1 . Studies have shown that gardening and garden-based activities have positive impacts on childhood development, including better eating habits and stress relief.     1     . Here are some tips on how to create a great garden with your kids.

Involve them from the very beginning

Take your kids to the store and give them options to pick from. This will allow them to select plants that they can handle and are appropriate for your home conditions. Then give them tasks suitable to their age. For example, younger kids can be assigned to water plants or just cut yellow and brown leaves.     2     . Although you might want to step in when you see your children feeding a plant with too much water, some of the most lasting lessons come from just trying things out.

Pick the perfect plant

To make sure your garden is a success, assess both your home environment and your kids’ attention span.     3     .

Instead, think about your goal: Growing something tasty? Filling your home with flowers? Then ask your kids to choose plants in their favorite colors.

    4    

Another way to get kids excited about gardening—and to raise lifelong nature lovers in the process—is to adopt eco-friendly methods. Seeds from ripe peppers or tomatoes can be saved and planted. Potato “eyes” can be planted and grow into potato plants.

Reuse household items as planting vessels (容器). Almost anything can be used as planters, from old food containers to kids’ toys.     5     . For example, a plastic bottle in front of a hot window could be damaged by the heat soon.

A．Above all, let them make mistakes

B．Use leftovers to feed hungry plants

C．Make gardens environment-friendly

D．Taking care of the plant is a great way to learn

E．Gardening may even help them become better science students

F．Just make sure that your planters will hold up in the environment

G．Don’t just pick up a plant because you like how it looks or the price is right

2 . For most of December, Adele Adkins had the top-selling album in Australia, followed by Ed Sheeran, and then there was a collection of songs that took everyone by surprise.

Songs Of Disappearance is a collection of calls from endangered Australian birds. Last month, it briefly reached No.3 on the country’s top 50 albums chart (排行榜) — ahead of Taylor Swift.

Anthony Albrecht, a PhD student at Charles Darwin University, produced the album with Professor Stephen Garnett. “I knew it was a crazy thing to suggest. But Stephen’s a little bit crazy like me and he let me do it,” Albrecht said.

Songs Of Disappearance was published with a university report which found that 1 in 6 Australian bird species are now threatened. The album records 53 of those species.

“Some sing what you might think of as bird songs, but not all of them,” said SeanDooley, who represents the conservation organization Bird life Australia. “Songs from the golden bowerbird sound like a death cry from some sci-fi series. And the love songs from Christmas Island frigate bird, which has a piece of skin hanging under its mouth that caninflate (膨胀) like a huge red balloon, sound as bizarre as its unusual looks.”

There’s also the Christmas Island pigeon. When people hear that pigeon, they might think that it’s a human making silly noises, Dooley added.

The Charles Darwin University and Bird life Australia report does document successes in protecting endangered birds, the hope being that the album will protect more species.

“The increased awareness can make a difference,” Dooley said. “When we have a community on board, that brings pressure to the government to do the right thing. We know that these conservation actions do work.”

1. Whose album reached No.1 on the chart in December?

A．Taylor Swift’s.

B．Adele Adkins’.

C．Ed Sheeran’s.

D．Anthony Albrecht’s.

2. What can be learned from the university report?

A．About 53 bird species are threatened in Australia.

B．It has not found success in protecting endangered birds.

C．One sixth of Australian bird species are now endangered.

D．Music is very powerful in encouraging people to protect birds.

3. Which is closest in meaning to “bizarre”in paragraph 5?

A．Strange.

B．Beautiful.

C．Loud.

D．Sharp.

4. What does Sean Dooley think of Anthony Albrecht’s project?

A．Crazy.

B．Amusing.

C．Uncreative.

D．Helpful.

3 . Ecologists Dr. Matt Holden, Dr. Andrew Rogers and Dr. Russell Yong observed their share house and its backyard in 2020, and discovered 1,150 unique species of animals and plants over a 12-month period.

“We asked a large number of ecologists and conservation scientists how many species they’d expect to find in this setting and they said it could be only 200,”Dr. Holden said. “But after 60 days of surveying, we’d already discovered 777 species. It shows suburban (郊区的) houses and apartments could have far more biodiversity (生物多样性) than ever imagined, especially when it comes to insects.”

The idea of the species count was born when Dr. Rogers went to clean spider’s webs (蜘蛛网) in his room and wondered how many spiders were in the house. “The three of us soon worked out a plan to check the house and backyard in search of other insects that lived alongside us,” Dr. Holden said.

The survey showed richly biodiverse creatures, including 436 moth and butterfly species, 56 different spiders, and 56 birds. The researchers were also surprised to discover three species not previously recorded in Australia’s leading biodiversity database. “The house was a rich ecosystem of species interacting—we discovered unexpectedly a kind of moth, which spends its whole time feeding inside the waste of other animals before turning into an adult,” Dr. Holden said.

Homes across all suburban areas could play host to similar biodiversity. “It depends on how people tend to their homes and gardens—keeping low maintenance trees and flowers and preventing chemicals used for killing insects will lead to the rising number of living creatures,” Dr. Holden said. “You don’t have to go travelling to connect with Australia’s different species of creatures. Just look in your own backyard.”

1. How many species did the three housemates discover in 12 months?

A．200.

B．436.

C．700.

D．1, 150.

2. What made Dr. Rogers get the idea of the species count?

A．Cleaning his room.	B．Observing the spiders.
C．A talk with his friend.	D．A mass of dead insects.

3. Which statement will Dr. Holden probably agree with?

A．Australia has seen a jump in living creatures.	B．Suburban backyards are home to diverse species.
C．Wildlife tourism threatens animals and plants.	D．People should keep their gardens free of insects.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A children’s story.	B．A museum guide.
C．A science magazine.	D．A health report.

6 . Three cute brown bear cubs who got lost after getting separated from their mother gripped the hearts of netizens.

The fuzzy cubs were spotted by Gelek Gyatso, an ecological protection officer, when he was patrolling a riverbed at an altitude of nearly 4, 500 meters in Qumarleb county in Qinghai province’s Yushu.

The little cubs eagerly ran toward the ranger on the snow-covered riverbed, then stopped short at a safe distance to stare at him curiously. After realizing that the man was not their mother, the bear cubs turned around and ran along the river calling for mom.

This was Gelek Gyatso’s first encounter with bear cubs separated from their mother. With his knowledge of wild animals, he drove the cubs towards an area near their cave in the hope of a safe reunion. Thankfully, later that day, other patrol officers found that the mother bear had reunited with her cubs and that the family was happy and healthy.

This year marks Gelek Gyatso’s tenth year as an ecological protection officer. He patrols the area every day, diligently records the animals he sees, carefully checks on the vegetation, and helps clean up litter.

Over the decade, Gelek Gyatso has witnessed great changes in the ecological environment of his hometown. There has been an increase in the number of wild animals, and everyone is participating in the protection of these species, making coexistence between humans and animals more harmonious.

He also reminds people that if they encounter wild animals in the wild, they should keep their distance, not disturbing or feeding them, and that if they find an animal that needs to be rescued, they should call the fire or forest department in time.

1. What happened to the three bear cubs?

A．Losing track of the mother bear.

B．Following Gelek with curiosity.

C．Mistaking a man for their mother.

D．Being trapped in the cold riverbed.

2. Which of the following best describes Gelek?

A．Ambitious.

B．Romantic.

C．Devoted.

D．Innovative.

3. According to Gelek, what should people do to live in harmony with wildlife?

A．Changing their living surroundings.

B．Feeding and sheltering wild animals.

C．Getting involved in saving endangered species.

D．Seeking professional help to rescue those in need.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A project of wildlife conservation

B．A journey of friendship connection

C．A knowledgeable ecological officer

D．An encounter leading to a safe reunion

7 . Armed with bowls and spoons, the youngsters at Berridale Public School headed into the school’s kitchen to bake biscuits. These treats were for endangered mountain pygmy possums (山袋貂). This small-sized animal lives only in the Australian regions of Victoria and New South Wales, and being active at night, is rarely seen in the wild. Up until the 1960s, when a small population of the possum was found in Victoria, the species was thought to be extinct.

Pygmy possums live on a diet of bogong moths (布冈夜蛾) and seeds. Yet in recent years, the once vast number of bogong moths that migrate each spring to the Snowy Mountains has severely fallen. Dr Linda Broome heads a team that has been tracking the region’s community of mountain pygmy possums for more than 30 years. “An estimated 330 adults were counted in the Cabramurra region in 2016, with 200 counted in 2018-19,” says Broome. The animals are also affected by extreme weather.

That’s when Broome started baking “bogong” biscuits, using a specially developed recipe that replicates (仿制) the nutritional value of the moths. But with vast quantities of the nutritional biscuits needed weekly to feed all the hungry mouths, she needed help.

The children at Berridale Public School wanted to know how they could help the region recover. The school, under the leadership of current principal Tracey Southam, contacted Broome. The kids were more than happy to put down their pencils and pick up spoons instead. It wasn’t long before all the primary school students across the Snowy Mountains region were busy baking the treats. Each bake-off took around 4.5 hours to produce sixty 200-gram bags of biscuits. Altogether, this resulted in an impressive 660 bags of bogong biscuits.

“While it is difficult to estimate the number of babies that have survived with the help of the biscuits, a field count in March resulted in 32 babies, which is a number similar to good seasons,” Broome says. Although the figures are still small, the results are pleasing and everyone is hopeful that their numbers can recover.

1. What is a feature of mountain pygmy possums?

A．They are globally distributed.

B．They like to hang out after dark.

C．They prefer biscuits to bogong moths.

D．They are frequent visitors to Australian kitchens.

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

A．The disastrous effect of climate change.

B．The worrying condition of pygmy possums.

C．The disappointing recovery of bogong moths.

D．The changing habitat requirement of pygmy possums.

3. What can be learnt about Berridale Public School’s students?

A．They were environmentally aware.

B．They led the feeding programme.

C．They dragged their feet over baking biscuits.

D．They created the unique recipe for pygmy possums.

4. How might Broome feel about the biscuit drive?

A．Doubtful.

B．Tolerant.

C．Optimistic.

D．Confused.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Jack made his own kites. He carefully cut the paper to size and stuck it to thin, but strong branches. He then added a flying string (线) and a tail. As he pulled the string, the kite flew into the sky. It rose above all other kites. Other kite flyers called him “Kite King”.

One morning, Jack went out to fly his yellow-green kite. He threw the kite upward and pulled the string. The kite wobbled (摆动) a bit; he quickly pulled the string and let it go. The kite steadied (保持平稳) itself and then rose a few feet. Jack continued to pull the string and the kite went higher.

With no other kites in sight, Jack lost interest. He decided to go home. Just then, a competitor arrived. It looked like another kite, or so he thought. He was surprised it had no string. No, the competitor was not a kite. It was a big butterfly (蝴蝶).

The butterfly had spread its wings. It seemed to like Jack’s kite. It flew closer and then started to rise. Jack pulled and then let go of the string quickly. His kite caught up with the butterfly. The butterfly rose further up, leaving the kite behind. Jack was quick to pull the string, sending his kite flying above the butterfly.

By then other kids had arrived. No one flew their kites. They all stood watching the flyers in the sky-the bright yellow-green kite and the bright orange butterfly. There was complete silence. One moment the kite was up and above the butterfly, and the next, the butterfly   flew higher. It was a neck-and-neck race.

Suddenly the butterfly started losing height. It was unbelievable but true. The butterfly was left far behind as the kite raced ahead. Jack gave a shout of success. In the next moment, he frowned. The butterfly was losing height rapidly. At that speed it would hit the ground fast.

注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右;
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Jack started lowering the kite fast.

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Jack got down on his knees and looked at the butterfly sitting on the kite.

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9 . 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。

For many years I always invented excuses for either picking this    1     gathering that on my trips outdoors. My reward(回报)from these adventures goes beyond just harvesting. Each trip adds another level    2     knowledge. And trips to the woods take me back to the pleasure of my youth-enjoying time in nature on family outings.     3     (grow) up on the farm, I would walk into the woods late in the day, at first only     4     (prove) that I could find my way back. I enjoyed the silence, but listening more carefully brought the woodland sounds of squirrels or wood ducks chattering to protest my presence.

The wind blowing through pine needles(松针)made    5    (quiet) and more peaceful sounds than through oak leaves. The woods became alive with sound when I    6     (final) stopped to listen.

Then my eyes began to see more. Wildflowers only hardly    7     (recognize) at first as a mass of color were later admired for their beauty and occasional scent. Animals became visible (看得见的)after my eyes    8    (train) to notice small movements, patterns out of place with leaves, or just    9     slightest sound that did not fit with the forest floor.

Understanding nature has been a lifelong pursuit. Each visit to the woods is a    10     (remind) for me to appreciate life.

10 . Silkworms(蚕)were first brought from Asia to the ancient city of Byzantium around A. D. 550. It was two men who presented some silkworm eggs from China to Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople, where he created a fruitful silk industry. Silkworms reached Italy through Sicily in the 12th century, and by the 13th century, silkworm farming had moved north to the Po River Valley. By the 16th century, silkworm farming had been introduced to the Como area.

Since silkworms require a constant, mild temperature, entire sections of farmhouses were turned over to them and whole families would often join in the work, adding fuel round the clock to fires to maintain the proper warmth. “Some even gave the worms the house and slept outside with the animals, ”says Ester Geraci, an official at Como’s Educational Silk Museum.

The process began with the 10-to 14-day incubation(孵化)of silkworm eggs. According to the museum, keeping the tiny, delicate eggs at just the right temperature was the task of the women. Once hatched, the worms, only about one millimeter long, had to be fed night and day. From a birth weight of only half a milligram, they would grow 10, 000-fold to a final weight of around five grams and a length of 8 to 9 centimeters in just 30 days. Then, in the final three days of their youth stage, the worms would start to make their cocoons (茧) out of one continuous thin silk-up to 1, 200 meters long-which they produced from near their mouths. After about a week, the cocoons were placed briefly in a hot, dry place to kill the adult insects inside. These cocoons were then put in hot water to facilitate the difficult and boring task of obtaining the silk. The minute end of the cocoon’s silk had to be located and placed onto a round object, which then unwound it from the water-warmed cocoon. The silk was then cleaned and made into fabric.

1. Which can best describe silkworm farming outside China?

A．It was a short-term investment.

B．It benefitted fruit growers.

C．It upset local emperors.

D．It was a success story.

2. What is stressed in the second paragraph?

A．Raising silkworms was a backbreaking job.

B．Silkworms like living in a cool environment.

C．Raising silkworms in farmhouses was common.

D．Silkworms living with other insects grow healthy.

3. What can be learned about young silkworms?

A．They produce silk 3 days after being hatched.

B．They gain weight quickly in about a month.

C．They grow to 8 to 9 centimeters in two weeks.

D．They need one week to come out of their eggs.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To explain how silkworms reached Italy.

B．To encourage people to raise silkworms.

C．To introduce the farming of silkworms.

D．To show the life cycle of silkworms.