Sea life near Turkey is being threatened by a layer of brown foam on the ocean s surface.
The actual name for the foam is mucilage (黏液). Scientists first noticed and described mucilage in 2007, when it was found near Turkey. Then, it was also found in other parts of the Aegean Sea, near Greece.
This year’s outbreak of mucilage is the worst ever recorded. It’s been developing for seven months and is now covering large parts of the Sea of Marmara. The Sea of Marmara is an “inland sea”, surrounded by land belonging to Turkey, and connected to the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea.
There are many different kinds of algae (海藻), and it’s natural and normal for algae to grow in the ocean or in other bodies of water. But when there is lots of food for the algae, and other conditions are just right, there can be “an algae bloom” which results in algae growing quickly and in huge numbers And in very bad situations, mucilage is the result.
There are two main causes for the present outbreak of mucilage. One is the heavy pollution sewage, fertilizers, and other chemicals- flowing into the Sea of Marmara. The second cause is higher water temperatures because of climate change.
The mucilage causes problems in lots of different ways. For one thing, by covering the ocean’s surface, it stops sunlight from reaching all the sea life below. “This mucilage is now covering the sea surface like a tent canvas,” says Muharrem Balci, who teaches biology at Istanbul University. Because there is so much algae, it takes up lots of oxygen from the seawater. That means that there’s very little oxygen left for the other sea creatures that depend on it. The BBC reports that divers in the area are seeing large numbers of dying fish. After a while, the mucilage falls to the bottom of the ocean, where it covers the sea floor threatening to poison creatures that live there, like crabs and mussels. This year, the mucilage has been found as deep as 30 meters below the surface.
1. What do we know about mucilage?| A．It generally doesn’t last long. |
| B．It had never existed before 2007. |
| C．It is mainly formed in inland seas. |
| D．It was first noticed near Turkey. |
| A．A good harvest of algae. | B．The increasing use of algae. |
| C．The explosive growth of algae. | D．A continuing popularity of algae. |
| A．It can greatly threaten sea life. |
| B．It has drawn attention worldwide. |
| C．It will lead to food shortages for humans. |
| D．It benefits some sea creatures but harms others. |
| A．New kinds of algae are found in Turkey |
| B．Turkey’s coastal waters are covered with mucilage |
| C．Marmara has seen an increase in water temperatures |
| D．Endangered sea creatures in Marmara have been protected |
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【推荐1】Bicycle riding has taken the world by storm. Bicycles are typically made of steel or aluminum（铝）but now there is a unique company that is growing bikes on trees.
These bicycles are made of British-grown ash trees（白蜡树）by Welsh furniture maker Andy Dix. His company, Twmpa Frames, is making bikes that are both high performance and environmentally sustainable. Going from furniture to bicycles came about after a conversation with author Rob Penn. Penn was looking for craftsmen to make things from an ash tree that fell for his book: The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees.
“We talked about what I might build, and I suggested a bike,“ said Dix. "It seemed like a good fit, but actually I had no experience in bike building, and Rob had a publishing deadline. In the end, I built him a writing desk instead." But the idea interested Dix who decided that he had to make it happen just to see if he could.
It took two years to build the prototype（原型）that was made from ash wood Dix tested the wooden bike on the roughest roads he could find and discovered that it was comfortable, and excellent at absorbing vibrations（振动）.He put more than 3,000 miles on the bike. While cutting down trees can add to more carbon in the atmosphere, sustainable tree farming is possible. Sustainable forestry is about balancing the needs of the environment and forest communities through limiting harvests and replanting trees.
Producing a ton of aluminum in Britain results in carbon emissions of 4,532kg while producing a ton of wood only results in 457kg. Making bicycle frames out of wood won't make a huge difference but it is a small roll in the right direction.
The cost of a new Twmpa Cycle is out of reach for many bicycle riders; the idea of using sustainable materials like ash could start a new cycling revolution that puts the environment first. The company is even making plans to produce a wooden e-bike. Helping the environment could be just a pedal away.
1. Why is Rob Penn mentioned?| A．To tell us he was a great author. |
| B．To praise him for his contribution. |
| C．To explain why Andy Dix made bikes, |
| D．To promote his new book to readers. |
| A．Dix took pride in his idea. | B．Dix was a skilled worker. |
| C．Dix was a determined man. | D．Dix seldom kept his promise. |
| A．Lowering costs. | B．Reducing pollution. |
| C．Lasting longer. | D．Getting rid of vibrations. |
| A．This Bicycle Grows on Trees |
| B．Furniture Maker Makes Bikes |
| C．Bicycle Riding Becomes Popular |
| D．A Company Values the Environment |
【推荐2】Food made from atmospheric carbon could feed the world while helping to fight climate change, according to Solar Foods, a Finnish company founded in 2017.“We can collect CO2 anywhere,” said its CEO Pasi Vainika, whose company has developed a protein powder made using CO2. “That’s a strategic shift where raw materials are in the air. ” The protein powder, called Solein, can be turned into meat and dairy substitutes or added tofoods and shakes.
Solar Foods uses special units to pull CO2 from the atmosphere. To turn it into protein,microbes (微 物),similar to those in the production of wine and yogurt, will be fed on it to grow and reproduce. During the process, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen. Along with a growth medium containing necessary minerals, the three gases are pumped in to feed the microbes. Harvested and dried, that remaining mixture becomes Solein—a yellow powder made up of single-cell protein, with a nutrient composition similar to wheat flour.
Solar Foods claims that Solein removes most of the emissions associated with modern agriculture, which is responsible for almost one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions. “One kilogram of Solein sends out 0.2 kilogram of CO2e(二 氧化碳当量).In comparison.beef herds produce around 100 kilograms and chicken 10 kilograms,” said Vainikka. “ We can rermove the climate impact of modern food systems on the planet, which today account for about 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.” He further stressed that while the company’s factories also require some land used for industrial farming, only about one-tenth of the land is needed compared to photosynthesis (光合作用）. “We could free up agricultural land to grow back forests,” he added, “and those remove carbon permanently from the atmosphere.”
Probably optimists are now contenting themselves with the pleasant scene of masses of trees absorbing CO2: on the planet. However, while that may sound great, Vainikka put it right, “It can happen only if we produce enough Solein from CO, to replace meat and dairy at a large scale.”And that still remains a long way to go.
1. What can we say about Solein?| A．It is in the air. | B．It can be changed into meat. |
| C．It can take in CO2. | D．It is good for the environment. |
| A．Wine and water. | B．Water and minerals. |
| C．Mierobes and yogurt. | D．Wine and microbes. |
| A．Its present situation. | B．Its possible benefits. |
| C．Its production process. | D．Its potential drawbacks. |
| A．Air Protein Produced, CO, Reduced |
| B．Collecting Air, Removing CO2 |
| C．Climate Changing, Danger Coming |
| D．Protect Earth, Save Ourselves |
【推荐3】The last time CO2 levels were as high as today, ocean waters drowned the lands where big cities like Houston, Miami, and New York City now exist.
It’s a time called the Pliocene (上新世) or mid-Pliocene, some 3 million years ago, when sea levels were around 30 feet higher (but possibly much more) and giant camels dwelled in a forested high Arctic. The Pliocene was a significantly warmer world, likely at some 5 degrees Fahrenheit (around 3 degrees Celsius) warmer than pre-Industrial temperatures of the late 1800s. Much of the Arctic, which today is largely clad in ice, had melted. Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels, a major temperature lever, hung around 400 parts per million, or ppm. Today, these levels are similar but relentlessly rising, at some 418 ppm.
Humanity is currently on track to warm Earth to Pliocene-like temperatures by this century’s end—unless nations ambitiously slash carbon emissions in the coming decades. Sea levels, of course, won’t instantly rise by tens of feet: Miles-thick ice sheets take many centuries to thousands of years to melt. However, critically, humanity is already setting the stage for a relatively quick return to Pliocene climes, or climates at least significantly warmer than now. It’s happening fast. When CO2 naturally increases in the atmosphere, pockets of ancient air preserved in ice show this CO2 rise happens gradually, over thousands of years. But today, carbon dioxide levels are skyrocketing as humans burn long-buried fossil fuels.
“CO2 in the atmosphere has gone up 100 ppm in my lifetime,” said Kathleen Benison. a geologist at West Virginia University who researches past climates. “That’s incredibly fast geologically.”
“You don’t have to be a scientist to realize something totally unusual is going on, and that unusual thing is humans,” noted Dan Lunt, a climate scientist at the University of Bristol who has researched the Pliocene.
1. What was the world like in the time of the Pliocene?| A．Its climate was much colder than what it is today. |
| B．The land where cities like Houston lie was under water. |
| C．Much of the Artic was covered in thick snow. |
| D．Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels are lower than today. |
| A．Accelerate. | B．Accumulate. |
| C．Allocate. | D．Reduce. |
| A．By measuring the CO2 in the air. |
| B．By researching the long-buried fossil fuels. |
| C．By researching the ancient air locked in ice. |
| D．By measuring the CO2 in the Pliocene. |
| A．Measures should be taken to stop global warming. |
| B．The change of CO2 in the atmosphere is geological. |
| C．Climate changes is normal compared to past climates. |
| D．Humans are to blame for the unusual rise of CO2. |
【推荐1】When students walk into Jenny Umland’s class, they don’t automatically go to the same seat they sat in the day before. In her classroom at Riverdale Heights Elementary School, Iowa, students are allowed to sit wherever they want. Umland doesn’t assign seats. In fact, she has done away with most of the regular desks and uses beach chairs, standing desks, and rocking chairs instead.
Riverdale Heights is one of a growing number of schools that have ditched assigned seats. Many teachers say letting kids choose where to sit helps them learn how to make good choices.Some teachers point out that students are often more comfortable speaking up when they’re sitting near kids they like the most.
“If kids are happy and comfortable, they are more willing to learn,” says Umland. After 19 years of teaching, she tried non-assigned seating for the first time this year. She says she’ll never go back.
But not all teachers are ready to do away with their seating charts. Some say having assigned seats helps students focus on their work, instead of where they’ll sit. One teacher from Texas thinks letting students sit wherever they want can create chaos. Assigned seating helps keep classrooms under control. Without specific seats to go to, students may argue over who gets to sit in the best spots. He often finds it hard to work in that environment.A more controlled classroom leads to better learning. Maybe what he says is reasonable. A 2012 study by Montana State University found that high school students did better on tests when a teacher assigned their seats.
A student, Jack, from Lowa, thinks he and his classmates should be comfortable when they learn. He says, “My teacher, Mrs. Umland, allows us to choose our own seats, and it’s great! I used to be terrified of sitting in the same seat every day, which made me uncomfortable all over. Being allowed to sit wherever I want makes me more enjoyable, because I can sit where I’m most comfortable.” And Umland says, “The setup in my class helps kids get along better. If two students want to sit in the same spot, they have to talk it out and compromise.”
1. What do we know about Umland?| A．She insists on arranging regular desks. | B．She is strongly against non-assigned seating. |
| C．She has failed in teaching in the past 19 years. | D．She lets students in her class choose their own seats. |
| A．Got rid of. | B．Looked forward to. | C．Tried on. | D．Prepared for. |
| A．It is controversial. | B．It is uncomfortable. | C．It is cozy. | D．It is terrifying. |
| A．What Role Do Students Play in Class? | B．Should Students Have Assigned Seats? |
| C．Students Are Required to Listen Carefully in Class | D．Assigned Seats in the Classroom Are Popular Now |
【推荐2】Earlier this month, TikTok announced that it will be introducing screen time limits for the accounts of users aged under 18. Children under 13 will require a parent or guardian to type in a password to continue scrolling (滚屏) through their feed, and those aged 13-17 will be asked to set their own passwords when the viewing time goes beyond the limit.
Studies suggest that 30 minutes may be the sweet spot for social media use, where users are able to stay connected with friends and family and view entertainment. However, many other studies show that overly-heavy social media use can lead to a lot of problems, such as physical issues and depression.
By suggesting 100 minutes as a hard line where a password is required to be created by the user, TikTok is gradually making the standards clear as to what may be regarded as problematic social media habit in young people. Although these passwords for older teenagers can obviously be bypassed, they are a step in the right direction in encouraging children to use social media responsibly.
Also, parents who own their own TikTok accounts will be able to link with their children’s accounts, gaining additional, such as muting notifications (消息免打扰) and customizing time limits for different days in the week.
Algorithms (算法) that could tell parents if the child has been viewing dangerous material could soon be put into use. However, the difficulty in this is the amount of content available on the internet.
Ultimately, apps such as TikTok and Instagram will need to continue introducing more measures to improve online safety for children.
Lawmakers around the world are paying close attention to the effect social media has on the young, meaning that the development of new tools to improve its use will no doubt take place soon if big tech wishes to avoid additional legal issues.
1. Why did TikTok introduce screen time limits for teenagers?| A．To protect their privacy. |
| B．To develop their self-control. |
| C．To improve family relationship. |
| D．To prevent overuse of social media. |
| A．Favourable. | B．Objective. | C．Concerned. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Type in a password to stop the use. |
| B．Send a link to the children’s account. |
| C．Set time limits through their own account. |
| D．Use algorithms to remove dangerous content. |
| A．Its effects on the young. | B．Legal pressure on its improvement. |
| C．Its application to lawmaking. | D．Solutions to its technological issues. |
【推荐3】Researchers in Washington found that propaganda (宣传) written by artificial intelligence(AI)can be just as convincing to the average American as real propaganda created by human propagandists.
The study, conducted by scientists at Stanford University and Georgetown University, used a powerful AI system called GPT-3 to generate (生成) false propaganda articles on some hot topics. The researchers then conducted an online survey of over 8,000 Americans. Participants were shown real propaganda articles as well as the AI-generated disinformation. Afterward, they were asked whether they agreed with the main argument being made in each article.
Actually, the AI-generated propaganda was able to affect people’s opinions nearly as often as the real deal. On average, agreement with the AI-written articles was only around four percentage points lower than agreement with human-written propaganda. “This suggests that propagandists could use GPT-3 to generate persuasive articles with minimum human effort, by using existing articles on unrelated topics to guide GPT-3 about the style and length of new articles,” the study authors write in the journal PNAS Nexus.
By feeding GPT-3 just a few examples of propaganda, it was able to produce new articles in a similar style. The researchers found that with just a little bit of human input, the AI’s propaganda could actually become more convincing than what humans are able to alone.
By automating propaganda creation, Al enables bad actors to flood online platforms with misleading content. The study authors recommend that while AI propaganda represents a serious threat, we should focus on better detection methods to counter disinformation campaigns as soon as possible. For example, people should identify false accounts and front groups spreading AI-generated content.
“If generative AI tools can expand propaganda generation, research that improves the detection of infrastructure (基础设施) needed to deliver content to a target(such as inauthentic social media accounts)will become more important,” the researchers conclude.
1. How did the researchers carry out their study?| A．By presenting concrete data. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By analyzing causes and effects. | D．By proving what the experts say. |
| A．Creating more authentic media accounts. | B．Making minimum effort for maximum effect. |
| C．Researching on identifying disinformation. | D．Studying its side effects on real propaganda. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Favorable. |
| A．AI creates persuasive propaganda | B．AI is replacing human propaganda |
| C．AI may make propaganda in a mess | D．AI and propaganda go hand in hand |
