Tiny trash factories
Not all waste has to go to waste. Most of the world’s 2.22 billion tons of annual trash ends up in landfills or open dump. Veena Sahajwalla, a materials scientist and engineer at the University of New South walks, has created a solution to our massive trash problem: waste microfactories. These little trash processors house a series of machines that recycle waste and transform it into new materials with thermal technology. The new all-in-one approach could leave our current recycling processes in the dust.
Sahajwalla launched the world’s first waste microfactory targeting electronic waste in 2018. A second one began recycling plastics in 2019. Now, her lab group is working with university and industry partners to commercialize their patented Microfactoric technology. She says the small scale of the machines will make it easier for them to one day operate on renewable energy, unlike most large manufacturing plants. The approach will also allow cities to recycle waste into new products on location. With a micro-factory, gone are the days of needing separate facilities to collect and store materials, extract elements and produce new products.
Traditionally, recycling plants break down materials for re us c in similar products. It is like melting down plastic to make more plastic things. Her invention evolved this idea by taking materials from an old product and creating something different. “The kids don’t look like the parents,” she says.
For example, the microfactories can break down old smart phoned and computer monitors and extract silica and carbon, and then combine them into silicon car bide nanowires. This generates a common ceramic material with many industrial uses. Sahajwalla refers to this process as “the fourth R,” adding “
In 2019, just 17.4 percent of e-waste was recycled, so the new ability offers a crucial new development in the challenge recycling complex electronic devices. “We can do so much more with materials,” says Sahajwala.” Traditional recycling has not worked for every recycling challenge.” She and her team are already working to install the next waste microfactory in the Australian town of Cootamundra by early 2021, with the goal of expanding around the country over the next few years.
1. Which of the following is the feature of the waste microfactory?| A．It can restore the waste to their original forms. |
| B．It is cleaner than the traditional recycling plant. |
| C．Waste can be recycled where they are dump at. |
| D．There is only one machine in the waste microfactory. |
| A．Establishing the first waste microfactory. |
| B．Expanding the variety of waste it can recycle. |
| C．Trying to make a profit from microfactory technology. |
| D．Developing renewable energy to operate microfactories. |
| A．recall | B．reform | C．release | D．reverse |
| A．Traditional recycling is actually useful for only a small part of waste recycling. |
| B．Microfactories make it possible for scientists to create various things with wastes, |
| C．Microfactories can directly make waste electronic device into household utensils. |
| D．By now, Australia is the first country in the world that has realized the popularization of waste microfactofies. |
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【推荐1】In the ground below a tall New York City apartment building, several machines collect carbon dioxide(CO2)from large gas-powered boilers which help heat the building but also release CO2 into the atmosphere.
Nearly 70 percent of New York City’s large buildings have steam boilers that run on natural gas or oil. Big buildings in New York City release about two-thirds of the city’s emissions(排放). New York state’s buildings also release more air pollution than any other state.
Brian Asparro, chief operating officer of CarbonQuest—the company that built the machines to capture(捕获)the CO2 in the apartment buildings—said, “Time is not on our side, and this type of solution can be cost-effective and without a major destruction.”
The machines cool the CO2 to about-23℃. At that temperature, the gas becomes liquid and can be carried away by trucks to Brooklyn, another area in New York City. There, another company turns the liquid into a solid, The solid CO2 then reacts with calcium to form calcium carbonate(碳酸钙), which goes into concrete, Once the CO2 is in concrete, ‘it will not release into the atmosphere unless the concrete is heated to about 600℃.
However, critics say, “Carbon capture doesn’t actually reduce emissions; it seeks to put them somewhere else.” Critics also worry that it is dangerous to keep large amounts of CO2 below buildings. If too much of the gas is released by accident, it could cause health problems and even death.
But supporters of capturing the CO2 say it is safe. They also argue that boilers and other gas heating systems are probably more dangerous than the machines that capture the CO2.
Under a new state law in New York, many buildings must reduce their emissions. If they do not lower their emissions, the building owners will have to pay a fine. What’s more, to help increase the use of carbon capture machines, the government lowers taxes for owners who put them in their buildings.
1. How do carbon capture machines in New York City work?| A．By heating the carbon dioxide to 600℃. |
| B．By changing the physical state of carbon dioxide. |
| C．By replacing large gas-powered boilers gradually. |
| D．By transporting the carbon dioxide to other cities. |
| A．Their cost. | B．Their occupied area. |
| C．Their safety. | D．Their harm to the environment. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．A Major Crisis of Environmental Pollution |
| B．A Disadvantage of Carbon Capture and Storage |
| C．The Development of a Company Called CarbonQuest |
| D．Carbon Capture Technology for Tall Buildings in New York City |
【推荐2】Grace Hopper (December 9, 1906—January 1,1992)
She was a computer scientist from the United States. She developed the first compiler for a computer programming language. She pioneered the idea of writing computer programs in a language close to English. She was instrumental in the establishment of testing standards for computer systems. She made important contributions to computer technology.
Barbara McClintock (June 16, 1902—September 2,1992)
She was an American scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983.She led the development of the maize cytogenetics(细胞遗传学). She discovered the process of transposition and used it to demonstrate how genes are associated with the presence or absence of certain physical characteristics in human beings. She is one of the mat famous cytogeneticists of the world.
Chien-Shiung Wu(May 31,1912—February 16,1997)
She was a Chinese-American scientist known for her work in radioactivity. She was a part of the Manhattan project where she helped develop the process of making uranium-235 and uranium-238. Her experiment established that weak interaction did not follow the law of conservation of parity. She was a winner of the first Wolf Prize in Physics and was often compared with Marie Curie, giving her nicknames like the Chinese Madame Curie.
Anita Roberts(April 3,1942—May 26,2006)
She was a molecular biologist who was instrumental in the discovery of the protein TGF-beta. This protein has the potential of playing a double role of blocking as well as stimulating cancer and it helps in the curing of wounds and fractures. Anita Roberts is one of the most-cited scientists in the world.
1. What do Grace Hopper and Barbara MeClintock have in common?| A．They won Nobel Prize. |
| B．They were from America. |
| C．They passed away at age 86. |
| D．They studied computer technology. |
| A．She is a great physicist. |
| B．She was a student of Marie Curie. |
| C．She was famous for studying genes. |
| D．She was instrumental in computer technology. |
| A．Grace Hopper’s. | B．Anita Roberts’. |
| C．Chien-Shiung Wu’s. | D．Barbara McClintock’s. |
【推荐3】Nothing draws attention to your new product like using it to send fast food into space. In June, Arizona-based World View demonstrated the potential of its pioneering stratollite--a sort of mini satellite that uses a balloon to take goods into the stratosphere (平流层)--by partnering with KFC to ferry a 5-ounce piece of fried chicken 77,000 feet into the desert sky. “We took a chicken sandwich, launched it into space for 17 hours, and when it came back, it was perfect,” says World View CEO Jane Poynter.
Poynter’s final goal is to send tourists to space, tied to the company’s balloons, and to make the final frontier more accessible for research. Stratollites are inexpensive, compact, and easy to operate, ideal for monitoring weather patterns and providing military reconnaissance(侦查) or emergency communications during natural disasters. They can also do what traditional satellites can’t: spend months above a specific location without moving.
Though Poynter did not formally train as an engineer, she has spent her career in leading space research. The British native trained her skills as a technical manager while part of Biosphere 2, an Arizona research facility built to test a self-enclosed, self-sufficient ecosystem. Its creators hoped it could one day be adapted for use in space. She spent two years in the early 1990s sealed inside the Biosphere 2 with seven others, experiencing everything from oxygen failures to colleagues’ emotional breakdowns.
Poynter met her future husband, Taber MacCallum, on the project, and afterward, the couple formed Paragon Space Development. They began designing biospheres that could support plant and animal life in orbit.
“We showed it’s possible for animals to live in an environment they are not used to: microgravity,” Poynter says.
In 2014, Poynter and Maccallum achieved another first. They led the engineering team that helped former Google exec Alan Eustace skydive from the edge of the stratosphere. That’s when it hit them: The balloon-parachute system they designed for Eustace could be transformed for tourism and research. So they formed World View, with MacCallum serving as chief technical officer.
The company has a contract with NASA to determine if the system could someday be used to gather data on Mars. “Taking stratollites and flying them on other planets,” Poynter says, “that’s definitely a part of the big dream.”
1. Stratollites are different from traditional satellites in that they can _______.| A．Provide emergency communications |
| B．Survive better in a situation without gravity |
| C．Stay motionless in space |
| D．Move about in a bigger area |
| A．The participants all experienced some kind of emotional breakdown. |
| B．The participants were separated from the outside world for some time. |
| C．It was adapted from a spaceship that used to work in space. |
| D．It was intended to become an ideal place for space research. |
| A．The system designed for Eustace can be used for more purposes. |
| B．Poynter and Maccallum hope to achieve more firsts in their career. |
| C．Poynter and Maccallum have helped Alan Eustace to skydive. |
| D．Maccallum will serve as a chief technical officer in World View. |
| A．Giving people more opportunities to try extreme sports in space. |
| B．Working with food companies to send food to astronauts in space. |
| C．Partnering with NASA to do research on other planets. |
| D．Using balloons to send tourists or researchers into space. |
【推荐1】Having been born along the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, Rahmina Paulette said she has witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change leading to great difficulties like drought and floods.
The 15-year-old Kenyan teenager said East Africa is highly dependent on Lake Victoria, but high pollution has led to poisoning of the water, soil erosion and health problems in people living around the lake.
As Paulette grew older, she realized she was slowly turning from being a witness to a victim of lake degradation. So, she decided to take action and save the lake in her own little way.
“Being an Indigenous person from Lake Victoria, I would like to help restore the ecosystem for my community that has an ancestral connection to the lake and also for the future generations to enjoy the cool breeze, good smells and see the biodiversity within Lake Victoria,” Paulette said.
In her efforts to end pollution in the lake, Paulette started an environmental organization called Kisumu Environmental Champions.
The young environmental champions carry out their activities during the weekends, and the group focuses on environmental conservation, climate change awareness and wildlife conservation.
The group, with about 200 members so far, has taken up the removal of the invasive plant hyacinth from the lake to make eco-friendly products. This project has earned Paulette international recognition. The group has made furniture, paper, cards, folders, document holders, bags and carton boxes from the water hyacinth.
With help from her mother, Paulette is trying to increase activities as she urges all Kenyans to incorporate eco-friendly ways in their day-to-day lives.
Apart from activists like Paulette, other organizations are casting the net wider in their attempt to save the lake. One such group is nonprofit Osienala in western Kenya. The organization has been cooperating with international partners such as those from China to save Lake Victoria.
1. What causes the problems of Lake Victoria?| A．Soil erosion. | B．Drought and flood. |
| C．Poisoning water. | D．Climate change and pollution. |
| A．Disappearance. | B．Expansion. | C．Damage. | D．Restoration. |
| A．By planting more hyacinths. | B．By removing the hyacinths with her mother. |
| C．By building a factory to make products. | D．By setting up an organization. |
| A．It casts some nets over the lake. | B．It makes money while protecting the lake. |
| C．It seeks foreign cooperation to save the lake. | D．It’s another organization founded by Paulette. |
【推荐2】For some people, walking or running outdoors is a great way to work out. What may not be so pleasant is seeing trash all over the ground. Well, some people are doing something about it. They are plogging!
“Plogging” began in Sweden. The name combines the Swedish word “plocka,” which means to pick up, and the word Jogging, which means to run slowly. A Swedish man named Erik, started the movement in 2016. On the World Environment
Day website, Erik says that he moved to Stockholm from a small community in northern Sweden each day he would ride his bike to work. Concerned about the amount of trash and litter he saw each day on his way to work, he took matters into his own hands.
Plogging, by that term, may have officially begun in Sweden. But many people who exercise outdoors have been doing this for years. Take Jeff Horowitz for example. He is a personal trainer in Washington, D.C. He often picks up trash while running outside. He even has turned it into a game; he will try to pick up the trash without stopping. “I didn’t know it was a thing really. This is just my personal ethics (道德标准), where I go for a run and if I happen to see a piece of garbage lying around and it’s within reach — it is a kind of a little test for me to see if I can grab it and throw it in a near trash can without stopping. And that way, I think, it gives me a little exercise and a little focus for my run. And it helps clean up the neighborhood,” he announced.
Today, plogging is an official activity, one that is becoming increasingly popular. Cities around the world now hold logging events, “I would just hope people would think twice before dropping a garbage on the ground. We have containers seems on every block. So, it’s easy to put your garbage in the trash cans. I just think people should think about it a little bit more. I do hope one day there will not be a need for plogging.” said an interviewee.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “took matters into his own hands”?| A．called on people to join him. | B．appealed to people to go green. |
| C．began to pick up the trash. | D．had the collected trash recycled. |
| A．Plogging comes naturally to joggers who care about the environment. |
| B．Plogging is an easy way to clean the environment. |
| C．It doesn’t make any sense to joy without picking up trash. |
| D．It is better to clean up the neighborhood by plogging. |
| A．Jogging is truly beneficial. | B．Trash cans should be within reach. |
| C．Littering is not acceptable. | D．Communities should be kept clean. |
| A．New Exercise Enjoys unbelievable popularity |
| B．New Exercise Trend Also Helps Environment |
| C．Plogging — a Fashionable Way to clear waste |
| D．Plogging — an Exercise Originating in Sweden |
【推荐3】Do you know how to cycle? It is a skill that, once learned, is never forgotten. For the majority of us, the art of balancing on two wheels was mastered during our childhood. Many still wear helmets, put feet on the pedals, and take a ride around the streets. And in recent years, cycling has become more and more popular. What attracts people to ride their bikes once again?
Cycling offers a lot of advantages that affect both our physical and mental health. For example, regular cycling can improve the function of our cardiovascular (心血管的)system, assist in the burning of extra body fat and strengthen our leg muscles. A long ride in the countryside helps us to clear our mind easily.
Riding a bike is a smart choice for getting to work, shopping, or sightseeing. You can save money that you would otherwise spend on fuels and fares. Unlike cars that struggle with parking, bikes can be easily locked up. Then, on the train, there are chances at stations and other people speaking loudly on their phones. Cyclists face neither of these problems. And if we’re worried about safety, there are cycle lanes in many cities, or we can wear light-colored clothes to improve our safety when cycling on the roads.
Cycling can also be good for the environment. It cuts our carbon footprint, which means we make less pollution. It’s great for our planet and keeps the air clean around us. When we ride bikes, we don’t use fuel like cars do, and that’s really good for our environment.
Therefore, more and more people choose to ride for many benefits such as improving their health, easily going to work, saving money, protecting the environment, or a combination of these factors.
1. When do most people learn to ride?| A．In their free time. | B．After their retirement. |
| C．At their young ages. | D．During their adulthood. |
| A．It is a good way to save money. |
| B．It is a great idea to relax cyclists. |
| C．It is dangerous to cycle on the roads. |
| D．It is difficult to find a place park the bike. |
| A．Consumes more fuels. | B．Increases air pollution. |
| C．Causes fewer accidents. | D．Reduces carbon footprint. |
| A．Sports & Health. | B．Travel & Culture. |
| C．Science & Technology. | D．Animals & Environment. |
【推荐1】We’re all familiar with the “hop on hop off” buses that tour around big cities. It seems there’s now a new option coming that’s bigger and better than those that have gone before. Next year, expedition company Adventures Overland is set to launch a new “hop on hop off” bus service that will travel 20,000km from India to England. The vehicle, which will have space for 20 people, is set to cross 18 countries in 70 days and passengers will be able to stop off in cities along the way.
People looking to book the trip will be able to choose if they want to take the entire journey, or one of the four legs (Southeast Asia, China, Central Asia, Europe). If you take the route that begins in Delhi, the bus will travel to Thailand, before going up to China, then onto Russia and European cities such as Warsaw, Prague and Brussels — before finishing in London.
Adventure Overland’s bus route was partly inspired by the Hippie Trail buses that crossed the world in the 50s and 60s. Despite being the “longest bus journey in the world”, guests are bound to be comfortable with features such as business class seats, Wi-Fi, in-seat phone charging points, private lockers and individual entertainment systems with AUX and USB ports. Anyone looking to book the great voyage must be willing to part with a considerable amount of money. Tickets for the journey are priced at £15,300 and the first departure is currently set for May 2021. “The best time to do this journey is between April and June, because that’s when the weather is favorable to start the journey from India through to Myanmar, and to cross the high mountains of China and Kyrgyzstan,” Adventures Overland co-founder Tushar Agarwal told CNN. “There are a lot of people, travelers, who want to experience these overland journeys, but they don’t want to drive.”
1. Where can be the destination of the bus service?| A．China. | B．Thailand. | C．England. | D．Russia. |
| A．Comfortable seats. | B．Private lockers. |
| C．Accessible Internet. | D．Computer games. |
| A．January. | B．May. | C．July. | D．October. |
【推荐2】What does Beijing’s Palace Museum look like at night? Many people don’t know the answer to this question, as it closes at around 4:30p.m in winter and 5:00p.m in summer. However, to celebrate the Lantern Festival, Beijing’s Palace Museum opened its door to the public after dark——for two nights only. That’s a first in 94 years!
Although people could get free tickets on the museum’s website, it was difficult to get a ticket. The website even stopped working for a while because too many people visited it at the same time. Zhang Zhifu, a 77-year-old woman, received a ticket from the museum as a gift. “I grew up in Beijing and I visited the Palace Museum every year, but I never got to see it at night, It is truly an honor.” She said.
In the past celebrating the Lantern Festival was a tradition for the imperial(皇帝的)family.“We want to pass the tradition on and give people more festival experience.”Said Shan Jixiong, the head of the Palace Museum. On the night of February19th,2019, about 3,000 visitors spent the Lantern Festival in the Palace Museum.
1. Beijing’s Palace Museum closes at around 4:30 p.m in________.| A．spring | B．summer | C．autumn | D．winter |
| A．one night | B．two nights | C．three nights | D．four nights |
| A．too many people visited it at the same time. |
| B．there weren’t enough tickets |
| C．the Palace Museum was too crowded |
| D．no body wanted to see the Palace Museum at night |
| A．National Day | B．the Lantern Festival | C．the Dragon Boat Festival | D．Mid-Autumn Festival |
【推荐3】What will restaurants look like in the future? What would your dinner taste like if a robot cooked it? A robot restaurant in Tianjin may give you the answers.
Covering an area of over 400 square meters with a total of 112 seats, the X Future Restaurant is a robot restaurant that opened in November 2018. The restaurant has amazed customers with its fully-automated (全自动的) technology, which covers every step of the dining experience, from ordering to cooking to serving the dishes and even taking payment.
Entering the restaurant, one can order dishes by simply scanning the QR codes on the table. There are over 40 choices of dishes. After taking the order, “robot cooks” prepare dishes using fixed time, temperature and ingredients designed by famous Chinese cooks.
“As the cooking is controlled by a computer system, the taste and quality of dishes can be good,” said Li Xiaokui, manager of the X Future Restaurant.
Robots also complete the delivery of dishes. Without following any designed route, the robot waiters serve meals thanks to automated driving technology, which helps each robot timely change its route when something is in the way.
These eye-catching technologies have received wide praise from customers. “The dishes taste surprisingly good. I couldn’t believe that they were made by robots, especially dishes that were difficult to cook.” one customer said. “The application of robots has increased our efficiency and cut down our costs,” Li said, “I think robot restaurants will develop fast and have a bright future.”
1. What do we know about the X Future Restaurant?| A．It covers over 112 square meters with 400 seats. |
| B．Robot waiters deliver dishes following fixed routes. |
| C．Customers could enjoy fully-automated services. |
| D．Robot cooks design dishes by themselves. |
| A．They are prepared by human cooks. |
| B．They are not easy for robots to prepare. |
| C．They are not accepted by customers. |
| D．They are ordered by scanning QR codes. |
| A．The choices of dishes are limited. |
| B．It takes a long time for the robots to prepare the dishes. |
| C．Customers are willing to dine in the restaurant. |
| D．The delivery routes are designed by the waiters. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. | C．Puzzled. | D．Worried. |
