【推荐1】The Greek historian Herodotus is said to have made one of the earliest lists of Seven Wonders of the World. These were man-made structures, including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. More recent times saw natural alternatives to these wonders of classical architecture proposed: waterfalls, mountains, canyons, reefs. Dramatic landscapes, features and wildlife, and the pleasure and excitement they offer to visitors, are basics of tourism.

As environmental consciousness has risen, attitudes to such sightseeing have changed. Yes, it is exciting to visit remote forests or spot rare species. But travelling to distant destinations is carbon-intensive (碳密集的) when flights or long road journeys are involved, and conservation can be made more difficult as well as assisted by sightseers. There is a balance to be struck, and some governments and businesses around the world try to increase the benefits while reducing the harm. Colombia, for example, recently introduced laws aimed at promoting sustainable tourism. Based on this, its economy got prosperous (繁荣的) as well as the tourism.

Most of us understand better than ever that there are costs as well as benefits associated with exploring. One of the commitments made by an environmental campaign launched last month, “The Jump”, is to “holiday local”, taking short flights once every 3 years and long flights very rarely. Fortunately, the UK’s 15 national parks, 86 areas of outstanding natural beauty, and countless other landscapes that are without formal status, but still beloved, mean that there is no shortage of special places for domestic nature tourists to visit, while a lot of European beauty spots are accessible by rail.

One recent survey found that Windsor Great Park and Kew have become Britain’s most popular attractions. Visitor numbers at wildlife trusts are high, with waiting lists for beaver-spotting. Some companies that formerly ran foreign trips have adapted to the pandemic by taking people to watch dolphins and other marine life off British coasts instead.

As we face an environmental emergency that grows ever more dangerous, it is essential to develop appreciation for nature that surrounds us. In a small way, holiday outings to watch dragonflies, kingfishers or seals, or be surrounded by trees that are coming into leaf, could help us to focus on what matters.

1. Why are the lists of Seven Wonders mentioned?

A．To bring natural wonders into focus.

B．To show changes in architectural styles.

C．To reveal the rising popularity of tourism.

D．To compare historic and modern structures.

2. What did Colombia recently do?

A．It made efforts to conserve rare species.

B．It banned sightseers from going to remote forests.

C．It introduced laws to increase the income of tourism.

D．It tried to make its tourism develop healthily and stably.

3. What is the author’s attitude to the goal of “The Jump”?

A．Relaxed.

B．Doubtful.

C．Critical.

D．Optimistic.

4. What can be the best title for this passage?

A．Nature tourism: “travel local”

B．Discovery of European beauty spots

C．International tourism: wait before setting out

D．Sightseeing leads to environmental emergency

【推荐2】In today’s throw-away society, dealing with the city’s growing mountain of waste is an increasing challenge for the city council (市议会).

Recently, Edinburgh is faced with the problem of disposing of about 250,000 million tons of waste a year. Despite different ways to dispose of much of it in a green manner—largely through encouraging recycling—its aging facilities such as the Powderhall landfill do not have the ability to deal with it.

The European Union (EU) has issued a new policy, regulating how such mountains of waste are to be disposed of. The five councils (Edinburgh, East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian and Borders) face fines of around £18 million a year from 2013 if they don’t increase recycling levels and rely less on landfills. With this in mind, the councils got together with the idea of building a large incinerator plant (垃圾焚烧厂) to burn half of the waste produced in their districts. But this plan fell apart after the change of target levels by a new UK government waste policy which required that no more than 25% of the city’s waste should be disposed of in this way by 2025.

After the plan was abandoned, a private company that already transported millions of tons of the city’s waste by train to a landfill site near Dunbar, offered an alternative solution when it suggested opening a huge waste site near Portobello.

Since Powderhall is supposed to close in 2015, it seemed necessary for the members of the Edinburgh Council to accept the suggestion. But soon they turned it down—after 700 local objections reached them—because it would have meant hundreds of lorries a day making loud noise through heavily populated areas.

That still leaves the council with a problem. By 2013, only 50% of 1995 levels of waste will be allowed to be sent to landfills. Even if recycling targets are met, there will still be a large amount of rubbish to be burnt up. Due to this, Edinburgh and Midlothian councils have now decided to work together to build an incinerator plant as time to find a solution is fast running out.

1. The main way of handling waste in a green manner in Edinburgh is ________.

A．recycling

B．restoring

C．burying

D．burning

2. The five councils worked out a plan to build an incinerator plant to ________.

A．reduce the cost of burying waste	B．meet the EU requirements
C．speed up waste recycling	D．replace landfill sites

3. The city council of Edinburgh rejected the suggestion to open a huge landfill site near Portobello because ________.

A．it came from a private company	B．the council was not interested in it
C．it was not supported by EU	D．the local people were against it

4. What is the final decision of Edinburgh and Midlothian councils?

A．To open a new landfill nearby.	B．To close the Powderhall landfill in 2015.
C．To set up a plant for burning waste.	D．To persuade people to reduce their waste.

【推荐1】Rubbish is a major kind of environmental pollution. Each person produces about two kilograms of rubbish in our homes a day. And this is only a small part of all the rubbish we produce. We also create waste in industry.

Have you wondered what happens to the rubbish? Most of it is buried in landfills (垃圾填埋地) or burned. Less than 25% of our waste is recycled.

A landfill is carefully designed and it is built into or on top of the ground. Rubbish buried in landfills is cut off from the surrounding environment (groundwater, air, rain, etc).

One problem with landfills is that they cover a lot of land space. If they are not well-built, there is a high risk of polluting the land and water. Some people also say that landfills remove materials for ever. As a result, the materials that can be reused are wasted.

Burning rubbish in factories is another way to cut out waste. Burning reduces 95% of the waste. And if poisonous materials are removed, and burning is completed at controlled temperatures, it is possible to do so without causing too much pollution. Some factories could even produce electricity from the burning process.

Not all of the rubbish can be burned, so we have to separate it before we burn it. However, separation costs a lot of money. Another problem with burning rubbish is that what is left after burning is poisonous. How to safely deal with it is a continuing problem.

Before the mid-20th century, landfills were the main way to deal with waste. In the late 20th century, other ways like recycling have been introduced to help reduce global pollution.

Maybe in the near future, with combined efforts, scientists will find a better way to dispose rubbish and cut out waste, like recycling things. But anyway, mountains of rubbish from life every day is a huge burden for any country.

1. What is the advantage of burying rubbish in landfills?

A．Producing electricity.

B．Reusing the materials buried in landfills.

C．Reducing 95% of the waste.

D．Cutting off rubbish from the surrounding environment.

2. Paragraph 6 is mainly about _________.

A．the separation of rubbish	B．the problems with burning rubbish
C．the safety of burning rubbish	D．the cost of burning rubbish

3. It can be inferred from the passage that _________.

A．rubbish should be separated when it is burning

B．landfills are too dangerous to be built too many

C．there’re advantages and disadvantages about burning rubbish

D．developed countries are better at dealing with rubbish

4. After the last paragraph, what is the author likely to talk about next?

A．Pollution.	B．Landfills.
C．Recycling.	D．Environment.

【推荐3】Blue Planet II's latest episode focuses on how plastic is having a devastating effect on the ocean and slowly poisoning our sea creatures. Researchers recently also found that sea creatures living in the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, have plastic in their stomachs. Indeed, the oceans are drowning in plastic.

Though it seems now that the world couldn't possibly function without plastics, consumer plastics are a remarkably recent invention. The first plastic bags were introduced in the 1950s, the same decade that plastic packaging began gaining in popularity in the United States. This growth has happened so fast that science is still catching up with the change. Plastics pollution research, for instance, is still a very early science.

We put all these plastics into the environment and we still don't really know what the outcomes are going to be. What we do know, though, is disturbing. Ocean plastic is estimated to kill millions of marine animals every year. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by it. One in three leatherback turtles, which often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, have been found with plastic in their bellies. Ninety percent of seabirds are now eating plastics on a regular basis. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 100 percent.

And it's not just wildlife that is threatened by the plastics in our seas. Humans are consuming plastics through the seafood we eat. I could understand why some people see ocean plastic as a disaster, worth mentioning in the same breath as climate change. But ocean plastic is not as complicated as climate change. There are no ocean trash deniers, at least so far. To do something about it, we don't have to remake our planet energy system.

This is not a problem where we don't know what the solution is. We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to dispose of it. We know how to recycle. We can all start by thinking twice before we use single-use plastic products. Things that may seem ordinary, like using a reusable bottle or a reusable bag—when taken collectively really do make a difference.

1. Why is plastics pollution research still a very early science?

A．The plastics pollution research is too difficult.

B．Plastics have produced less pollution than coal.

C．The world couldn't possibly function without plastics.

D．Plastics have gained in popularity too fast for science to catch up.

2. How did the author support his opinion in Paragraph 3?

A．He presented statistics.

B．He cited quotes from leading experts.

C．He used examples from his own experience.

D．He used the strategy of comparison and contrast.

3. What can we infer about climate change?

A．Climate change is caused by human activities.

B．Some people cast some doubts about climate change.

C．Climate change is less important than ocean pollution.

D．Ocean plastic is more complicated than climate change.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Ocean plastic is a global issue.

B．Blue Planet II has left viewers heartbroken.

C．The oceans become choked with plastic.

D．Plastics gain in popularity all over the world.

【推荐1】Soot (烟灰) pollution is speeding up climate-driven melting in Antarctica, a new study suggests, raising questions about how to protect the delicate continent from an increasing number of humans who want to visit the place.

“It really makes us question, ‘Is our presence really needed?’” says Alia Khan, one of the authors of the new study. “We have quite a large black carbon footprint in Antarctica, which is enhancing snow and ice melt.”

Black carbon is the leftover thing from burning plants or fossil fuels. Soot in Antarctica comes primarily from waste gases of cruise ships (游轮), vehicles and airplanes, although some pollution travels on the wind from other parts of the globe. The dark particles (微粒) coat white snow and absorb heat from the sun the way a black T-shirt does on a warm day. The blanket of dark bits speeds up melting, which has already been happening more quickly because of global warming.

When snow and ice are uncovered, they reflect an enormous amount of sunlight before it can turn into heat. “These are the mirrors on our planet,” says Sonia Nagorski, a scientist at the University of Alaska Southeast. “When those mirrors are covered in a film of dark bits, they don’t send back that much light and heat. That means more heat is trapped on Earth, speeding up melting and contributing to global warming.”

As a scientist who personally visits Antarctica every year, Khan says she is troubled by her own research results. On the one hand, she goes to Antarctica to collect crucial data about how quickly the snow and ice there are disappearing. “But then when we come to conclusions like this, it really does make us think twice about how frequently we need to visit the continent,” she says, “and what kinds of regulations should be placed on tourism as well.” That could mean requiring that cruise ships and vehicles be electric, for example, or limiting the number of visitors each year.

1. What does the underlined word “It” refer to in Paragraph 2?

A．That thick snow and ice cover Antarctica all year round.

B．More and more people’s hoping to explore Antarctica.

C．Stopping soot from approaching Antarctica.

D．Tapping natural resources in Antarctica.

2. Why is a black T-shirt spoken of in Paragraph 3?

A．To make a guess.	B．To make a comment.
C．To make a comparison.	D．To make a conclusion.

3. What does Sonia Nagorski express in Paragraph 4?

A．Heat can be made full use of in Antarctica.

B．Uncovered snow and ice can trap more heat.

C．Speeding up melting can slow down global warming.

D．Snow and ice covered with dark particles reflect less sunlight.

4. What can we infer from what Khan says in the last paragraph?

A．She helps make regulations about travel in Antarctica.

B．She often leads tourists to visit Antarctica.

C．Trips to Antarctica should be controlled.

D．Tourism can help to develop Antarctica.

【推荐2】Several hundred strangers received “love letters” from a young man on the street. The letter was written and given out by Yang Yang, a student majoring in human resources at Chongqing University of Science and Technology, who hoped to show his disappointment with job hunting.

Yang’s story has caught media attention perhaps because it is similar to those of millions of recent graduates seeking jobs and struggling for survival in the country’s wealthiest cities. They have diplomas, rather than professional skills, and come to big cities in hopes of better lives, only to find low-paying jobs and poor living conditions.

They are China’s “ant tribe (蚁族)”, a term created by sociologist Lian Si from Peking University in his 2009 book, Ant Tribe. “They’re so similar to ants. They share small and narrow living areas. They’re intelligent and hard-working, yet nameless and underpaid.” The term also speaks to their helplessness in a world governed by the law of the jungle -- only the strongest survive.

A survey in Lian’s another book published this year, Ant Tribe II, found nearly 30 percent of “ants” are graduates of famous universities—almost three times last year’s percentage. Most had degrees in popular majors. In addition, 7.2 percent of “ants” have at least a master’s degree compared to 1.6 percent in 2009.

An “ant’s” average monthly salary is l,904 yuan, with about 64 percent of them earning less than 2,000 yuan a month.

Another survey in the 2010 Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Talent found more than 1 million “ants” live in big cities.

“Most ants are from rural families or small towns, and their experiences in universities didn’t arm them well enough to fight with competitors in big cities’ employment markets.” Professor Zhang Ming at Renmin University of China said.

The “ant tribe’s” embarrassing living situations have become a serious social problem, and the government should develop smaller cities to attract more graduates from big cities, Zhang believed.

However, “ants” expect more study and training opportunities in big cities, which keeps them positive despite their situations.

1. Yang’s story is introduced in order to_________.

A．analyze graduates’ difficulties in finding jobs

B．lead to the topic of the article—“ant tribe”

C．tell readers a story about those big cities

D．show a clever way of dealing with pressure

2. The “ants” fail to find high-paying jobs mainly because__________.

A．they have no diplomas from good universities

B．their majors do not meet the needs of society

C．those from rural areas are not treated equally

D．they do not have necessary professional skills

3. “Ant tribe” members are similar to ants in the following aspects EXCEPT that_________.

A．they live in narrow and small places in groups

B．they work hard but earn little for survival

C．they are in a world judged by the jungle law

D．they are pleased with being nameless and underpaid

4. Professor Zhang thought “ants” problems could be solved by__________.

A．creating more jobs for graduates in big cities

B．developing smaller cities to attract graduates

C．sending graduates to rural areas and small towns

D．training graduates to improve their ability

【推荐3】Roller coasters are fast and exciting. But passing a painful kidney（肾）stone is not. The process is painful and can take a long time. But American researchers have found that a roller coaster ride just might help those suffering from a kidney stone. They say such rides help patients pass the stones with a 70 percent success rate.

David Wartinger led the study. He found that where the person sits on the roller coaster can make a big difference. He said, "In the pilot study, sitting in the last car of the roller coaster showed about a 64 percent success rate, while sitting in the first few cars only had a 16 percent success rate. "

When it comes to passing kidney stones, not all roller coasters are equal. The researchers used 174 kidney stones of different shapes, sizes and weights to see if each model worked on the same ride and on two other roller coasters. They found that Big Thunder Mountain was the only one that worked. The other two roller coasters both failed the test. Wartinger said the other rides were too fast and too violent. The movement forced the stones against the side of the kidney. He said that the ideal roller coaster is rough and quick with some twists and turns.

It also mattered where the stones were located in the kidney. The researchers found that stones located in the upper part of the kidney model were passed 100 percent.

Wartinger thinks roller coaster rides could really be used as an effective measure. He said that a yearly ride on a roller coaster could even prevent stones from developing. "You need to pay attention to the warnings before going on a roller coaster, " he said " If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements of the ride, you can absolutely try it. "

He adds that it's definitely a lower cost alternative to other treatments. And riding a roller coaster is definitely more interesting!

1. What might passing kidney stones be like?

A．Uncomfortable.

B．Quick.

C．Enjoyable.

D．Exciting.

2. Roller coaster treatment works better ________.

A．when the person sits in the first car of a roller coaster.

B．when the stone is forced against the side of the kidney.

C．when the stone is located in the lower part of the kidney.

D．when the person rides rough and fast roller coasters with twists and turns.

3. What's probably the advantage of riding a roller coaster?

A．It can prevent the development of kidney stones.

B．It can help anyone besides those with kidney stones.

C．It can prevent danger because of its clear warning.

D．It can apply to everyone with kidney stones effectively.

4. What attitude does Wartinger have towards roller coasters for people having a kidney stone?

A．Concerned.

B．Disapproving.

C．Favorable.

D．Doubtful.