浙江省精诚联盟2022-2023学年高二下学期5月联考英语试...

Visit the New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is an advocate for the plant world. We welcome all to learn about the importance of plants and plant science, and the joy of gardening.

UPCOMING EVENTS

•HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW

The NYBG's Holiday Train Show — a favorite holiday tradition — has been making memories for over 30 years! See model trains pass through a wonderful display of more than 190 replicas (复制品) of New York landmarks, each re-created from natural materials.

•T.H. EVERETT: A LIFE IN PLANTS

Through T.H. Everett's extensive archive (档案) held by the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, we explore this influential man's extraordinary career, from his modest beginnings in England and early training at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to his path to the New York Botanical Garden.

ADMISSION

All visitors, including members, need tickets for entry to the Garden. Purchase at the Garden or reserve your tickets in advance online and display them on your mobile device for quicker entry.

OPENING TIMES

•January– July: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.      •August – December: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Tired of working in IT and staying the same in Australia, Paulo Cattanco decided to make a change. In 2015 he started a strict budget so he could save up enough money to buy his dream KTM1190 motorbike, a camera, and enough funds to support himself for a few years.

Then he gave up his job, packed his things, and set off on an adventure, travelling the world on his motorbike. Paulo, 39, has spent the last four years biking through Australia. South America, North America, and Europe, riding up to 12 hours a day and spending his nights in his tent under the stars.

"Australia for me was my first experience riding long distance and I was mind-blown by the beauty of the old continent." Paulo wrote on his travel journal, "Traveling through Latin America, I explored the rainforest and learned Spanish and Portuguese. Mexico has some of the best food I ever had and Peru is an interesting place where I can enjoy the unique local Indian culture, also called Inca civilization."

Paulo has managed to keep his travels going by keeping his budget tight, so he hasn't had to get a job for his travels. To keep costs low, he seldom looked for accommodation in hotels and went camping instead. Thankfully, the motorbike, which Paulo bought second hand in Australia, has not required any major repairs since he set off. The journey isn't always easy, but Paulo has never looked back.

Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to his travels in Greece when he traveled around Europe, and Paulo has had to spend the last few months in Italy, his homeland. Once the world is back up and running, he plans to return to life on the road and explore Asia and Africa.

In recent years, towns across Italy have been racing to launch plans aimed at attracting new residents to revive the towns. From abandoned homes selling for a euro, to ready-to-occupy houses at low prices, there has been a tendency for competition.

The picturesque town of Presicce is the latest to enter the game with a very alluring offer. Officials say they will pay people up to 30,000 euros to buy an empty house and take up residency. Even better, the houses for sale as part of the deal are priced around 25,000 euros. The cash motivation is expected to breathe new life into the depopulating town, where newborns are fewer each year.

Presicce traces its history to the Middle Ages, booming during the Renaissance as a prosperous place known for its fine wine, cheeses and cattle trade. It gains a reputation as a "town of green gold" for green olive trees and olive oil. Its location is incredible, surrounded by the nature of the Salento area and close to beautiful beaches and clear waters of Santa Maria di Leuca. "There are many empty homes in the historical center built before 1991 which we would like to see alive again with new residents," says local councilor Alfredo Palese. "It is a pity witnessing how our old districts full of history, wonderful architecture and art are slowly emptying."

According to Palese, a 2019 merger (合并) with the nearby town Acquarica to create the larger town Presicce-Acquarica has provided them with extra money to ensure the project can continue for years to come. "After the merger as per Italian law, our wider territory will be blessed with more public funds, roughly 1,000,000 euros per year for several years forward, which we intend to invest to renew the old district," says Palese.

The town hall has already launched other plans to attract more residents, including tax benefits to set up new business activities and baby bonuses for families with kids.

Trees naturally absorbed CO₂ through photosynthesis (光合作用), releasing oxygen, storing carbon for decades, or even centuries. Biotechnology firm Living Carbon says lab trials of its genetically-changed poplar trees take up more carbon and grow 1.5 times faster than unchanged ones. The team added genes from pumpkin to the poplars, which makes their photosynthesis more efficient, turning more carbon dioxide into sugars to create wood biomass (生物量).

Though the firm's lab results are promising, biologists warn that high growth rates are not guaranteed in the wild as the poplars compete for sunlight with other plants and trees. Genetically-modified (GM) supertrees may also need much watering and fertilizer to keep their rapid growth.

The results are important given the rate of climate change and climbing CO₂ levels in the atmosphere. But critics say there are risks to planting GM trees in the wild if they reproduce with other trees, or negatively affect other plant and animal species. Living Carbon says trees are a hybrid that can only reproduce from cuttings, so cannot cross-pollinate (授粉) with wild trees.

If the field trials are successful then it will still take time to get approval from the government. One sixth, around 135, tree species in the US may face extinction due to climate change, foreign insect species, or disease. And even though field trials of a GM chestnut tree have shown its ability to resist some foreign disease that wiped out billions ofAmerican chestnuts, it still has not been approved for planting.

If CO₂ storage is the aim then there are species that already fit the bill. California's Redwood trees store more carbon than any other species. Redwoods are not suitable for every forestry plot, so creating climate adaptable trees through reproducing programs that fit into local ecosystems is the goal. But in the rush to fix the climate crisis, increase CO₂ uptake, and carbon storage, GM supertrees may be part of that solution.

Is your glass of milk half-full or half-empty? This saying is often used to test people's outlook in a situation; do they focus on the positives (a half-full glass) or the negatives (a half-empty one)? —and it's known to boost your well-being.

Why is thinking positively good for you?

Research shows that people who are optimistic and think positively tend to experience less stress and cope well when faced with life's challenges. People who are more pessimistic may find it hard to believe that these challenges will pass. Scientists have even found that thinking positively can make you live longer. According to Professor Tali Sharot, being optimistic about the future can make you happier and more successful. 

Worrying is like a fire alarm.

Everybody can worry from time to time. Worrying can help to keep you safe — if you were never worried and were overly positive about how things would turn out, you wouldn't recognize risks. " It's like a fire alarm," says child psychotherapist RachelMelville-Thomas. "The trouble is that sometimes it goes off when there isn't a huge danger to face." When this happens, you can feel anxious and hopeless about what lies ahead.

Optimism is shaped by your genes, which carry characteristics inherited from your parents, and by what happens to you. Research has shown that it can help to draw or write an outcome that's positive — for example, an image of you playing guitar, having passed your next grade. Imagining this can motivate you to work to achieve it, such as practicing every day after school.

A. Learn to think positively.

B. Sometimes worrying can do harm to our health.

C. The way you think positively or negatively largely depends on your genes.

D. Worrying is our brain warning us that there might be something threatening.

E. However, no matter your starting point, everyone can learn to become more optimistic.

F. Thinking positively, with a belief that most things will turn out well, is called optimism.

G. This's because you believe your goals are achievable, which encourages you to work towards them.

I was waiting in a checkout line. A woman and two boys were ahead of me. At the cash desk, a white-haired man had begun to 1 his goods. Then came the 2 . Sometimes it's a customer with multiple coupons (优惠券), or someone who forgot to 3 a piece of fruit. Fair enough. One waited.

But today, it was something else. The man didn't have 4 money. So he began the process of choosing which 5 to keep and which to hand back. He 6 over each one before keeping or abandoning it. We waited. Longer lines surged ahead.

Eventually, his 7  came to an end. The man turned back to us as he left, 8  and apologetic. We 9  off his chagrin (懊恼). It could happen to anyone.

But I had no idea just how 10  the family of three ahead of me were until their turn came. The woman asked the cashier to add all the 11  goods to her bill as quickly as possible. Then the two boys 12  through the exit with the small bag of groceries. When they returned, it was clear that their mission had been 13 .

Then I realized all it took to witness this flash of 14  was waiting a little longer in a checkout line. I could have caught the bus. But I felt so 15  on my feet that I walked home instead.

Many foreigners first learn about Chinese culture through numerous Chinese restaurants (find) all over the world. The second impression of Chinese culture is often Peking Opera, masks are now almost symbolic of China. Many countries design posters (use) Peking Opera masks to signal a "Year of Chinese Culture".

impresses people most is the artistic beauty of Peking Opera masks, which serve two purposes. One is to indicate the identity and character of the role. For example, a red face means that the person is loyal and brave a white face identifies the person as foxy and evil. The other purpose is to express people's (assess) of the roles from a moral and aesthetic (美学的) point of view, such as respectable, hateful or noble etc.

Zhang Fei, a heroic character from Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), has a  (face) design in the shape of a butterfly—  perfect combination of personality and artistic design. The beauty of the color and design of Peking Opera masks adds to the attractive performance  stage. Therefore, Peking Opera masks  (adopt) as a source element in designing many Chinese folk handicrafts, posters, and fashions.

为缓解学生压力，确保健康，创设一个能抒发情绪、获得专业心理指导的平台，你校英文报新开设了一个专栏"心灵之约"。请你介绍该专栏，内容包括：
1.专栏开设目的；
2.专栏内容；
3.你的感想。

注意：
1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

"Jane! Look who I brought home!" My father stuck his head out from behind the door, flashing a big smile. My heart skipped a beat as I mouthed, "Adog?" Nodding, my father pushed the door open, revealing a large German Shepherd. I grasped my hands tightly over my mouth and failed to hold back a sharp scream. Rushing back into my room, I locked the door and covered the gap between it and the floor with tape. I had had a strong fear and great hate of dogs ever since I was bitten by one badly on the face, leaving a huge and deep scar (伤疤). I decided to stay in my room until the dog had gone for a walk with my father.

After what seemed like ages, I heard the door open and shut. "Finally! I can get out of here," I thought. Out of great joy, I threw open the door and punched (用拳猛击) the air. At that moment, I felt something wet touching my foot. To my shock, it was the dog! I stood there, scared and shocked as if my feet were rooted to the ground. When I regained my calmness, I shouted loudly, "Ahhh! It is the dog! Help! He wants to bite me! Get him away from me!"

My father was standing at the door, folding his arms and laughing quietly. "He is not going to eat you! Jane, don't be so scared. Go on! Touch him!" he said. Attempting to show my unwillingness, I failed to do so due to my constant and uncontrollable shaking. Instead, I shouted loudly, "Never! I will never touch that dirty thing! Go away!" I picked up a tennis ball on the table and aimed at the dog but missed, causing the ball to roll across the living room.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。