelling.
C．Her moving to new home.	D．Her interest in drawing.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Frances Anne Hopkins’ life.	B．Frances Anne Hopkins’ works.
C．Frances Anne Hopkins’ education.	D．Frances Anne Hopkins’ marriage.

4. What was Frances Anne Hopkins’ main contribution?

A．Influencing the lives of voyageurs.	B．Changing the trends of travel methods.
C．Displaying her works at the Royal Academy.	D．Documenting the lives of voyageurs through art.