2 . When micro-plastics end up in farm fields, the pollution can damage plant growth. But two young researchers now report that combining fungi (真菌) with certain farm wastes can partly overcome that problem.
May Shin, 20, and Jiwon Choi, 18, met in a research design class at the Fryeburg Academy, a high school in Maine. May had desired to explore how micro-plastics might affect the ecosystem. Jiwon was crazy about plants and fungi. The young scientists cooperated to test how long-lived plastics might affect farm crops.
Scientists have shown certain fungi can aid root growth and a plant’s nutrient uptake. Those organisms are named arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Certain farm wastes, like straw, can provide nutrients to plants and help stabilize their roots. Such wastes are also known as mushroom substrate (基质) and people often grow mushrooms in them.
May and Jiwon planted over 2,000 scallion (大葱) seeds in pots of soil. Half the seeds got soil polluted with micro-plastics. The rest grew in plastic-free soil. The plants then were further divided into four groups. The young scientists added AMF to the soil in one group. Another group had a top layer of mushroom substrate. A third group got both treatments. The last group got none. For three weeks, the pair tracked how many scallions sprouted (发芽) in each group and measured the plants’ height once each week.
About twice as many scallions sprouted in clean soil compared to that containing plastic bits. But among plants surviving in the polluted soil, a combination of AMF and mushroom substrate helped them out. Those getting both treatments grew 5.4 centimeters per week. That was faster than either of the treatments alone or those getting none.
Jiwon and May then looked at the plant roots with a microscope. Where AMF had been added, it grew into those roots. That increased the scallion roots’ surface area, May said, which should promote their uptake of nutrients. So “I see this project as coming up with a sustainable solution for plant growth in polluted soils,” said May.
1. Why did May and Jiwon work together?A.To see the effects of long-lived plastics on farm crops. |
B.To find the relationship between plants and fungi. |
C.To design a research on the growth of plants. |
D.To explore the way that the ecosystem works. |
A.To prove the existence of micro-plastics. | B.To compare fungi with farm wastes. |
C.To tell the advantages of farm wastes. | D.To provide some related information. |
A.Its purpose. | B.Its design. | C.Its findings. | D.Its reasons. |
A.By keeping the plants more resistant to pollution. | B.By allowing the plants’ deep area more freedom. |
C.By making nutrients more available to the plants. | D.By exposing the roots to a larger surface area. |
3 . Four years ago, Rome Leykin was on his way to work when he accidentally fell onto the tracks of Brooklyn's train as a subway was approaching. The incident resulted in the loss of both of his legs.
But surprisingly, with the loss of his legs, Leykin gained a new passion for racing. Before his accident, he wasn't really that athletic. He would just occasionally play basketball. But that all changed after he was introduced to hand cycling. “When I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh, this is great. You don't even need legs to use it. This is perfect.’” he said. “So, I got on it, I rode and fell in love with it right away.”
Within a few months, he completed the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, a 40-mile ride through New York City. After that, he did his first marathon in 2021. He fished that race in 2 hours and 11 minutes, placing 12th out of 38.
“I'm going to attend this year's marathon and take on challenges. My hands are on the wheel, my eyes are focused, and I think my time is going to speak for itself.” he said. He's made a significant commitment to training. He hand cycles at least 13.1 miles a couple times a week and spends a lot of time in the gym.
And he plans to keep pursuing his athlete goals. He wants to complete the Abbott Six-the world's six largest marathons. One day, he said, he'll maybe even make the Paralympics.
For those who might be following his journey, he hopes they will take some lessons from his story. “There will be ups and downs but the trend is what's important. Focus on the good,” he said. “And also, take your big problems and split them into small solutions. And then all of a sudden, your big problems turn into many small wins.”
1. What can we learn about Rome Leykin from paragraph 2?A.He once was an excellent basketball player. |
B.He considered hand cycling difficult in the beginning. |
C.He made hand cycling more popular among the disabled. |
D.He showed an interest in hand cycling the moment he saw it. |
A.Worried. | B.Curious. | C.Confident. | D.Nervous. |
A.Easy-going and reliable. | B.Kind-hearted and helpful. |
C.Open-minded and creative. | D.Strong-willed and ambitious. |
A.Stick to your dreams. | B.Break down your goals. |
C.Focus on your strengths. | D.Achieve success at all costs. |
Chinese calligraphy (书法) is an art form that
The origins of Chinese calligraphy can be traced back thousands of years to the Shang Dynasty, making it one of the
Calligraphy in China
Different styles of calligraphy have emerged throughout history, each with its own distinct characteristics and artistic conventions. The most famous
Chinese calligraphy has a profound influence
1. biology:
2. freedom:
3. frog:
4. barbecue:
5. socialist:
6. detective:
7. handwriting:
8. violence:
9. temporary:
10. wrist:
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, the attitudes to dirt are always changing.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, and washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. The king of England did something similar in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. France’s Henry IV was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief above was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbour ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家) , encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . GET A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE WORLD’S MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATHERED ANIMALS WITH THESE BOOKS
Flamingo (火烈鸟)
Biologist and photographer Claudio Contreras Koob spent 20 years travelling deep into the wet lands and forests of his native Mexico—and beyond—to feed his flamingo attraction. This book offers a unique window into the behavior and life of red-feathered birds, with more than 120 show-stopping shots displaying their beauty. teNeues, £35.
Around the World in 80 Birds
Inspiring secrets, national pride or scientific discoveries, every bird has a story to tell, from the weaver bird building multi-nest “apartment blocks” in Namibia to the bar-headed goose taking on a twice-yearly trans-Himalayan journey at an extreme altitude. Mike Unwin’s tour is accompanied by beautiful illustrations from Ryuto Miyake. Laurence King Publishing, £22.
A World on the Wing
Pulitzer-shortlisted Weidensaul, who’s at the forefront of research into bird migration, here tracks some of nature’s most remarkable journeys. He sails through the stormy Bering Sea, encounters trappers in the Mediterranean and visits former headhunters in northeast India, where a bird migration crisis has become a conservation success story. Pan Macmillan, £9.99.
Galapagos Crusoes: A Year Alone with the Birds
Explore this updated version of the 1968 title, Galapagos: Islands of Birds, by late bird expert Bryan Nelson, with previously unpublished material from his wife, June. The couple spent a year living on two Galapagos islands, studying birds, including the Galapagos albatross (信天翁). This is their clever and amusing account. Bradt Guides, £11.99.
1. By whom is the second costliest book illustrated?A.Claudio Contreras Koob. | B.Mike Unwin. |
C.Ryuto Miyake. | D.Weidensaul. |
A.Flamingo. | B.Around the World in 80 Birds. |
C.A World on the Wing. | D.Galapagos: Island of Birds. |
A.Its humorous description. | B.Its romantic style. |
C.Its vivid imagination. | D.Its moving plot. |
8 . 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 |
A.Only in Asia. | B.Only in the USA. |
C.In wet and warm climates. | D.All over the world. |
A.Build large buildings. | B.Make water pipes. |
C.Make musical instruments and paper. | D.All of the above. |
A.Over 1,000. | B.Over 800. | C.Over 600. | D.Over 400. |
A man came home from work late, tired and unhappy, to find his 5—year—old son waiting for him at the door. How the boy wished to have fun with his father at home even for a short time.
“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
“Yeah sure. what is it?” replied the man.
“Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”
“That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.
“I just want to know. Please tell me. How much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.
“If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”
“Oh,” the little boy replied with the head down.
Looking up, he said. “Daddy, may I please borrow $10?
The father was angry. “If the only reason you asked that is that you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard every day for such childish behavior.”
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. “How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?” he thought to himself.
After about an hour or so, the man calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep, son?” he asked.
“No, daddy, I’m awake.” replied the boy.
I’ve been thinking. maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It has been a long day and I took out my anger on you. Here’s the $10 you asked for.”
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh. Thank you, daddy!” he shouted. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled(皱巴巴的)bills.
注意:1.所续写短文的词数不少于100词;
2.续写部分开头语已为你写好;
The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Not knowing what his son meant, the father just stood there, waiting for his boy’s explanation.
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10 . Sharon, Aged 22
The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself. Besides, I don’t know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night. It’s best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need.
Frank, Aged 21
I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day. You will probably love it. I know I did. You should join in some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable. Good luck!
Eddie, Aged 20
When I started high school I was really nervous too, especially since I had been home-schooled all through middle school and didn’t really know anyone, I suppose the best advice would be to just relax. The first couple of days can be a little bit hard, but things will become easier after you know it.
David, Aged 19
I’m not going to lie. The first day is kind of frightening. But you’ll get used to it. Don’t be afraid of anyone; upperclassmen will pick on you more if you let them know you’re afraid. Just take it easy. Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly. After the first week it’s really not bad at all. Don’t worry.
1. What can we infer from Sharon about high school?A.Teachers are quite strict. |
B.Students often stay up at night. |
C.Teachers provide little care for students. |
D.Students should make good use of their time. |
A.Excited | B.Bored. | C.Worried. | D.Relaxed. |
A.Frank. | B.David. | C.Sharon. | D.Eddie. |