Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, beginning in the 1970s, pioneered a method of planting young native species close together to quickly create tiny forests on urban wasteland. He found that protected areas around temples in Japan contained a huge variety of native plants that co-existed to produce adaptable and diverse ecosystems. The forests were layered together from four categories of native plantings: main tree species, sub-species, bushes, and ground-covering herbs. Using this four-category system, along with his explorations of the vegetation in Japan, Miyawaki designed his own system for planting forests.
Miyawaki forests can grow into mature ecosystems in just 20 years-about 10 times the growth speed of a traditional forest, explained Kazue Fujiwara who worked with Miyawaki. According to Fujiwara, the planting should center on the primary trees of the location. Native species require no maintenance (养护) after the first two years and are more likely to survive and grow well in the local environmental conditions. What's more, they provide an ideal home for endangered species.
When Shubhendu Sharma learned about Miyawaki's forest creation technique in 2009, the botanist created a forest at the Toyota factory in India where Sharma worked as an engineer. Shortly, he started a company to create similar forests, researching the method and trying it in his own backyard. He described his work in a 2014 TED Talk, and released his version of the instructions so anyone could learn how to create their own small native forest. Since then, Sharma's company, Afforestt, has helped plant forests in 44 cities.
Now, Miyawaki-style urban forests have been springing up across Europe. Cities in Asia are embracing the idea, with Pakistani minister announcing plans for 50 Miyawaki forests in Lahore, and Indian officials setting a target to plant 1,000 in Chennai.
1. What inspired Miyawaki to develop his method of planting forests?| A．A lack of urban green space. | B．The forests near the temples. |
| C．A drop of biodiversity in Japan. | D．The existence of much wasteland. |
| A．It grows much faster. | B．It is maintenance-free. |
| C．It remains resistant to any disease. | D．It is easier to live with invasive species. |
| A．He popularized the method. | B．He ran a woodwork business. |
| C．He wrote a book on Miyawaki. | D．He enjoyed seeing urban sights. |
| A．Mentioning. | B．Tolerating. | C．Evaluating. | D．Accepting. |
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【推荐1】Scientists are seeking new and creative ways to deal with climate change. As well as reducing our carbon dioxide sent into the air, scientists say we must remove the gas from the air to keep Earths temperature down.
One expert has now suggested pouring carbon dioxide into deep trenches (海沟), forming vast liquid lakes, Steve Goldthorpe, an energy analyst based in New Zealand, says the lakes could forever hold vast quantities of carbon dioxide. This is because once the gas reaches a depth of 3,000 meters it is denser (密度大) than water, meaning it naturally sinks to the seafloor.
“If liquid CO2 were to be placed in such a trench, it would be 7 per cent more dense than seawater and could remain forever as a lake of liquid CO2 on the ocean floor,” Mr Goldthorpe wrote in his paper, “the stored carbon dioxide could become solid over time, which would stop it mixing with ocean currents.”
Previously, experts have suggested burying the extra carbon dioxide deep underground, possibly in abandoned (废弃的) oil and gas fields. While first tests have shown that this method has potential, scientists are still unsure whether people would accept the fix.
Carbon dioxide lakes do form naturally in the cold, high-pressure depths of the ocean, but they are rare.
Researchers have previously given up the idea of ocean CO2 storage because it can make the water more acidic, which may affect ocean ecosystems. Mr Goldthorpe recognizes this in his paper, writing, “Any influence on deep ocean ecosystems would need to be examined.”
1. What is Goldthorpe’s way of fighting climate change?| A．To cut down carbon dioxide sent into air. |
| B．To make the most of the traditional ways. |
| C．To pour carbon dioxide deep into the ocean. |
| D．To dig a large lake for storing carbon dioxide. |
| A．the trench has to be deep enough |
| B．CO2 must first be changed into solid |
| C．the trench has to be large enough |
| D．CO2 must first be taken to the seafloor |
| A．natural storing places rarely exist |
| B．many oil and gas fields will have to be abandoned |
| C．scientists are unsure whether people would accept the fix |
| D．there are concerns on possible damage to the ocean ecosystem |
| A．doubtful | B．cautious |
| C．disapproving | D．determined |
【推荐2】For 21-year-old Malhar Kalambe, weekends are not about hanging out with friends. Instead, they have a different mission — cleaning the Datar Beach. Collectively， they have made such a huge difference to the beach that the United Nations has recognized their contributions.
“Actually the idea stemmed from my vacation to Bali, the clean beach leaving a great impression on me. After returning, I found our beaches in shambles. During a conversation with my mother, I was complaining about how bad our beaches are compared to beaches in Bali, and my mother just said, 'Don't complain, if you care, just go and clean. ? and thus 'Beach Please'," Malhar said. “It began on September 10, 2017 and since then cleaning the garbage on the beach has become a weekend routine. Currently, there are 25 odd volunteers spending our weekends cleaning the beach.”
After cleaning the beach for months, Malhar and his friends realized that it was of a little help and there is no end to this. They needed to contain the source which dumps garbage in the ocean. They found that the Mithi River is being used to dump the industrial waste, construction waste and even domestic waste into the ocean and they decided to also clean the river. Now on Saturday, they clean the Mithi River and on Sunday, they focus on the Datar Beach. In order to make a sustainable （可持续的）difference, they must make people understand that they have to stop dumping garbage into any source. “Awareness, recycling and cleaning up are three steps which can bring a change. I hope people realize it's their duty to keep their surroundings as well as the ocean clean,“ Malhar added.
1. What does the underlined phrase “in shambles” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Damp. | B．Messy. | C．Crowded. | D．Abandoned. |
| A．He likes hanging out with his friends. | B．He encourages his mother to join him. |
| C．He volunteers to clean the Datar Beach. | D．He complains his vacation to Bali to his friends. |
| A．Recycling most of domestic waste. |
| B．Calling for people to make a green trip. |
| C．Raising people's awareness of protecting the ocean. |
| D．Seeking for the source of the ocean pollution. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Considerate. | C．Outgoing. | D．Responsible. |
【推荐3】Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste
Plastic has been found virtually in everything these days. Your food is packaged in it. Your car, phone and computer are made from it.
Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to dramatically decrease the amount of plastic waste you produce.
One of the easiest ways to keep plastic out of the landfill is to refuse plastic straws. Simply inform your waiter or waitress that you don’t need one, and be sure to state this clearly when ordering at a drive-through. Can’t stand giving up the convenience of plastic straws?
Use reusable bags
About one million plastic bags are used every minute. A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade(降解). If you’re already bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, you’re on the right track. Purchase some reusable bags and help keep even more plastic out of the landfill. However, you should avoid those bags made from nylon or polyester (聚酯纤维).
Use matches
| A．Say no to plastic straws |
| B．Choose cotton ones instead |
| C．Don’t use plastic containers |
| D．Choose matches instead of plastic lighters |
| E．Most restaurants will have no problem with it |
| F．And you might even chew it daily in the form of gum |
| G．Purchase a reusable stainless steel or glass drinking straw |
【推荐1】Did you ever want to see Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey in 15 minutes? Then BA London Eye is the one for you.
British Airways London Eye, formerly called as the Millennium Wheel, is situated on the south bank of the River Thames on the Jubilee Gardens. It is situated between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Footbridge in Lambeth and adjacent to (比邻) Old Country Building. It stands opposite to Houses of Parliament.
It started with a vision of Architect couple David Marks and Julia Barfields, who had competed for millennium ideas contest conducted by Sunday Times, a British newspaper in 1993 to welcome year 2000 splendidly. Regrettably, the contest was scrapped, but the couple persisted with their dream project by forming a company for this undertaking, eventually grabbing the attention of Evening Standard, another British newspaper. British Airways, after noticing this widely publicized article, agreed to fund, foreseeing the vital contribution of this project to London’s skyline and its tourism, giving a spectacular view of this fascinating city that was otherwise not visible to the Londoners.
The entire construction resembles a giant cycle wheel, with a diameter of 135m (443ft) and weighing 1,700 tons of steel and 2,000 tons at the foundation reaching almost 30m deep! It is the largest observation wheel built so far, making even Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, look up to it. It is the 4th highest structure in London. Canary Wharf Towers, BT Tower and Tower 42 are the higher three.
The whole structure was designed in parts in various countries, later fully assembled on Thames bank. With the dedication of 1,700 workers, this structure was realized in 16 months, just in time to welcome the millennium. Tony Blair inaugurated (为……举行开幕式) it on December 31st, 1999 and a minor safety concern regarding clutching delayed its opening to public, which finally happened 3 months behind the schedule in March 2000.
1. Opposite British Airways London Eye is .| A．Westminster Bridge | B．Hungerford Footbridge |
| C．Old Country Building | D．Houses of Parliament |
| A．Evening Standard | B．Sunday Times |
| C．David Marks and Julia Barfields | D．British Airways |
| A．Big Ben | B．Canary Wharf Towers | C．BT Tower | D．Tower 42 |
| A．asked for another newspaper for help |
| B．won the first prize in millennium ideas contest |
| C．had wanted to complete their dream project on their own |
| D．would have given up their idea without British Airways |
| A．The structure wasn’t completed in time. |
| B．The structure was designed in different countries. |
| C．Something wrong happened at the last moment. |
| D．People were not completely sure about its safety. |
In the eastern United States, one of the existing types was that commonly know under the Algonkian name of wigwam in which the Iroquois Indians lived. The wigwams were of wagon-top shape with straight sides and ends, made by bending young trees to form the round shape. Over this shape pieces of tree bark were laid to protect the Indians from bad weather. Over the bark dried grass was added. A small hole allowed smoke to escape from the top. Doorways at each end served also as windows. The Iroquois Indians built trunk walls all around their villages. The wall had only one opening. They could quickly close this cpening if their enemies came near.
Interestingly, the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi also lived in a wigwam of a most primitive (原始的) construction, but different from those of the Iroquois Indians. The Choctaw Indians’wigwams, made from mud,cane and straw, were in the form of a bee-hive. The covering was made of a long, tough grass. A post in the centre supported the roof. A hole in the top admitted the light, and allowed the smoke to pass out.
The tipi tent-housing of the upper lake and plains area was put up with poles set lightly in the ground, tied together near the top, and covered with bark and grass in the lake country. It was easily portable, and two women could set it up or take it down within an hour.
The Pawnee, Mandan and other Indian tribes (部落) along the Missouri built solid ring-shaped structhures of trunk, covered with earth and dried grass,housing adozen families.
The Wichita and other tribes of the Texas border built large ring-shaped houses covered with dried grass.
Apart from the regular housing, almost every tribe had some style of housing.
1. Which of the follwing pictures shows the house for the Iroquois Indians？
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．with openings in the trunk walls | B．large enough for several families |
| C．in a ring shape with bark and mud | D．by bending young trees to form the shape |
| A．of the same shape | B．covered with grass |
| C．built with a post in the centre | D．built with doorways at each end |
| A．all the native Indians built trunk walls all around their houses |
| B．all the native Indian houses were built with poles tied together |
| C．the Iroquois Indians took safety into account while building their wigwams |
| D．the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi built their wigwams with straight sides and ends |
【推荐3】In 2020, Americans spent 8.3 billion hours trapped in traffic. During traffic jams, the average car used an extra 19 gallons of gas. This amounts to $190 billion in lost time and fuel each year. Fortunately, researchers are working to reduce the traffic jams, whether by the development of driverless cars or the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in traffic lights.
Lack of traffic signal timing is a main cause of traffic jams. A new system uses software to decide when the traffic signal timing is not doing well or when it is making progress. The method was better than all other former approaches in testing.
The researchers built an advanced traffic simulator (模拟器) to train their program, teaching it to deal with different traffic and weather conditions. When the system was tested on a real crossroad, it adapted to real traffic crossings. It could be effective in many real-world environments in the future. The researchers hope to begin testing their system on real roads this year.
Dr. George Vogiatzis, a professor of Aston University, said, “This program can understand the situations it hasn’t experienced before. We have tested this with a physical obstacle that causes traffic jams instead of the traffic light waiting time, and the system still works well. As long as there is a cause of traffic jam, the computer will finally find out what the cause is.”
1. How do researchers work to reduce the traffic jams?| A．By spending 8.3 billion hours trapped in traffic. | B．By developing driverless cars or using AI in traffic lights. |
| C．By using an extra 19 gallons of gas. | D．By losing an amount of $190 billion fuel each year. |
| A．Lack of traffic signal timing. | B．The light from the traffic signals. |
| C．The location of traffic signals. | D．The number of vehicles on the road. |
| A．This year. | B．In the future. | C．It’s hard to know. | D．It depends on the weather. |
| A．The system can solve all the causes of traffic jams. |
| B．The program is expected to be available this year. |
| C．The program can tell different types of causes of traffic jams. |
| D．The program can only deal with the situations it has experienced before. |
