The founder of Earth Day was Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin. During the late 1960s, Americans witnessed the uninvited side effects of high productivity. Factories and power plants were sending out smoke and industrial waste while Americans were using petrol for their massive(大量的) cars, making air pollution almost synonymous with the nation’s development.
What moved Senator Nelson to action was the 1969 massive oil spill in California, the largest in the United States at that time. The spill proved to be an environmental nightmare as it had a significant effect on marine life, killing about 3,500 sea birds, as well as marine animals such as dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions, fueling public anger. Inspired by the student antiwar movement at that period of time, Nelson found it an appropriate time to direct the energy of the students towards a fight for environmental protection. He decided that it was time to educate the Americans on the need to protect the environment. Thus Earth Day was born in 1970, and public environmental awareness took centre stage.
On 22nd April 1970, millions of Americans took to the street and thousands of students marched to appeal for a healthy, sustainable environment. There was now a new synergy(协同作用) among different groups which had previously been fighting their causes related to the environment. Their fight for environmental conservation became so overwhelming that affected businesses were forced to follow environmental standards if they wanted to continue their operations.
As it became more apparent that environmental issues were not just localized ones but a global concern, the year 1990 saw Earth Day reach out to many more around the world. Earth Day 1990 helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together many nations for a united effort towards protecting the environment.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “synonymous with” in paragraph 1?| A．familiar with | B．opposite to |
| C．different from | D．equal to |
| A．To support students’ antiwar movement. |
| B．To draw people’s attention to the seriousness of the oil spill. |
| C．To arouse American’s awareness of environmental conservation. |
| D．To educate Americans to protect marine life threatened by oil spill events. |
| A．Businesses would like to follow environmental standards. |
| B．Earth Day united people to fight for environmental protection. |
| C．It was the side effects of high productivity that led Nelson to take action. |
| D．The 1992 United Nations Earth Summit made Earth Day known to more countries. |
| A．how Earth Day came into being |
| B．why Earth Day was so significant |
| C．who the founder of Earth Day was |
| D．what Earth Day meant to the world |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Let’s take a look at these traditional events in the UK.
World Gurning Championships
Gurning is a British word meaning to pull a funny facial expression. The World Gurning Championships sets out to crown(加冕) a contestant who can pull the strangest face of all. The contest takes place every year in Egremont, Cumbria, as part of the town’s Crab Fair, which dates back to 1267.
Nettle eating contest
Hosted by the Bottle Inn pub in Marsh wood, Dorset every year, this 20-year-old nettle eating contest sees dozens of competitors take part in eating as many nettle stalks(荨麻茎) as possible within one hour. Winners normally eat around 70ft of nettle stalks!
Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival
Every January, the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival takes place, which dates back more than 200 years. The strange festival consists of a performer wearing a five-stone metal and straw bear costume, while parading through the town streets with a group of Appalachian and Morris dancers.
Wife carrying race
If you think your husband is strong enough to carry you in a race, then you may be in with a chance of winning this odd tradition, held in Dorking, Surrey every March. The sport actually originates from the Viking invasion(入侵) of 793 AD. The tradition wasn’t revived in the UK until 2008, but now comes with a friendlier feel. The winner receives £100, while the carrier of the heaviest wife is given a pound of sausage.
1. What do we know about World Gurning Championships?| A．It was briefly banned. | B．It is part of another activity. |
| C．It attracts funny-looking players. | D．It originates from an English word. |
| A．Wife carrying race. | B．Nettle eating contest. |
| C．Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival. | D．World Gurning Championships. |
| A．They are held in the wild. | B．They are yearly events. |
| C．They are invented by farmers. | D．They’re only for strong players. |
【推荐2】World's Best Summer Music Festivals
The Governors Ball Music Festival
A relative newcomer to the summer music festival scene, the Governors Ball offers a variety of performers and a taste of New York culture. Visitors can catch sets from rock, electronica, and performers, all while tasting food from popular New York City restaurants. To take a break from the music, festival-goers can participate in activities such as Silent Disco or lawn(草坪) games.
WHERE: New York City
WHEN: June 3-5
Roskilde Festival
Created by two Danish college students, Roskilde has developed from a hippie(嬉皮士) gathering ground to a mainstream music festival. The festival attracts an international following and features performances from more than 3 ,000 artists. Bands include a mix of contemporary and lesser-known performers. and visitors can watch their favorite artists perform inside large tents.
WHERE: Roskilde, Denmark
WHEN: June 25-July 2
Montreux Jazz Festival
Set on Lake Geneva's beautiful shoreline. the Montreux Jazz Festival attracts a global audience. Founded in 1967 as a jazz-only festival, Montreux has since evolved into a two-week-long showcase that attracts more than 200. 000 music enthusiasts. Performances don't end on the shore; visitors can catch themed shows from boats and train cars.
WHERE: Montreux, Switzerland
WHEN: July 1-16
Rock al Parque
Rock al Parque is proud of an attendance of 88, 600 visitors a day. Most music festivals require tickets, but the participation in the three-day festival is free of charge. Festival-goers line up to watch performances from some of Latin America's most popular artists, but the festival also offers sets from international bands.
WHERE: Bogota, Colombia
WHEN: July 2-4
1. What can you do at the Governors Ball Music Festival?| A．Dance in local restaurants. | B．Take part in relaxing activities. |
| C．Watch performances from boats. | D．Enjoy food from the whole country. |
| A．It lasts the longest time. |
| B．Its modern Jazz is popular. |
| C．It provides themed shows to visitors. |
| D．Its foundation originates with two college students. |
| A．Roskilde Festival. | B．Rock al Parque. |
| C．Montreux Jazz Festival. | D．The Governors Ball Music Festival. |
【推荐3】A decade ago, many Japanese were so embarrassed to be seen eating alone in the school or office cafeteria that they'd choose to eat in a single bathroom. Appearing friendless was a no-no, leading to a phenomenon — taking a “toilet lunch”
“Japan is changing in a big way,” says Miki Tateishi who serves drinks at Bar Hitori (hitori means “one person”) in Tokyo designed for certain drinkers. The bar, which opened in mid-2018, represents an unusual opportunity to go out and drink by oneself in conformity (遵从)-driven Japan And it's doing well: Instead of hiding in toilets, people are stepping out and accepting their being seen alone.
Yet Bar Hitori is by no means the only example of how businesses arc changing to accommodate people who want to do things by themselves. From dining to nightlife to travel, new options catering specifically to individuals have appeared in recent years. It’s known as the ohitorisama movement: People bravely choose to do things alone regardless of others’ opinions. But in a country where being pan of the group has always been highly-prized, it is a big deal. However, negative social pressures around being alone have reduced. “These social pressures you have to get married, or you have to have a child are decreasing,” says Matsushita. a senior consultant Japan’s largest economic research firm.
And it's not the decrease in population but the appearance of more flexible attitudes about how lives can be lived that has helped ohitorisama to boom. “It’s only 10 years ago they said ‘lunch in a toilet’,” says Matsushita. “But, after 10 years, we have so many services for people alone. People tend to think positively about being alone.”
1. What do customers most probably do at Bar Hitori?| A．Chat with their friends. | B．Take a “toilet lunch”. |
| C．Volunteer to serve drinks. | D．Have drinks alone. |
| A．“Lunch in a toilet” isn't accepted. |
| B．Being alone is supported at present. |
| C．Young people approve of early marriage. |
| D．Services for people alone should be improved. |
| A．Tolerant attitudes appear. | B．The economy grows. |
| C．The population reduces. | D．Social pressures increase. |
| A．Rise of Japan’s “toilet lunch” | B．The dilemma of young Japanese |
| C．Japan’s culture of being alone | D．A booming new business in Japan |
【推荐1】Lisa Gautier receives nearly a dozen parcels of human hair every day. With her San-Francisco-based non-profit organization Matter of Trust, Gautier turns donated hair into mats used to soak up oil spills on land, and booms (long tubes) used for spills at sea.
A standard way to clean up oil from land is to use mats made from polypropylene (聚丙烯). But polypropylene is a non-biodegradable plastic, and producing it ultimately means more drilling for oil. Hair, by contrast, is an environmentally friendly resource that can soak up around five times its weight in oil, according to Matter of Trust, and it is abundant.
Oil spills can pollute drinking water, endanger public health, harm plants and wildlife, and damage the economy. According to Gautier, the spills that hit the headlines only make up 5% of global oil pollution.
Megan Murray, an environmental biologist at the University of Technology Sydney, develops sustainable technologies to tackle oil spills. Her research indicates that as well as being biodegradable, human hair is often just as effective as polypropylene, and in some circumstances even better. “The hair mats are very beneficial to land spills,” says Murray but adds that when raw oil is spilled on beach sand, it is very difficult to absorb it using any of the materials she has tested. Another advantage of hair is that it costs less than conventional materials and is “globally accessible as a recycled material,” she says.
However, Murray cautions that hair mats are not a perfect solution, because they are single-use, and can only be dealt with by burning or by burying into soil which then isn’t suitable for growing food. She is now researching methods to extract the oil from a used hair mat, meaning both can be reused.
As the hair mat designs aren’t under patent, other groups have begun producing their own mats and booms. Gautier is pleased to see the movement growing. “Anyone can make a hair mat,” she says. “It creates green jobs, it cleans water, it reduces waste in landfill, and it’s promoting renewable resources.”
1. What do we know about polypropylene according to the passage?| A．People need more oil to produce polypropylene. |
| B．Polypropylene can soak up five times its weight in oil. |
| C．It is biodegradable and environmentally friendly. |
| D．People seldom use mats made from it to clean up oil from land. |
| A．Hair mats do no harm to soil after being burnt. |
| B．Hair mats are not a perfect solution because they can’t be recycled now. |
| C．People spend more to make hair mats than conventional materials. |
| D．The effect of hair mats on terrestrial (陆地上的) spills is not very good. |
| A．Most oil-spill events have received widespread media coverage. |
| B．Lisa Gautier donated her hair to soak up oil spills on land and at sea. |
| C．Megan Murray goes all out to make the hair mats and the oil extracted from them reused. |
| D．There are many other materials used to treat oil spills on beach sand besides hair. |
| A．How to Tackle Oil Spills |
| B．A Perfect Recycled Material—Human Hair |
| C．Take Action to Make Hair Mats And Booms |
| D．Human Hair Is Being Used to Clean Up Oil Spills |
【推荐2】Scientists are preparing to launch the world's first machine to clean up the planet's largest mass of ocean plastic.
The experts believe the machine should be able to collect half of the detritus in the patch – about 40,000 metric tons – within five years. In the past few weeks they have been busy welding together giant tubes that will sit on the surface of the sea and form the skeleton of the machine, creating the largest floating barrier ever made。
The system, originally dreamed up by Mr. Slat, will be shipped out this summer to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California, and which contains an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic. It will be the first ever attempt to tackle the patch since it was discovered in 1997.
Mr. Slat was 16 and still at school when he was diving in Greece and first saw for himself the amount of plastic polluting the sea. “There were more bags than fish down there,” he recalls. Two years later he came up with a solution, quit university after six months and set up The Ocean Cleanup as a company. Mr. Slat, 23, says the first plastic to arrive on shore will be a major milestone. “We as a humanity created this problem, so I think it's our responsibility also to help solve it,” he said.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) spans 617,763 sq miles - more than twice the size of France, and contains at least 79,000 tons of plastic, research found last month. Most of it is made up of “ghost gear” – parts of abandoned and lost fishing gear, such as nets and ropes – often from illegal fishing vessels.
Ghost gear kills more than 100,000 whales, dolphins and seals each year, according to scientific surveys. Seabirds and other marine life are increasingly being found dead with stomachs full of small pieces of plastic. Creatures eat plastic discarded in the sea thinking it’s food but then starve to death because they are not feeding properly. Others are trapped and die of starvation or are strangled or suffocated by ghost gear.
1. What does the underlined word in the second paragraph probably mean?| A．waste. | B．ocean. |
| C．system. | D．machine. |
| A．fishing vessels |
| B．dolphins and seals |
| C．giant tubes |
| D．abandoned fishing gear |
| A．because they were killed by Ghost gear. |
| B．because they were suffocated by ghost gear. |
| C．because they didn't like eating plastic. |
| D．because they are not feeding properly. |
| A．news about the first machine to clean up ocean plastic. |
| B．report about the death of marine life |
| C．information about ocean plastic. |
| D．the reason for inventing a machine. |
【推荐3】Two thirds of the ice in the glaciers (冰川) of the Alps is doomed! These glaciers will melt by the end of the century as global temperatures rise, according to a recent study.
Scientists claim that half the ice held in some 4,000 Alpine glaciers will disappear by 2050 due to global warming through the effect of past emissions. After that, even if carbon emissions drop to zero, two-thirds of the ice will still have melted by 2100. If emissions continue to rise at the current rate, the ice tongues will have all but disappeared from Alpine valleys by the end of the century. The most pessimistic prediction tells us that the Alps will be mostly ice-free by 2100. Only isolated ice patches would remain at high altitudes, representing five per cent, at most, of the ice volume seen today.
The researchers warn that the loss of these glaciers will mean much less water is available for farming and hydroelectricity, especially during droughts. It would also affect nature and tourism.
In February, a study found that a third of the huge ice fields in Asia’s towering mountain chains were also under threat for the same reasons. This will lead to serious consequences for almost two billion people who live downstream. Glaciers along the Hindu Kush and Himalayan range are at higher, colder altitudes. If global carbon emissions are not cut, however, two-thirds of their ice could be gone by 2100.
The latest research combined computer models with real-world data to forecast the fate of the glaciers. It used 2017 as its starting point. Unlike previous work, these models included how the glaciers move down the mountains. Applying this approach to other glaciated mountain chains could improve ice loss forecasts there.
Cutting the emissions from fossil-fuel burning, deforestation and other polluting activities is the biggest factor in minimizing the melting of the ice. The future of these glaciers is indeed at risk, but there is still a possibility of limiting their disappearance.
1. What does the underlined word “doomed” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Polluted. | B．Discovered. | C．Endangered. | D．Abandoned. |
| A．Emissions have much to do with the ice melting. |
| B．The Alps is expected to lose all its ice by 2100. |
| C．Ice loss will be avoided with emissions prevented. |
| D．Large ice pieces will just exist at the mountain top. |
| A．To explain how glacier melting came about. |
| B．To imply pollution is a worldwide problem. |
| C．To show what consequences ice melting will cause. |
| D．To indicate the Alps is not alone to face ice melting. |
| A．Objective. | B．Optimistic. | C．Critical. | D．Doubtful. |
【推荐1】To some, a cow’s burp (打嗝) might seem like a small thing. But in New Zealand, cows outnumber people by two to one. There are only five million people in New Zealand, which is home to 10 million cows and 26 million sheep.
Cows do not easily digest the grass they eat — instead, they ferment (发酵) it in their stomachs. The process releases a lot of gas. So, every time someone eats beef or drinks milk, the process of getting that product comes at a high cost to the environment. The cows produce methane (甲烷) gas. While the gas does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it has a much stronger effect on global warming.
The scientists in New Zealand are working on ways to reduce the amount of gas that comes out of the cows.They are considering changing the food the animals eat or putting a device on the cows to change the methane into something innocuous. There is also talk of feeding the cows a kind of special red seaweed or giving them a food addition that would help them digest the grass.
In addition, farmers want a solution. That is because New Zealand has announced plans to tax farmers whose animals produce too much methane gas. The farmers say they will be affected if the tax plan goes into effect.
A farmer running a farm in the town of Featherston,in the Wellington Region, is trying to get more milk from each cow. The increased efficiency means he does not need as many cows, which in turn reduces the amount of methane coming from his farm. At a farmer level, he is doing his bit to help save the planet.
The fight against methane is serious in NewZealand. The country promised to reduce the gas produced by farm animals by up to 47 percent by the.year 2050.
1. Why does cows’ burping become a problem in Name Zealand?| A．The cows consume much grass. |
| B．New Zealanders prefer milk. |
| C．The number of the cows is too large. |
| D．The cows have the digestive problem. |
| A．Harmless. | B．Useful. |
| C．Rare. | D．Inexpensive. |
| A．They can’t afford the rising costs. |
| B．They will raise fewer cows. |
| C．They can’t increase milking efficiency. |
| D．They will face a heavier burden. |
| A．Climate Change: Cow Burping Is to Blame |
| B．Methane Gas: The Fight Against It Is Serious |
| C．Global Warming: New Zealand Targets Cow Burps |
| D．Cow Burping: Scientists Look for Ways to Stop It |
【推荐2】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．Quick. | B．Enjoyable. |
| C．Exciting. | D．Uncomfortable. |
| A．when the person rides rough and fast roller coasters with twists and turns. |
| B．when the person sits in the first car of a roller coaster. |
| C．when the stone is forced against the side of the kidney. |
| D．when the stone is located in the lower part of the kidney. |
| A．It can prevent danger because of its clear warning. |
| B．It can prevent the development of kidney stones. |
| C．It can help anyone besides those with kidney stones. |
| D．It can apply to everyone with kidney stones effectively. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Disapproving. |
【推荐3】Wind power is a powerful tool for reducing carbon emissions (排放) that cause climate change. The turbines (涡轮), however, can be a threat to birds, which is why experts are looking for ways to limit the danger.
A company in Boulder, Colorado has produced a camera-and-AI-based technology that can recognize eagles and other birds as they approach in enough time to pause turbines in their flight path. Their tool, called IdentiFlight, can detect 5.62 times more bird flights than human observers alone, and with an accuracy rate of 94 percent. Using high-precision visual sensors, the system calculates a bird’s speed and flight track, and if it is on a collision (碰撞) path with a turbine, a signal is sent to shut that turbine down.
Winning an award for its performance in Australia, the tracking system was built in 2018 at a Tasmanian equipment and was found to cut eagle deaths at the Cattle Hill Wind Farm by more than four-fifths. Each day, signals have shut-down their movement an average of 400 times — across the field of 48 turbines — for two to three minutes each time.
Bird lover and director of National Audubon Society's Clean Energy Initiative, Garry George, admits, “Our own science shows that climate change is by far the biggest threat to birds and the places wildlife need to survive. IdentiFlight will make it possible to fight the worst effects of climate change and at the same time protect the birds we love in the process.”
1. What contribute to IdentiFlight detecting birds' approaching?| A．Cameras and AI. | B．Human observers. | C．Changes to turbines. | D．Birds' flying habits. |
| A．The turbine is stopped temporarily. | B．The turbine changes the bird's track. |
| C．The turbine kills the approaching bird. | D．The turbine is out of work permanently. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Reserved. | C．Approving. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．AI Keeps Track of Birds | B．Powerful Tools Save Nature |
| C．Climate Change Leads to Bird Death | D．AI Helps Wind Turbines Protect Birds |
