Part A: Reading Comprehension

Text 1

In the quest for the perfect lawn, homeowners across the country are taking a shortcut—and it is the environment that is paying the price. About eight million square metres of plastic grass is sold each year but opposition has now spread to the highest gardening circles. The Chelsea Flower Show has banned fake grass from this year’s event, declaring it to be not part of its ethos. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which runs the annual show in west London, says it has introduced the ban because of the damage plastic grass does to the environment and biodiversity.

Ed Horne, of the RHS, said: “We launched our sustainability strategy last year and fake grass is just not in line with our ethos and views on plastic. We recommend using real grass because of its environmental benefits, which include supporting wildlife, alleviating flooding and cooling the environment.”

The RHS’s decision comes as campaigners try to raise awareness of the problems fake grass causes. A Twitter account, which claims to “cut through the greenwash” of artificial grass, already has more than 20,000 followers. It is trying to encourage people to sign two petitions, one calling for a ban on the sale of plastic grass and another calling for an “ecological damage” tax on such lawns. They have gathered 7,276 and 11,282 signatures.

However, supporters of fake grass point out that there is also an environmental impact with natural lawns, which need mowing and therefore usually consume electricity or petrol. The industry also points out that real grass requires considerable amounts of water, weed killer or other treatments and that people who lay fake grass tend to use their garden more. The industry also claims that people who lay fake grass spend an average of £500 on trees or shrubs for their garden, which provides habitat for insects.

In response to another petition last year about banning fake lawns, which gathered 30,000 signatures, the government responded that it has “no plans to ban the use of artificial grass.”

It added: “We prefer to help people and organizations make the right choice rather than legislating on such matters. However, the use of artificial grass must comply with the legal and policy safeguards in place to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainable drainage, while measures such as the strengthened biodiversity duty should serve to encourage public authorities to consider sustainable alternatives.”

21. The RHS thinks that plastic grass

[A]

is harmful to the environment. 

[B]

is a hot topic in gardening circles. 

[C]

is overpraised in the annual show. 

[D]

is ruining the view of west London. 

22. The petitions mentioned in Paragraph 3 reveal the campaigners’

[A]

disappointment with the RHS. 

[B]

resistance to fake grass use. 

[C]

anger over the proposed tax. 

[D]

concern about real grass supply. 

23. In Paragraph 4, supporters of fake grass point out

[A]

the necessity to lower the costs of fake grass. 

[B]

the disadvantages of growing real grass. 

[C]

the way to take care of artificial lawns. 

[D]

the challenges of insect habitat protection. 

24. What would the government do with regard to artificial grass?

[A]

Urge legislation to restrict its use. 

[B]

Take measures to guarantee its quality. 

[C]

Remind its users to obey existing rules. 

[D]

Replace it with sustainable alternatives. 

25. It can be learned from the text that fake grass

[A]

is being improved continuously. 

[B]

has seen a market share decline. 

[C]

is becoming increasingly affordable. 

[D]

has been a controversial product. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

21. [A] is harmful to the environment.
解析：细节题。第一段最后一句明确指出，皇家园林协会（RHS）表示出台禁令是因为“塑料草坪对环境和生物多样性造成了损害（because of the damage plastic grass does to the environment and biodiversity）”。这直接对应选项 [A]“对环境有害”。

22. [B] resistance to fake grass use.
解析：细节推理题。第三段提到了两份请愿书（petitions）：一份呼吁“禁止销售塑料草坪（calling for a ban on the sale of plastic grass）”，另一份呼吁对这种草坪征收“生态破坏”税。这些行动显然揭示了活动家们对使用假草坪的“抵制/反对（resistance to fake grass use）”，选 [B]。

23. [B] the disadvantages of growing real grass.
解析：细节题。第四段引出了假草坪支持者的观点。他们指出天然草坪也有环境影响，比如需要割草从而“消耗电或汽油（consume electricity or petrol）”，真草坪还“需要大量的水、除草剂（requires considerable amounts of water, weed killer）”等。这些指出的都是“种植真草坪的缺点（the disadvantages of growing real grass）”，选 [B]。

24. [C] Remind its users to obey existing rules.
解析：细节推理题。最后一段表明了政府的态度：政府不想通过立法来解决，而是表示“使用人造草坪必须遵守现有的法律和政策保护措施，以保护生物多样性……（must comply with the legal and policy safeguards in place to protect biodiversity...）”。“必须遵守现行保护措施”也就是“提醒使用者遵守现有规则（Remind its users to obey existing rules）”，选 [C]。

25. [D] has been a controversial product.
解析：主旨推断题。通读全文，第一段到第三段讲述了RHS和环保活动家强烈反对假草坪并出台禁令；第四段讲述了假草坪行业和支持者的反驳（认为真草坪也很耗能）；第五、六段讲述了政府的折中态度（不禁止但要求守规）。全文围绕假草坪的优缺点展开了多方辩论，这说明假草坪“一直是一个有争议的产品（has been a controversial product）”，选 [D]。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 强调句型：
"In the quest for the perfect lawn, homeowners across the country are taking a shortcut—and it is the environment that is paying the price."
【解析】破折号后使用了经典的强调句型 `it is/was + 被强调部分 + that/who...`。这里强调的是“环境（the environment）”，即房主走捷径，付出代价的却是环境，开篇即点明了文章的环保批判基调。

2. 非限制性定语从句与定语从句的省略：
"The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which runs the annual show in west London, says it has introduced the ban because of the damage plastic grass does to the environment and biodiversity."
【解析】`which` 引导非限制性定语从句，对 RHS 进行补充说明。在句末，`damage` 后面跟了一个省略了关系代词 `that/which` 的定语从句 `plastic grass does...`（塑料草对环境造成的破坏），`do damage to` 是固定搭配。

3. while 引导的并列/转折句与 in place 的后置定语：
"However, the use of artificial grass must comply with the legal and policy safeguards in place to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainable drainage, while measures such as the strengthened biodiversity duty should serve to encourage public authorities to consider sustainable alternatives."
【解析】`in place` 作后置定语修饰 safeguards，意为“现行的/已到位的”保护措施。`while` 在此连接两个并列的句子，既表示轻微的转折（虽然政府不一刀切禁止），也表示同时发生的事情（同时各项措施应该鼓励当局考虑替代方案）。