【推荐1】China published its official document on biodiversity conservation on Oct 8,2021. It said that China has achieved great results in biodiversity conservation.

In 2010, the China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011-2030) was published. Since then, China has been working for a better ecological environment through establishing and improving policies and laws, carrying out nationwide biodiversity surveys, and putting into place various programs and action plans for biodiversity conservation.

Protected areas

There are about 10,000 protected natural areas, covering 18 percent of total land area. The well-planned protected areas system has brought 90 percent of terrestrial (陆地的) ecosystem types and 71 percent of key state-protected wildlife species under effective protection.

Plants

China has contributed up to 10 percent of the new plant varieties identified worldwide in the past decade. In this period, the country identified about 200 new varieties of plants per year.

Wild animals

The habitats for wild animals in China have been expanding and their populations are growing. The population of giant pandas in the wild has grown from 1,114 to 1,864 over the past four decades. The crested ibis (朱鹮) population has increased from only seven to over 5,000.

Greenness

China was the largest contributor to the world’s gain in greenness between 2000 and 2017. The country contributed about 25 percent of global vegetation growth in the period and China’s forest coverage and forest reserve areas have both continued to expand for the last 30 years. The country has realized the largest growth in forest resources among all countries in the world.

1. In China’s efforts to protect biodiversity, the following elements are mentioned EXCEPT ________?

A．the habitats for wild animals

B．the accessible water resources

C．forest reserve areas and coverage

D．the well-planned protected areas system

2. What is the article mainly about?

A．China’s contribution to the world

B．Increasing protection for animals

C．China’s contribution to greenness

D．China’s efforts on biodiversity conservation

3. The article is most likely from ________?

A．an academic paper	B．a student diary
C．China Daily	D．fashion magazine

【推荐2】【课本原文】

THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD

How would you like to spend six months living on an island and looking after the Great Barrier Reef? The working hours are flexible and accommodation is provided. Key duties include exploring the islands of the reef and finding out what the area has to offer. You’ll need to report back via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates. You’ll also be asked to promote the islands through newspapers, magazines and TV interviews.

It was actually a very clever means to highlight the importance of the Great Barrier Reef and the need to protect it.

About the size of Japan, it even can be seen from outer space. More than 25 million years old, the Great Barrier Reef is made up of living coral growing on dead coral. It is host to many species of birds and sea creatures. But this unique and delicate place is now under threat from pollution and climate change.

To get this job, the candidates had to make a short video showing how much they knew about the reef. They also needed to prove why they were the best person to do the job. Out of the thousands of applicants, eleven were selected, including a young woman from China. Eventually, the job was offered to Ben Southall from the UK.

In addition to blogging, taking photos and writing articles about the reef, he made a number of appearances on television to argue in favour of its defence. He also worked as a presenter for the National Geographic Channel, before going on to write a book about his experiences. Ben later joked that the job should have been advertised not as the “best”, but the “busiest job in the world”!

The most important thing was that people all over the world became aware of the beauty of the ocean in the area. What’s more, they came to understand the delicate balance that the environment exists in and what can, and must, be done to protect the reef. That way, it will remain a safe habitat for wildlife, as well as a dream destination for the millions of tourists who visit it each year.

1. What’s the purpose of the job advertisement?

A．To protect the Great Barrier Reef.	B．To build the Great Barrier Reef more beautifully.
C．To attract more candidates.	D．To attract more tourists to travel in Australia.

2. What problem was the Great Barrier Reef faced with?

A．Lack of tourists.	B．Natural disasters.
C．Pollution and climate change.	D．Disappearing of the islands.

3. Which of the following is NOT true about Ben?

A．He took photos and wrote articles about the reef.	B．He appeared on television many times.
C．He worked as a host for one channel.	D．He told jokes on TV.

【推荐1】“Jelly” ice may one day replace the cubes chilling your cold drink. Jelly ice cubes are made of hydrogels(水凝胶). They can be used again and again, which can save water. Plus, unlike plastic freezer packs, at the end of their useful life, they won’t leave behind long-lived plastic waste. You can also use these cubes to boost garden growth.

Finally, they may make storage of frozen food cleaner. Actually, that’s where “the original idea started,” says Luxin Wang, a microbiologist at the University of California (UC), Davis. As regular ice melts, bacteria can hitch a ride in that water to other foods stored in the same place.

The UC Davis team packed food samples into foam-insulated containers and chilled the food with jelly ice cubes or regular ice. Sensors measured changes in the food’s temperature. Normal ice worked better, but not by much. For example, after 50 minutes, the temperature of an ice-cooled sample was 3.4℃. The sample cooled by jelly ice cubes was 4.4℃.

They also tested the hydrogel’s strength. Its structure is made mostly of a protein called gelatin(明胶). Hydrogels with a higher gelatin percentage were stronger but showed lower cooling efficiency. Tests revealed that hydrogels with 10% gelatin showed the best balance of cooling and strength.

Now jelly ice cubes aren’t yet ready. “This is a prototype,” Wang says. “As we move forward, there will be additional improvements.” The eco-friendly potential of the cubes is the “big goal”, according to Wang. The hydrogel could promote a “circular economy,” she says. “When you use up something, such as these cubes, they could go back to the environment.”

1. What does the first paragraph tell us about jelly ice cubes?

A．They are efficient.	B．They are practical.
C．They are eco-friendly.	D．They are easily operated.

2. What was the purpose of the UC Davis team’s experiment in paragraph 3?

A．To test the use of jelly ice cubes in real life.

B．To test the ability to chill food of jelly ice cubes.

C．To test the cleaning efficiency of jelly ice cubes.

D．To test the reaction of jelly ice cubes in containers.

3. What plays the most important role in the hydrogel’s strength?

A．The type of gelatin used.	B．The amount of gelatin used.
C．The size of the jelly ice cube.	D．The temperature of the jelly ice cube.

4. What does the underline word “prototype” in the last paragraph mean?

A．A typical example.	B．An advanced model.
C．A full-scale model of a vehicle.	D．An original model.