Name an active volcano: Fuji, Vesuvius, Mt. St. Helens, or even Iceland’s infamous Eyjafjallajokull—every single one of them has a decent-size population at the base, and some of them have full-blown big cities. Why do people choose to live near a ticking time bomb?
It all starts with the soil. The molten (熔化的) rock that pours forth during a volcanic eruption is known as magma (岩浆) when it’s underground, and lava once it reaches the surface. Magma takes other things up with it—minerals and nutrients that are then broken down to make the soil extra productive. The result is that on volcanic soil, tomatoes grow bigger, beans grow greener, and flowers grow brighter.
In Mexico, the active Popocatepetl and the inactive Iztaccihuatl are at the center of a centuries-old legend, and the Aztecs certainly weren’t going to abandon the place most closely associated with their cultural heroes. Meanwhile, in Iceland, the cruelty of the volcano Hekla became a point of pride. Some Christians on the island believed it was literally a gateway to Hell, while others told a tale of an evil magician driven off by the volcano’s lava bombs.
That explains why people have been living near volcanoes since the dawn of man. But as technology has advanced, the benefits of volcanoes have only increased. In Iceland and New Zealand, for example, geothermal energy plants have come to play a primary role in keeping the countries’ lights on. That wouldn’t be possible without the volcanoes that created the islands in the first place. Plus, the unmatched sights created by volcanic networks aren’t just pleasant to live near; they’re also a major draw of tourist dollars. That kind of thing can’t be ignored.
Whatever the draw, it’s clear that volcanoes have a lot to offer the people who live in their shadows. Living near a volcano is a lot like betting, but in this case, you’re going to want to get out before things get too hot.
1. Why are some volcanoes mentioned in Paragraph1?| A．To introduce a volcano-related topic. | B．To make comparisons between them. |
| C．To show how important volcanoes are. | D．To highlight the most famous one worldwide. |
| A．Some active and inactive volcanoes worldwide. |
| B．Associations between city heroes and volcanoes. |
| C．Some unbelievable beliefs and cruelty of volcanoes. |
| D．The cultural role volcanoes play in some civilizations. |
| A．Technology plays a key role in a country. | B．Volcanoes can generate economic profits. |
| C．Volcanoes created some island countries. | D．It is vital to build a network of volcanoes. |
| A．How Can Volcanoes Serve the Locals? |
| B．Where Do People Actually Choose to Live? |
| C．Why Do People Live near Active Volcanoes? |
| D．What Will Volcano Tourism Go in the Future? |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】In large population studies, people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C appear to have a reduced risk for various types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth and lung. But it’s not clear that these benefits come specifically from vitamin C. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study found that a daily supplement containing 500 mg of vitamin C can help slow the progress of macular degeneration, an age-related eye disease that causes vision loss. But we don’t know what benefits, if any, are provided by vitamin C in particular.
Many people take vitamin C supplements in unnecessarily high doses to prevent or treat various conditions for which its effectiveness is unproved. The vitamin C supplements have variously been said for staving off sunburn and improving the appearance of wrinkles. None of these benefits have been confirmed in scientific studies.
Perhaps the best-known and most widely promoted use of high-dose(高剂量)vitamin C is to prevent or treat the common cold. Most of the evidence shows that high-dose vitamin C will, at most, shorten a cold by one day. In ordinary circumstances, vitamin C has no preventive value, although a few studies have reported a 50% reduced risk of developing colds among people taking vitamin C in extreme circumstances-for example, skiers, marathon runners, and soldiers working in extreme conditions.
The recommended vitamin C dosage per day for healthy women is 75 mg per day. For adults, the highest safe daily intake is likely to be 2, 000 mg per day. Vitamin C is water-soluble, so any amount more than you need will not be stored in the body. It’s safe in almost any amount from foods, and supplements in recommended amounts are also regarded as safe for most people. In some people, high doses-more than, say, 2, 000 or 3, 000 mg per day-can cause a variety of symptoms. People with kidney conditions should take no more than 1, 000 mg a day.
1. What can we learn about vitamin C in the first paragraph?| A．It can be of better effect in higher doses. |
| B．It can be a cure for age-related eye disease. |
| C．It can help slow the progress of some illness. |
| D．It can reduce the risks of the mouth cancer. |
| A．It can help people save plenty of money. |
| B．It can stop soldiers from catching a cold. |
| C．It may reduce a cold by one day at most. |
| D．It may prevent the common cold efficiently. |
| A．75 mg. |
| B．500 mg. |
| C．2, 000 mg. |
| D．3, 000mg. |
| A．An exam paper. |
| B．A travel journal. |
| C．An art guidebook. |
| D．A science magazine. |
【推荐2】Smart phones are greatly changing the way we walk down the street. Office workers and young people are walking like the old as they check emails and messages.
Scientists have found mobile phones make us walk more slowly, with modest steps, to avoid falling over. The leader of the study said the walk is just like someone in their eighties. Researchers found people writing a text message walk more than twice as slowly as those without a phone, finding it harder to stay in a straight line.
The scientists examined 252 people walking while reading a text message, writing one, speaking on their phones or without their phones at all. Writing a text is the hardest activity, causing people to look down at their phone 46 percent more, and 45 percent longer, than when reading a message. This led people to walk 118 per cent more slowly than when they were without their phones. People walked almost a third more slowly while reading a text and 19 per cent while talking on the phone.
Smart phones were found to stop people from walking in a straight line, putting them at greater risk of running into other people, cars or street lamps. This increased the need to slow down and take more careful steps.
John Timmis said the idea for this study came from following someone walking down the street in the afternoon, who was walking as if he had had several drinks. I thought it was a bit early for that, then walked up alongside him and saw that he was on his phone. Simply being on the phone changes the way people walk.
1. What does the underlined word “modest” mean in the second paragraph?| A．Young. | B．Straight. |
| C．Low. | D．Small. |
| A．Those not carrying phones. |
| B．Those writing a text message. |
| C．Those reading a text message. |
| D．Those speaking on their phones. |
| A．The need to walk straight. |
| B．The desire to use their phones. |
| C．The chance of possible accidents. |
| D．The traffic jams during rush hours. |
| A．Seeing office workers walking like the elderly. |
| B．Seeing people walking in the street hurriedly. |
| C．Watching young people who were walking normally. |
| D．watching a person who was walking in the street in a strange way . |
【推荐3】There're plenty of eco-friendly stores for those who enjoy the ease of online shopping,and here are some of them:
Eartheasy
Eartheasy offers countless natural lawn and garden items like organic fertilizer, and items to start growing your own vegetables like raised garden beds, greenhouses, and planters. The company reuses shipping boxes and packaging when possible. Eartheasy also supports Trees for the Future by planting a tree for every order placed online, and partners with the EPA WaterSense program to promote water conservation.
Thrive Market
Thrive Market is an online, membership-based market. For just $5 a month, you get access to more than 6,000 sustainable products at 25%-50% retail (零售）prices, Besides, Thrive Market uses eco-friendly shipping, zero-waste warehouses, and recyclable packaging. The market's one-for-one membership matching program means that your paid membership gives a free membership card to a low-income family.
EcoRoots
Products from EcoRoots are completely plastic-free with shipping materials made from100% recyclable materials. The company offers a series of home goods, including reusable grocery and produce bags, bamboo cutlery(餐具）,recyclable dish cloths, vegan food wraps, etc. EcoRoots is a member of 1% for the Planet, and donates 1% of sales annually towards sustainability initiatives.
Made Trade
Made Trade tries to source materials that are local to the region where products are being made, and employs makers and artisans(工匠)around the world using traditional art forms to make clothing. Sustainable products offered by Made Trade use responsibly harvested raw materials, recycled materials, and all-natural, eco-friendly plant-based dyes.
1. Who should be the most interested in Eartheasy?| A．Art lovers. |
| B．Cooking lovers. |
| C．People eager for a green backyard. |
| D．People with poor access to drinking water. |
| A．It provides free membership for any consumer. |
| B．It helps save money for shoppers. |
| C．It offers online and offline services. |
| D．It donates goods to families in trouble. |
| A．Eartheasy. | B．Thrive Market. |
| C．EcoRoots. | D．Made Trade. |
【推荐1】Landscaping (人造景观) refers to man-made features of a landscape such as driveways, walls, steps, and other human-made structures. It has many sustainability benefits.
Replace Lawns (草坪)
Fertilizers and pesticides (化肥和杀虫剂) help establish a beautiful lawn.
Use Less Water
Use Locally-Produced Materials
Materials for landscaping are almost all produced locally, due to the high shipping cost.
Lower Garden Maintenance (维护)
Usually, Americans spend two hours per day on lawn and garden care.
Reduce Ice Build-up
Sustainable landscape allows stormwater to drain (流) into the soil.
| A．Landscaping is a form of landscaping. |
| B．This means lower carbon emissions for transportation. |
| C．Yet little maintenance is needed for a landscaped area. |
| D．The water landscaping uses mainly comes from nature. |
| E．There are ways to lower your impact on the environment. |
| F．So there is often less ice formation on landscaping in cold winters. |
| G．But they can run into the water system and harm both humans and wildlife. |
【推荐2】Not too long ago, 41-year-old Garrett Fisher flew in a small airplane close to the surface of Europe’s largest glacier(冰川), which is in Norway. In that environment, the plane carrying a man who photographed glaciers seemed almost like a toy.
Fisher often combines two activities he loves, flying and photography, trying to photo- graph every glacier on Earth. He wants his photos to show the beauty of glaciers before some of them disappear. Scientists say many glaciers are melting or getting smaller because the Earth's average temperature is increasing. By 2100, the size of European glaciers can decrease by between 22 percent and 84 percent. Nearly all small glaciers in Norway will likely disappear. For Fisher, this means that time is running out. The melting pushes him to try to photograph them before it is too late.
As a child, Fisher lived next door to a small airport in the state of New York. His grand- father was a pilot and took Fisher on plane rides when he was a young child. His grandfather would tell him, “Whatever you set your mind to, you can do. ”
In the late 1990s, a friend told Fisher that the world’s glaciers were disappearing. This pushed him to combine his love of flying and photography to photograph the Earth's remaining glaciers. He believed he was in a race against time and that his photographs could be of great value to future generations. So, he launched Global Glacier Initiative, a non-profit group to support and show his work, and he planned to open his photos to the public for research.
Some people will ask him why he always risks flying over glaciers when satellites have already given pictures of them. Fisher says, “Satellite images can't really show the loveliness of glaciers the way my photos can. My photos show the colors and shapes as the light from the sun hits them. Science has all of the data we need. The problem is that it’s not beautiful. ”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Fisher’s social activities. |
| B．Fisher’s trips to European countries. |
| C．The reason for Fisher’s shooting glaciers. |
| D．The cause of the rise in Earth temperature. |
| A．His grandparents' dream. |
| B．His childhood experiences. |
| C．His curiosity for taking photos in the air, |
| D．His interest in seeing glaciers from the air, |
| A．Romantic. | B．Unattractive. | C．Confusing. | D．Valuable. |
| A．They lack light processing. |
| B．They lack the colors and shapes. |
| C．They show the beauty of glaciers. |
| D．They hardly show the loveliness of glaciers. |
【推荐3】From beehives (蜂箱) on rooftops to mini-forests, creative ideas are bringing nature into cities, all around the world. Here are some examples.
Liverpool, England
A living wall is how Liverpool has made room for nature in its busy city center. Built in 2020, Liverpool’s living wall has been planted with 14,000 evergreens to help trap some of the pollution produced by the city’s nearby bus station. In 2021, another measure was taken. Two rooftop beehives were fixed for 40,000 bees to live in. There has been a great increase in the bee population and improvement of the community’s ecology (生态) in the following years.
Singapore, Southeast Asia
Singapore is determined to be “a city in nature”. In February 2021 the city-state announced its “Green Plan 2030” — to make the city as continual and nature-inclusive as possible. Singapore already has over 400 parks and four nature reserves and by 2026 this will increase to 300 hectares (公顷). They promise by 2030 no family should be more than a ten-minute walk from a green space.
Seoul, South Korea and Izmir, Turkey
In South Korea, Seoul has planted a forest to lower city temperatures by 3 to 7℃. The Turkish city of Izmir is hoping to reduce pollution with the Mavisehir Peynircioglu Stream Ecological Corridor (河流生态走廊),
Curitiba, Brazil
Curitiba, Brazil, has been working towards an eco-friendly model since the 1970s and city planners made the well-being of people their main concern. In the face of an increasing population, adding natural relaxation spaces and encouraging recycling practices has become a key part of city planning. The government’s forestation plan has seen the planting of many trees in public areas. Ten “mini-forests” have also been established, making use of smaller areas where larger plantations are impossible.
1. What is the purpose of a living wall?| A．To reduce pollution. | B．To fix beehives. |
| C．To trap bee population. | D．To plant evergreens. |
| A．Increased space for parks. | B．Easier reach of green areas. |
| C．Continual growth of the city. | D．Greater area of nature reserves. |
| A．Singapore. | B．Curitiba. | C．Seoul. | D．Izmir. |
| A．To reduce local pollution. | B．To provide relaxation spaces. |
| C．To lower city temperatures. | D．To improve living environment. |
| A．Creative Ideas: Working Together | B．Promises Coming True |
| C．Nature Reserves: More Coming | D．Cities Turning Green |
