【推荐1】World Wildlife Day-- 3rd March 2020

Our planet is home to every lifeform we know.     1    

Humans are no different. We depend on wildlife and on the planet’s rich biodiversity for our survival and well-being. We might think we have fully bent nature to our needs, but we entirely depend on the resources of our biosphere to meet the needs of over seven billion people. And nature has its own needs.     2     After all, we are only one link in the chain of life. When we harm other links in the chain, we hurt the bond of life that unites us all.

    3     But we can prevent that. We must conserve the wild plants, animals, and ecosystems around us.     4     By doing so, we are protecting ourselves.

In 2020, World Wildlife Day celebrates biodiversity, including wild fauna and flora, in all its varied and beautiful forms.     5    

A．We must be careful not to overexploit it.

B．Today, unsustainable human activity could cause up to a million species to go extinct.

C．These come in all shapes and sizes – from the most unfamiliar to the ones you see every day.

D．We need one another for food and sustenance.

E．We must use our natural heritage wisely and sustainably.

F．We’re not always the kindest neighbors to each other.

G．Let’s work together to build a world that can truly sustain all life on Earth.

【推荐2】Directions: Read the passage carefully. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Acid rain is now a familiar problem in the industrialized countries in Europe. Harmful gases like Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are produced by power stations and cars.     1    

Acid rain is also capable of dissolving some rocks and buildings made of soft rock, such as limestone, are particularly badly affected. The acid rain attacks the rock, and so carvings and statues are worn away more quickly.

    2    According to a report in the Scientist, acid rain is being blamed for the rapid decay of ancient ruins Mexico. The old limestone buildings in places like Chichen Itza, Tulum and Palenque are wearing away very quickly indeed. These sites are the remains of the buildings built by the Mayas between 250 BC and AD900, and the spectacular ruins of civilization are visited by thousands of tourists every year.

The acid rain is said to be caused by pollution from oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Car exhaust gases are also a problem. Local volcanic eruption make the problem even worse. Nevertheless, with enough money and effort, researchers say that many of the problems could be solved and the rate of dissolving reduced.     3    
Mexico’s current lack of funds is also partly due to oil. The country has rich oil field and a few years ago, when oil was expensive, Mexico was selling large quantities of oil to the USA and earning a lot of money. The government was therefore able to borrow huge sums of money from banks around the world, thinking they would have no problem repaying their debts. However, the price of oil then dropped, and Mexico has been left owing enormous sums of money and with not enough income from oil sales to pay back the loans.     4    

A．However, the Mexican government does not have enough money to do the work, and needs to spend what money it has on the Mexican people.

B．That is enough to have caused some of the ancient carvings to become seriously damaged already.

C．So unless the price of rises, it is unlikely that Mexican will be able to afford to clean up the pollution and save its Mayan ruins from destruction.

D．These measures would reduce the pollution, but would not stop it completely.

E．The problem, however, is not a European one.

F．They dissolve in rainwater and this makes acid rain, which damages trees, rivers and streams.

【推荐3】Over millions of years， African penguins have developed a keen sense of where to find food． Once they're old enough， they set off from the shores on which they were hatched（孵化） for the first time and swim long distances in search of tasty fish like anchovies and sardines． But they don't search directly for the fish themselves． When African penguins head out to sea， they look for areas with low surface temperatures and high chlorophyll（叶绿素）． Because those conditions signal the presence of algae（藻类）． And lots of algae means lots of plankton（浮游动物）， which in turn means lots of their favorite fish． Well， that's what it used to mean．

Climate change plus overfishing have made the penguin feeding grounds a mirage（海市蜃楼）． The habitat is indeed plankton﹣rich， but now it's fish﹣poor． Researchers call this an "ecological trap．" "It's a situation where you have a signal that previously pointed an animal towards good﹣quality habitat． That habitat has been changed， usually by human pressures． The signal stays， but the quality in the environment gets worse．"

Richard Sherley， a zoologist at the University of Exeter and his team used satellite imaging to track the African penguins from eight sites along southern Africa． Historically， the birds benefited from tons of fish off the coasts of Angola， Namibia and western South Africa， but now they're going hungry．

"I was really hoping we'd see them going east， and finding areas which the fish had moved to but it ends up being quite a sad story for the penguins．" said Richard．

The researchers calculate that by falling into this ecological trap， African penguin populations on South Africa's Western Cape have declined by around 80 percent．

Some research groups are exploring the idea of moving them to a place where they can't get trapped， like the Eastern Cape． But Sherley thinks that a solution in the long run means making and carrying out rules to create more sustainable（可持续的） fishing industry， which needs public support．

1. How do penguins find their food？

A．They discover fish with their keen sense．

B．They swim long distances directly for fish．

C．They make signals to each other when finding fish．

D．They look for warmer and greener areas．

2. What is an ecological trap for the African penguins？

A．A trap set to catch penguins．

B．A good fish habitat with few fish．

C．A habitat rich in plankton．

D．A mirage on the sea．

3. What can be done to help the penguins in the long run？

A．Move the penguins to other places．

B．Create nature reserves for penguins．

C．Keep a balanced fishing industry．

D．Increase the population of penguins．

4. What is the main idea of the passage？

A．African penguins are losing their habitats．

B．African penguins are falling into ecological traps．

C．A sustainable development is needed．

D．African penguin populations have declined．

【推荐1】Different contexts affect food production, processing, trade, marketing and consumption. As a result of this, the food availability, accessibility, and affordability— as well as consumers’ dietary behaviour and nutritional status—vary. One possible picture is presented here to provide an idea on how COVID-19 might impact the global food system.

Consumer demand plays a crucial role in food production and their demands depend on purchasing power and preference. Because of the lockdown, there is no work for many people. As a result, they do not have enough money to buy adequate food for their families. The closure of restaurants, school meals and tourism businesses may reduce the demand for fresh food. People buy frozen. dried and canned food with longer shelf life. Energy-dense, less nutritious foods are often more affordable than fresh and nutritious one.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 is not likely to be transmitted through food. However, workers can get infected by each other if they do not maintain social distance properly. Shortage of labor can not only hamper food production, but also the processing of food.

Around the world, millions of people depend on international trade either for then- livelihood or food security. The virus outbreak might slow down global trade and marketing of food. As a result, countries depending on imported food can face difficulties. The closure of ports and other supply restrictions will hamper food supply. The price of transferring food within and outside of the country may get more expensive. It means import may get more expensive and export may bring less money. On the other hand, the restriction in transport and supply can be the cause of food loss particularly for fresh fruits and vegetables. Companies may face difficulties to import the ingredients for different products which may disturb the production.

1. The passage is mainly about ________.

A．why the food system is easily affected by COVID-19

B．how the world may be affected by COVID-19 outbreak

C．what effect COVID-19 may have on the food system

D．what contexts affect food production

2. How is consumers’ dietary behavior changing now?

A．They are eating more fresh food.

B．Energy-dense food is not popular with them.

C．They buy more less nutritious food.

D．A balanced diet provides adequate nutrition for them.

3. Paragraph 3 is related to food ________.

A．gathering

B．trade

C．market

D．processing

4. Which of the following leads to the shortage of fresh food?

A．Growing concern for food security.

B．Inadequate ingredients.

C．Increased processed food.

D．Limited transport and supply.

【推荐2】You might not regard England, which is famous for its almost year round rain, as a place with a water shortage problem. However, James Bevan, head of the UK Environment Agency, warned at a recent conference that England will lack water within 25 years.

A major reason for the shortage is climate change. As recently as 2017, Britain saw its driest 10-month period in over 100 years. In 2018, below-average rainfall caused many reservoirs (水库) to run dangerously low. It’s predicted that, by 2040, over half of UK summers will be hotter than the summer of 2003, and water supply from rivers could fall by between 50-80 percent, according to CNN. In 2003, the UK experienced one of the most significant heat waves in recorded history.

Another major reason is that the British waste too much water in daily life. On average each person uses about 140 liters of water per day through a combination of showers, washing machines and garden hoses, according to the BBC. Bevan said people should try to save water and that they could cut their daily water use from 140 to 100 liters. “There re simple steps we can take... Get a low flush toilet, Take short showers...” he said during the conference.

While England may not be the only place facing a water shortage, some other areas have taken measures to avoid one. Israel, for example, recycles waste water, which makes up 40% of the country’s agricultural water.

Wherever you’re in the world, water is precious. Our world is 70% covered by water, but only 2.5% of it is fresh, and only 1% is easily accessible. So let’s try to save the water we’re lucky enough to have and not be wasteful.

1. What can be the best main idea of the passage?

A．English people are wasting too much water.

B．England may run short of water in the near future.

C．Climate change causes water shortage in England.

D．English people should solve the problem with water shortage.

2. What’s the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To call on people to save water together.

B．To educate people about the importance of water.

C．To inform people of the water problem in England.

D．To introduce ways to solve the water shortage problem.

3. Where can you probably find the article?

A．In a textbook.	B．In a research report.
C．In a travel journal.	D．In a newspaper.