Guo Quanshui, a retired researcher from the Chinese Academy of Forestry, has a strong passion for science. For over twenty years, since his fifties, he has led a team to save a very rare tree called the Thuja sutchuenensis, or the Sichuan cedar. He was so dedicated that he even moved his laboratory to the Xuebaoshan Nature Reserve to be closer to the trees.
The Sichuan cedar is in great danger. “Its wild population is very small, spread over a tiny area, and it grows slowly in poor conditions,” Guo explained. He warned that without help, these trees could disappear due to bad weather or other disasters. Because of this, the tree was listed as one of China’s top 50 “Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations” for protection during the national Five-Year Plan.
Fighting to save the tree, Guo and his team faced a big challenge: how to grow new trees artificially. Every spring, researchers, reserve workers, and local farmers work long hours on a process called cutting. They collect small branches, prepare them carefully with special treatments, and plant them. Through hard work, they solved many technical problems. Ten years ago, fewer than 20% of these cuttings would grow roots. Now, an amazing 96% of them succeed.
Their efforts have grown. Xuebaoshan now has four breeding bases, 18 smart greenhouses, and a large garden for collecting branches. The area has become a national resource center for the tree. Other places have also started using their successful methods. Universities and local experts have joined forces, creating a major research platform for endangered plants in Southwest China.The results are inspiring. The wild Sichuan cedar population has grown to over 10,000 trees. Nearly one million lab-grown trees have been planted back into nature across more than 4,500 acres, where they now reproduce naturally. This large-scale return of a nearly extinct plant is a first in China. In recognition, Thuja sutchuenensis protection technology was selected into the National Forestry and Grassland Administration’s “2024 Top Ten Advances in Chinese Forestry and Grassland Science and Technology”, praised as “providing a Chinese case for global endangered species protection.”
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1.1.What does the word “dedicated” most probably mean in the first paragraph?
A Devoted.
B Experienced.
C Successful.
D Healthy.
解析：选A。A词义猜测题。根据后文“他甚至在雪宝山自然保护区附近建立了实验室”这一具体行为推断，这体现的是一种全身心“投入的、奉献的”精神，与A选项意思一致。B、C、D选项均无法由该行为直接推断。故选A。
2.2. What can be inferred about the Sichuan cedar?
A It grows rapidly in various conditions.
B It can be found in many parts of China.
C It is highly likely to become extinct.
D It needs no specific protective measures.
解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第二段第一句“The Sichuan cedar is in great danger”以及“wild population is very small”“could disappear due to bad weather or other disasters”等内容可推断，崖柏的生存处于极高风险中。A选项“生长非常快”与原文“grows slowly”矛盾；B选项“栖息地广阔”和原文“spread over a tiny area”不符；D选项“没有受到保护”错误，它已被列入中国极小种群野生植物名录。故选C。
3.3.What played the most significant role in the rise of the cuttings’ survival rate?
A Better weather conditions.
B Improved planting techniques.
C Stronger natural species.
D More financial support.
解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第三段前文“Through hard work, they solved many technical problems.”可推知，团队通过“解决了许多技术问题”使成活率从不足20%提升至96%，即最关键的因素为技术进步。故选B。
4.4.What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
A The challenges in building research bases.
B The expansion and success of the protection effort.
C The process of collecting branches from trees.
D The competition among different research teams.
解析：选B。B段落大意题。第四段主要描述了保护工作的扩展与成就：从建立基地和温室，到技术推广形成平台，再到最终实现崖柏的大规模回归自然并被国家认可。B选项准确概括了这一核心。A“建设基地的挑战”和C“收集树枝的过程”仅为细节；D“团队间的竞争”在文中未出现。故选B。
