Antarctica is the highest, driest, and coldest place on Earth. It is also the remotest, a fact which demystifies its unspoiled environment. It is difficult for people to get there, and not a comfortable place for people to stay once they arrive.
Once completely inaccessible,
For centuries, Europeans wondered about the existence of a South-pole continent, but no one actually knew for certain Antarctica was there until 1820 when European explorers “discover” it. Since then, men have gone to Antarctica in search of adventure, testing their abilities.
| A．The cold climate is responsible for maintaining the continent’s year-round ice fields. |
| B．It is widely described as the last true wilderness on our planet. |
| C．Measures are being taken to protect Antarctica. |
| D．Yet, Antarctica’s fragile and complicated ecosystem is threatened by its human visitors. |
| E．In the icy covering are buried few precious resources, |
| F．Antarctica has more recently been playing host to adventurers seeking excitement and companies looking to exploit this wild zone for profit, |
| G．Several teams of explorers set out in 1911 to be the first men to stand at the South Pole. |
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【推荐1】At the end of the last ice age, around 11,700 years ago, Earth’s climate began warming rapidly. As the planet heated up, its vast glaciers fell back. Almost immediately afterwards volcanic activity increased. That was nothing new. The geological record has plenty of evidence of big glacial disappearance that is followed by more frequent volcanic eruptions. Glaciers, in other words, seem to control volcanoes, which flourish in their absence.
This, at least, is the case for really big climatic swings. What has been less clear is whether more modest changes in ice cover might also affect the rate of eruptions. Given that humans are busy warming the planet, and therefore shrinking the few glaciers that still exist, this question matters. It would be good to know if more volcanic eruptions might be another consequence of global warming. In a paper just published in Geology, Graeme Swindles a geographer at the University of Leeds, suggests that it will — eventually.
The fine details of how glaciers are linked to volcanic eruptions are unknown. But volcanologists theorise that pressure is key. The idea is that the weight of large ice sheets press the crust and mantle below. That closes up channels within the rock through which magma travels towards the surface. It also leaves less room for surface water to make its way down into the rocks, where, as steam, it can increase the pressure within magma chambers. Remove the ice, by contrast, and those processes go into reverse.
Dr. Swindles and his colleagues studied layers of ash from Icelandic volcanoes that were deposited over Iceland and northern Europe during the relatively mild period since the end of the ice age, as well as volcanic sediments from Iceland itself. Their analysis revealed an unusual period between 5,500 and 4,500 years ago when no ash from Icelandic volcanoes found its way to Europe and when the sediment record from Iceland suggests that no major eruptions took place. When Dr Swindles compared the volcanic record with the climate literature, he found that the absence of eruptions came after a big change in atmospheric circulation patterns about 6100 years ago. That would have encouraged Iceland’s glaciers to advance. When conditions changed again a thousand years later, this time to favour glacial disappearance, volcanic activity picked up after a few hundred years.
Based upon these findings, Dr Swindles argues that even minor increases and decreases in glacier cover probably do affect volcanic activity, although with a time lag of perhaps five or six hundred years.
1. Why is the answer to whether changes in glaciation are related to the volcanic activity important?| A．The new ice age has started. | B．There are more eruptions now. |
| C．Glaciers are gradually disappearing. | D．It has long been a question of interest. |
| A．There is less pressure in magma chambers. | B．Less water goes into magma chambers. |
| C．Less magma travels to the surface. | D．Ice sheets weighs less and less. |
| A．describe an unusual period in history | B．compare glaciation in two different periods |
| C．explain the evolution of volcanic eruptions | D．provide evidence for Dr. Swindles’s argument |
| A．Less ice, more fire | B．Volcanic eruptions: a mixed blessing |
| C．Shrinking glaciers | D．A new reason for global warming |
【推荐2】Waking Up an Hour Earlier Can Help Fight Depression
Adequate (充足的) sleep is essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. Now, new research has revealed that good health also depends on sleep schedules. In fact, waking up an hour earlier is generally found to help prevent or fight against major depression.
This discovery was made in a study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado in 2021. They found that waking up an hour earlier helps people who usually get up later improve their mood.
This research adds to other similar studies which suggested that early risers tend to be healthier. At the same time, the fact that waking up an hour earlier improves the mood is associated with enjoying more hours of sunshine to a large extent.
The study started from the assumption that if people go to bed an hour earlier, they'll also wake up an hour earlier. Based on this idea, the researchers came to the conclusion that if people who go to bed at 3 am, decide to go to bed at 2 am, their risk of suffering from depression is reduced by 23 percent.
However, the study indicates that all of this is assumption.
| A．The experts, though, didn't fully understand the reasons. |
| B．It can also reduce the risk of developing major depression. |
| C．However, waking up one hour earlier causes some problems. |
| D．For this reason, experts stress the need for new and extensive research. |
| E．Sometimes they become energetic the next day when they have enough sleep. |
| F．If they went to bed at 1 am, the risk reduction could be as much as 40 percent. |
| G．Therefore, not keeping with that social rhythm can cause certain feelings of inadequacy. |
【推荐3】Thanks to Earth, we have fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink and warm sunshine to enjoy. But it seems that we may have taken these things for granted and not realized that our planet is getting “sick”.
Among those environmental challenges, global warming sits at the top. Global average temperatures have risen by more than 0.5℃since 1992.
Scientists say that we are experiencing the sixth mass extinction in history. More than two-thirds of the world’s wildlife could be gone by the end of the decade if action isn’t taken soon.
However, we have made some progress. That’s because we gradually stopped using chemicals that can break down ozone, a gas that protects Earth.
| A．The change is a big deal |
| B．Now, scientists have given us a warning |
| C．But this is not the only problem people are facing |
| D．We can make a big difference when we act right now, the letter says |
| E．Scientists also conclude that global warming will continue for centuries |
| F．Some rare animals, like black rhinos, might just appear in the pictures soon |
| G．All the countries in the world should take action on behalf off future generations |
【推荐1】It was early November in 2013 when Ronan Renz Napoto and his family in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, heard over the news that there was a typhoon coming. “Living in the Pacific, we’re used to having typhoons so we weren’t very worried,” he said. When Typhoon Haiyan hit, they were unprepared for its violence. For years after, Ronan would have nightmares of the day. “Everything keeps on flashing back to me. It’s still painful to remember those events,” he said.
It was his journey to overcome those difficulties that led Ronan down the path of climate advocacy (宣传组). He started to actively volunteer with Greenpeace, participating in designing posters and helping with organizing activities. Ronan also took part in influencing policy makers in his community about creating effective environmental and plastic policies. His most memorable activity with Greenpeace is also the one closest to his heart, and that is collecting stories about typhoon from the different communities.
“It reminds me that behind the science of climate change, there are real people with real stories,” Ronan said. “Data are important but we don’t want to be just remembered as numbers, we want to be remembered and our stories to be remembered about who we are and how we struggled.”
Ronan, is also the founder of Balud, a youth-led organization. “Coming from the disaster- affected area, I wanted to highlight the youth leaders from outside the big cities. In Balud, we create more opportunities for young people who are coming from vulnerable (易受伤害的) communities so that everybody knows that we also have powerful stories behind the science of climate change,” he said.
The process has not been easy for the young man, but Ronan’s determination and passion keeps him focused on his job. “We have in our local language the word Padayon, which means ‘to keep going’.”
1. What do we know about Ronan after Typhoon Haiyan?| A．He kept recalling that day. | B．He was in the least worried. |
| C．He was given mental treatment. | D．He prepared well for the next typhoon. |
| A．Helping with organizing activities. | B．Taking part in designing posters. |
| C．Making influential policies. | D．Collecting stories about typhoon. |
| A．Itraises young people’s awareness of protecting wildlife. |
| B．It provides more job opportunities for young people in big cities. |
| C．It highlights the role of young people in fighting climate change. |
| D．It offers help to young people coming from poor communities. |
| A．Passionate and determined. | B．Intelligent and careful. |
| C．Helpful and independent. | D．Brave and generous |
【推荐2】As night falls on the streets of Shanghai, Mikiko Chen can often be found pacing up and down through the winding narrow streets of the city hunting for discarded items.
“I pick up all sorts of things, chairs, wine boxes, bowls and cups. . . it’s like treasure hunting for me, “she says. The 27-year-old digital marketer is among the first adopters of “stooping” in China, a practice that refers to picking up discarded furniture and other goods on the streets for re-use. She says the concept “stooping” was inspired by New Yorkers who often leave unwanted things on the “stoops” —or doorsteps—leading up to the entrances of buildings.
“The core concept of stooping for me is to make the best use of things,” Ms. Chen says. “It can help you to save money, but it’s not just about lowering consumption.” “It’s wasteful to throw away something that’s still usable; it’s better to share it with others who need it.”
Ms. Chen says she was among the first to use the hashtag (话题标签) #stooping on Xiaohongshu. “I initially started with posting items that people no longer used and wanted to throw away or exchange . . gradually I’m receiving hundreds of messages each day,” she says. Since then, the trend has become increasingly popular.
Ms. Chen says she is “very surprised” the concept has become a hit on social media, as older generations often stigmatize picking up things from the street or using second-hand goods. “People like my mum consider stooping as ‘rubbish picking’ and ‘scavenging’ (拾荒),” she says. “She thinks that people will look down on you for doing this.”
For Nan Zheng, an environmentalist and advocate, stooping is more than the physical act of picking up things from the streets. He created an app called “Grecycle” where people can give away or take unwanted items for free. “I think we can let more people know about the concept of stooping as an interesting and fun thing to do,” Mr. Nan says. “But then, gradually we can let people know this can also be about charity and helping others.”
1. What can we learn about Mikiko Chen from paragraph 2 and 3?| A．She is hunting for costly treasures. |
| B．She just wants to reduce consumption. |
| C．She got inspiration from New Yorkers. |
| D．She intends to make the most of throwaway items. |
| A．To collect varieties of messages. |
| B．To go viral on social media. |
| C．To share something still usable with others. |
| D．To throw away unwanted things on the “stoops”. |
| A．The older are ashamed of stooping. | B．The older are skilled at stooping. |
| C．The older are exposed to stooping. | D．The older are addicted to stooping |
| A．Recycling discarded things from the streets. |
| B．Getting unwanted items for free on “Grecycle”. |
| C．Exchanging items through “Grecycle”. |
| D．Enhancing people’s awareness of charity. |
【推荐3】Patagonia, a leading brand in outdoor clothing, is climbing a mountain in the clothing industry and reaching a new summit. Through several measures, the company inspires people to share, resell, repair, and recycle their clothes, producing less waste. Every second, about one garbage truck of used clothes is sent to the landfill (填埋区) or is burned. Patagonia is taking this alarming statistic seriously.
A few years ago, the fashion giant launched an independent online store called Worn Wear, which is a collection of refurbished (翻新的) clothing where customers resell their old clothes for cash or store credit and shop for second-hand goods. Now Patagonia is approaching a step further ― they are including a “buy used” option on their website, offering second-hand clothes alongside their newest designs.
The second-hand trend is here to stay. Other chains such as The North Face, Macy’s, Adidas, Burberry, and Made well have also accepted the new circular economy business model. Famous traditional retailers (零售商) are also becoming used clothing providers, and are transforming the way second-hand clothes are sold and sensed.
Even the most skeptical shoppers are now open to the idea of buying used quality items. As a result, it is no surprise that the total secondhand market is projected to grow to almost twice the size of fast fashion by 2029. Naturally, the most sustainable piece of clothing is the one that already exists. This “green” article of clothing doesn’t require using virgin (原始的) resources, it prevents used clothes from ending up in landfills, and it requires no plastic packaging.
According to a 2018 report by thredUP, buying a piece of used clothing extends its life on average by 2.2 years, which reduces its carbon, waste, and water footprint by 73 percent. So even though the development of innovative materials and processes in fashion seems promising, wearing second-hand clothes is the easiest and most immediate way to face the environmental challenges the fashion industry brings.
1. What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 3?| A．The second-hand trend is more commonly accepted. |
| B．Lots of second-hand clothes are of high quality. |
| C．Traditional retailers have a role to play in reducing waste. |
| D．Consumer attitudes towards second-hand clothes are changing. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Urgent. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Keeping pace with fashion. | B．Satisfying consumers’ needs. |
| C．Lowering economic stress. | D．Protecting the environment. |
| A．Patagonia Is a Leading Clothing Brand |
| B．Clothing Waste Influences the Environment |
| C．Second-hand Clothes Draw Wide Attention |
| D．Patagonia Is Now Selling Used Clothes |
