“One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” That’s a common expression, but the next time you throw something away, think about a twist on the old saying. What if your trash could become your own treasure? Many creative, thrifty, and environmentally minded people have come up with a way to make that happen. It’s called upcycling. Our world would be a better place if everyone would begin upcycling.
Upcycling is the practice of taking an unwanted item and turning it into something useful. For example, how about that pair of jeans with a hole in one knee? It could become a new pillow for your bedroom.
Upcycling is not the same as recycling. Upcycling is actually much better for the environment. Recycling takes an item made of glass, paper, metal, or plastic, breaks it down to its base material, and then uses that material to make another product. This requires a great deal of energy. On the other hand, when you choose to upcycle, the only energy you use is your own. And upcycling not only reduces the amount of trash that goes into our landfills, but it also protects natural resources, such as oil and gas. Recycling is good for the environment, but upcycling is even better.
Upcycling also makes a family’s budget stretch further. Of course, the idea of reusing items to save money is not new. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, many families lived on a tight budget. People had to use what they already had in order to meet their needs.
As responsible citizens, we should all be concerned with protecting our environment and budgeting our resources. Upcycling is a fun and creative way to help. The next time you go to toss something into the trash can, stop and think about what it could become. Chances are, there’s a brand-new item in your hand just waiting to be upcycled.
1. Why does the author mention an old saying in the first paragraph?A.To arise reader’s awareness of upcycling. |
B.To stress the importance of upcycling. |
C.To lead in the topic of upcycling. |
D.To show the idea of upcycling. |
A.An old ladder is transformed into a bookshelf. |
B.Old tin cans are transported to landfill. |
C.A broken wooden door is chopped up. |
D.Old cloth is made into a paper bed. |
A.Upcycling is much more creative. |
B.Recycling is much easier to achieve. |
C.Recycling is much more cost-saving. |
D.Upcycling is much more energy-efficient. |
A.Upcycling is popular at present. |
B.Upcycling is replacing recycling. |
C.Upcycling is worth recommending. |
D.Upcycling is a tradition in daily life. |
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【推荐1】The ocean environment has been a heated topic of late. It was discussed and explored during World Water Week, held from Aug 20 to 24 in Stockholm, Sweden. During the week, Naomi Park from the US received the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2023 for her research on the removal of carbon dioxide and oil products from the ocean, reported AFP News.
The ocean absorbs nearly a third of carbon dioxide emissions in the air, and 1.3 million gallons of crude oil are spilled into oceans every year, according to the Stockholm International Water Institute. Both issues continue to affect the biodiversity of the ocean and human health. In her research, Park developed a method to remove these contaminants.
Speaking on winning the prize, Park said it was a project she did in her high school. “I never realized that I would get to this point.”
The jury (评判委员会) noted that “the student created a ‘sponge (海绵)’ that absorbs both carbon dioxide and oil products from the ocean. She built a model and tested it — in multiple conditions, even simulating (模拟) ocean waves — with impressive results.”
For Park, her exploration of environmental sustainability is motivated by witnessing the local impacts of the climate crisis with her own eyes. “Seeing these changes in your community really makes you believe that the time for action is now,” she said.
Her next step may be to pursue a patent for the device. Andy Bramante, Park’s teacher and the science research director at Greenwich High School, said seeing young scientists develop their original ideas at this age is very exciting.
1. What did Park receive the Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2023 for?A.Her research on climate change. | B.Her work on ocean biodiversity. |
C.Her device for cleaning the ocean. | D.Her experiment with ocean waves. |
A.Pollutants. | B.Advertisements. | C.Opponents. | D.Dilemmas. |
A.It was her high school ambition. | B.It was beyond her expectations. |
C.It was a result of her team’s efforts. | D.It was the first step to apply for a patent. |
A.Her desire for recognition. | B.Her teacher’s encouragement. |
C.Seeing changes in her local area. | D.Learning about the value of the ocean. |
【推荐2】Labels placed on fast food items stressing their high climate impact may influence consumers to make more sustainable (可持续的) choices, new study results show.
Food accounts for around one-third of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions, while animal-based foods like red meat and dairy products make up a large part of these emissions.
Researchers carried out a randomized clinical trial with more than 5,000 participants to determine whether calling attention to red meat’s climate impact could change consumer menu selections.
Individuals were shown a simple online fast food menu and asked to select an item for dinner. A control group received a menu with a quick response code label on all items and no climate labels. Another group received a menu with green low-climate impact labels, positively framing choices like fish, chicken, or vegetarian choices. The third group received a menu with red high-climate labels on items containing red meat, negatively framing the choices.
Results showed 23 percent more participants in the high climate label group ordered a sustainable, non-red meat choice, and 10 percent more in the low-climate group ordered a sustainable choice, compared with controls.
“In the United States, meat consumption, red meat consumption in particular, often exceeds (超过) recommended levels based on national dietary guidelines,” researchers wrote in the study. “Shifting current dietary patterns toward more sustainable diets with lower amounts of red meat consumed could reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emissions by up to 55 percent.”
Extra red meat consumption can also be harmful to human health and has been linked with increased risks of diabetes and certain cancers. Fast food restaurants are a key source of red meat in many Americans’ diets, authors noted, adding more than one-third of U.S. individuals consume fast food on a given day.
“These results suggest that menu labeling, particularly labels warning that an item has high climate impact, can be an effective strategy for encouraging more sustainable food choices in a fast food setting,” said lead study author Julia Wolfson, an associate professor from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
1. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about?A.The research objects. | B.The research findings. |
C.The research purpose. | D.The research process. |
A.Changing. | B.Removing. | C.Gathering. | D.Searching. |
A.Consumers prefer labeled menus. | B.Red meat can result in many diseases. |
C.Menu labeling helps reduce climate impact. | D.Two-thirds of Americans like to eat fast food. |
A.Fast Food and Climate Change | B.Menu Labeling for Greener Choices |
C.Increasingly Popular Menu Labeling | D.Red Meat Consumption and Health Risks |
【推荐3】The public nowadays has a misunderstanding of forest fires, believing that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smokey the Bear’s famous warning: “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires”. However, that’s not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger, uncontrollable wildfires.
After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into recently burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the pine snake prefer forests frequently burned by fire. As Herbert Stoddard put it, “One of the most harmful things modern man has done to birds has been his attempt to exclude fire from fire-type pine (松树) forests. Within a few years most forests choke up with bushes, lose their prairie-like vegetation (草原般植被) and can no longer support birds dependent on periodic burning for their food supply and proper cover.”
If you are asked to picture the forest floor, what do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind — all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up without any type of removal, the ‘fuel load’ can lead to fires catastrophic to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fire can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at an appropriate and manageable level. They can also minimize the spread of pest insects and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the growth of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.
Many organizations and agencies work to promote fire on the landscape when and where appropriate. Smoky Bear even has an updated warning: “Only You can Prevent Wildfires,” as the Forest Service has over the last few decades developed policies and procedures to include prescribed fire as a management tool, as well as continuing their work to prevent and fight wildfires.
1. What can benefit birds according to Herbert Stoddard?A.Forest bushes. | B.Fuel sources. | C.Periodic burning. | D.Pine forests. |
A.preventable | B.planned | C.wild | D.damaging |
A.To keep the forest in balance. | B.To keep the fuel rich in the forest. |
C.To put out wildfires. | D.To remove tree and plant species. |
A.Never Keep The Forest Fire Burning | B.Not All Forest Fires Are Created Equal |
C.Where There Is Smoke There Is A Fire | D.One Match Can Start A Forest Fire |
【推荐1】People who work with octopuses(章鱼)or who spend a lot of time in their company describe the sense that when you look at an octopus, there is something looking back. Given this feeling as a starting point, how do you begin to explore the consciousness(意识)of an animal so unlike ourselves?
Imagining an octopus’s inner life is a hard thing to do from our human standpoint. When you picture the tips of your suckered limbs moving, what do you imagine it feels like? “The octopus’s arms are, in some ways, more like lips or tongues than hands,” says Godfrey-Smith, a professor of history and philosophy of science. “There’s a great deal of sensory information that’s coming in every time the animal does anything. That’s very different from our situation.”
Take a closer look at the octopus’s nervous system, and things get even stranger. The octopus’s arms have more autonomy than our human arms and legs do. Each has its own minibrain, giving it a degree of independence from the animal’s central brain. Our own nervous system, however, is highly centralized, with the brain the center of sensory integration, emotion, movement, behavior and other actions.
The closer you look at the octopus’s body and nervous system, the harder it becomes to grasp—or believe you are grasping—what it might be like to be an octopus. However hard it might be to do, it’s worth trying to understand whether octopuses have consciousness, and what it’s like if they do, says Godfrey-Smith. This is why the octopus is such an interesting case. Octopuses are different enough from us that a lot of our assumptions about them have to be questioned—and even our assumptions about ourselves. “By asking whether octopuses are conscious like us, we might be asking a question that doesn’t make a lot of sense because we don’t fully know what it’s like to be conscious,” says Godfrey-Smith.
1. What does the author try to do in paragraph 1?A.Introduce his special feeling about studying octopuses. |
B.Share his unique experience of working with octopuses. |
C.Inspire the readers’ interest in learning about octopuses. |
D.Show the meaning of studying consciousness of animals. |
A.Their structure. | B.Their function. |
C.Their movement. | D.Their number. |
A.By listing statistics. | B.By analyzing causes. |
C.By giving examples. | D.By making comparisons. |
A.Octopuses are really similar to humans in some way. |
B.More work is needed to study octopuses’ consciousness. |
C.Most assumptions about octopuses are completely wrong. |
D.It makes no sense to research if octopuses are conscious. |
【推荐2】To learn an instrument(乐器) such as the violin or accordion(手风琴)takes years. There are fewer job opportunities and greater competition. Then why are more people than ever before paying a lot of good money to get their children the best music teaching they can afford?
The secret lies in the effect of music on the whole person. It has been found that learning a musical instrument actually increases a person’s IQ over time. Different instruments and different types of music have varying effect, with classical music and the string(弦乐) family coming out on top, potentially increasing your IQ by up to 12 points!
When is a good time to start learning music? Experts have found that even the fetus(胎儿)can benefit from listening to classical music. Surround yourself and your family with good music from the first. The Suzuki Piano Method teaches children from the age of 3 years piano, with two lessons per week. From preschool, children can learn to read music and play from sheet music. Progress in learning your instrument is directly proportional(成比例的)to the amount of practicing.
Is there such a thing as an unmusical child? Shinichi Suzuki says that music is the native home language of all human beings and therefore nobody can be “unmusical”. Of course there are exceptional talents, compared to which others may seem to be slower learners.
Is there any benefit for adults in starting an instrument? Apart from the purely relaxing aspect, yes. Learning an instrument can earn even adults additional IQ points, and as an added benefit in improves your health by reducing your stress levels. Your social life may benefit too, if you are prepared to come out of your box and join occasions such as Ceilidhs (musical get-togethers) or arrange house concerts. It is believed that people who play instruments tend to be more emotionally balanced(平衡) and more patient with themselves, others and life in general.
So go ahead, sign up for that amateur orchestra(业余乐队), dust off your old trombone(长号)or take your first real six-string down from the attic(阁楼); get out there and play!
1. Playing which of the following musical instruments can help increase a person’s IQ most?A.The piano | B.The violin |
C.The trombone | D.The accordion |
A.The progress in learning an instrument depends on natural gifts |
B.It is too late for an adult to start an instrument |
C.Every child has a natural talent for music. |
D.All people can understand and read music. |
A.Music can balance our life. |
B.Music can improve our living conditions. |
C.Playing instruments can make adults keep their IQ points. |
D.Playing instruments can help us get along well with others. |
A.persuade us to send our children to music schools |
B.express his great interest in musical instruments |
C.tell us the importance of Music in Development |
D.invite us to attend Ceilidhs |
【推荐3】In order to survive trips to Mars, humans need oxygen. Now, a team of scientists has designed a robot that could extract oxygen from water on the Red Planet.
The robot, which is called “AI chemist”, used a machine learning model to find a compound that could ignite an oxygen-producing chemical reaction on Mars. The compound, known as a catalyst (催化剂), is made entirely from elements found in Martian meteorites (陨石) — which means, if such a system could work reliably, space travelers would not need to bring oxygen or even the catalyst needed to produce it.
Mars’ atmosphere contains only trace amounts of oxygen. But scientists have detected evidence of liquid water beneath the planet’s southern ice cap. To create the breathable gas, researchers wanted to find a way to break down this water into its hydrogen and oxygen molecules using materials found on Mars.
Their robot analyzed five meteorites that either came from Mars or had a composition similar to that of the Martian surface. Using a laser, it identified significant amounts of iron, nickel, calcium, magnesium, aluminum and manganese in the samples. From these six elements, the robot’s algorithm (算法) deter-mined it could produce more than 3.7 million possible molecules to break down water and form oxygen on Mars. According to the researchers, finding the best one from this extensive list would take roughly 2,000 years of human labor, but for the AI chemist, it took only weeks.
“On the Earth, we don’t use these six elements,” Yi Luo, a co-author of the study says. “They are not the best choices for catalysts, but it’s only what you’ve got on Mars.”
With its chosen catalyst, the system could produce oxygen from the Martian materials at around - 37℃, demonstrating the chemical reaction could be possible on the cold Martian surface.
Notably, the robot was able to carry out the entire process — analyzing the rock samples, identifying the Jest possible catalyst and producing it without human intervention.
1. What inspired the scientists to design the robot that could extract oxygen?A.Surviving on the Earth. | B.Trips to Mars. |
C.Traveling on the Moon. | D.Water shortage. |
A.The existence of water and catalyst on Mars. | B.The oxygen that Mars’ atmosphere contains. |
C.The scientists’ previous study on meteorites. | D.The low cost of “AI chemist”. |
A.The finding of six elements. | B.The advantages of the robots. |
C.The process of producing oxygen. | D.The formation of the meteorites. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Unclear. | C.Favorable. | D.Indifferent. |