Officials in New York City are using technology to cut down on noise on city streets. Cameras equipped with radar (雷达) sound collectors identify loud vehicles in an effort to catch drivers violating (违反) noise rules. New York officials say at least 71 people have received fines for operating cars or trucks that make too much noise. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection now has plans to expand the use of technology to enforce (强制执行) noise rules.
City Council member Erik Bottcher told the Associated Press. (AP) vehicles with illegally changed parts can produce extremely loud sounds. He said they have been a growing problem in recent years. Bottcher supports the use of radar to reduce noise in the city.
New York City already has some of the strongest rules in the country aimed at limiting noise on city streets. It has set permissible noise levels for building-tools and vehicles. The new devices record the vehicle numbers of offenders, who then receive a violation notice in the mail. Owners face fines of 800 for their first noise offense. Some could be required to pay up to $2,625 if they have three violations and ignore court hearings.
The AP says there is evidence to support the idea that noise affects not only hearing but also mood and mental health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) even says there are possible links between noise and higher risks for heart disease and raised blood pressure.
However, some people in the city say the government efforts to quiet loud vehicles have gone too far. One person opposed to the policy is Phillip Franklin, a 30-year-old car lover from the Bronx area of New York. He launched an online effort to protest noise rules. “The majority of us. live here in New York City, where noise is a part of our daily lives,” said a document explaining. his effort. Franklin noted that quiet vehicles can also present dangers to inattentive individuals walking around New York City.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?| A．Technology is key in noise reduction. |
| B．Cases of violating noise rules are reduced. |
| C．More people will be punished for loud vehicles. |
| D．The efforts to identify loud vehicles seemed in vain. |
| A．The wide use of radar. | B．Increasing loud vehicles. |
| C．The setting of noise levels. | D．Illegally changed vehicles. |
| A．To summarize the previous paragraphs. | B．To provide some proof for the policy. |
| C．To add some background information. | D．To introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| A．New Yorkers are all used to loud noise? |
| B．Not all people approve of the noise rules |
| C．Noise has nothing to do with high blood pressure. |
| D．Quiet vehicles will cause safety problems. |
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【推荐1】Industrial agriculture is often held up as the solution to feeding the world’s growing population. But small farms of about 25 acres or less produce over 70 percent of the world’s food. To raise awareness of the contribution of these farmers, a global photo exhibition, We Feed the World, is to open on October 12 in London.
“Industrial agriculture, which mainly focuses on a few types of crops, is not the only answer,” says art director Francesca Price. “We want these images to empower people to support their local food system.”
By growing traditional and non-commercial varieties, small farms support biodiversity and increase food security. With only 12 plants and five animal species making up 75 percent of what the world eats, food systems will be easily hurt by natural disasters and disease outbreaks. However, traditional farming communities are working to preserve their ancient seed diversity.
Keeping variety alive is very important in the face of climate change. In the future, researchers might need to get particular genes from—one variety to help another to adapt to warmer, stormier, or drier weather, or to save a prized variety from disease.
Contrary to the false impression held by the public, small farms that practise traditional agriculture can be highly productive. Studies show that the output of crops rises when there’s a wider diversity of crops being grown on a farm, and money is saved since the need for harmful fertilizer(化肥)and other chemicals is reduced.
“The photographs of family farmers may tell just a few local stories, but the message is universal,” says photographer Cheryl Newman. “I hope that the images will leave viewers thinking deeply about where their food comes from and the impact it has on the world around us.”
1. What is the purpose of the photo exhibition?| A．To help small farmers to sell their produce. |
| B．To show the challenges faced by small farmers. |
| C．To help farmers to fight against industrial agriculture. |
| D．To draw attention to small farmers’ contribution. |
| A．It produces more food than small farms in total. |
| B．It harms biodiversity and decreases food security |
| C．It has been competing unfairly with small farms. |
| D．It is the only way to feed the world’s population. |
| A．Their genes are much better. |
| B．Their output is much higher. |
| C．They may help improve the other crops. |
| D．They don’t need chemical fertilizers at all. |
| A．Industrial agriculture or traditional agriculture, hard to decide |
| B．Agriculture needs diversity |
| C．Small farms, big impacts |
| D．Traditional agriculture, highly productive |
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.
P-A-I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three-thousand-million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same.
Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase.
The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which are carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture.
The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth. It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have.
1. are expected to have severe water problems by the year 2025.
| A．46 countries | B．18 countries |
| C．28 countries | D．No countries |
| A．Lack of water may cause conflict between countries |
| B．New industries need a lot of water |
| C．There are solutions to the water problem |
| D．Egypt now has enough fresh water |
| A．There is connection between providing clean water and slowing population growth |
| B．Lack of water may also result from international conflict |
| C．The ability of developing has nothing to do with lack of water |
| D．It is not known whether diseases have something to do with lack of water |
| A．World Conflict | B．World Water Shortage |
| C．Diseases and Water | D．Population and Water |
【推荐3】In the three decades since Darah Lady’s grandmother first arrived in this distant area of northern Brazil, clearing the forest by hand to build a house for her 14 children, the family has pushed deeper and deeper into the Amazon. It has been driven by a saying that good fortune comes when nature gives in to human control.
Yet their growing community there could ruin not only their children’s future but also that of the entire planet. More global pandemics are on the way, scientists say, and the next one is likely to crop up from a community like Darah Lady’s, where people are taking up more and more space of the natural world and erasing the buffer zone between themselves and habitats that existed long. As people cut down forest, they not only speed up the global warming but also greatly increase their risk of exposure to disease.
Scientists also say disease hot zones are expanding from Africa to South America, and that deforestation has already led to a rise in spreading disease. Zoologists have found that a third of all known disease outbreaks around the world were due to rapid land use change.
Darah Lady’s community of Maruaga is filled with risks for the spread of viruses. Their family has already battled zoonotic illnesses— the term used to describe diseases spread between animals and humans.
When 40% of a land area has been destroyed, according to Tom Gillespie, a university researcher, the region hits a sort of tipping point: Wild animals are pushed closer to humans for food, and viruses begin to spread.
Darah Lady seemed to notice the slight difference of deforestation. “I get kind of sad,” Darah Lady said, “Because the forest is something I’ve loved since I was little. And they are deforesting, right? It’s destroying nature.”
1. What do you know about Darah Lady?| A．She built a house for her 14 children. | B．She made a big fortune in Amazon. |
| C．Her family cut down trees for growing crops. | D．Her family lived in Amazon for decades. |
| A．The loss of the buffer zone. | B．The effect of global warming. |
| C．The lack of species variety. | D．The expansion of wildlife habitats. |
| A．A possible treatment for diseases. |
| B．A real example of the prevention of diseases. |
| C．A further ex planation of the spread of diseases. |
| D．A supporting evidence for the danger of diseases. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Literature. | C．Health. | D．Environment. |
【推荐1】Now, an increasing number of cities are suspending recycling services, partly out of fear that workers might contact the coronavirus from one another while sorting through used water bottles, food containers and boxes. One solution: Let robots do the job.
Since the coronavirus took hold in the United States last month, AMP Robotics has seen a “significant” increase in orders for its robots that use artificial intelligence to sort through recycled material, and weed out trash. Some facilities that were looking at getting one or two robots are now saying, “We need quite a bit more.” The Colorado company’s chief executive, Matanya Horowitz said, “It’s all moving quite fast.”
Before the pandemic, automation had been gradually replacing human work in a range of jobs, from call centers to warehouses and grocery stores, as companies looked to cut labor costs and improve profit.
But labor and robotics experts say social-distancing directives, which are likely to continue in some form after the crisis become less strong, could cause more industries to accelerate their use of automation. And long-lasting worries about job losses or a broad unease about having machines control vital aspects of daily life could disappear as society sees the benefits of restructuring workplaces in ways that minimize close human contact.
Recycling is one industry that may be altered permanently by the pandemic. Some workers, who earn as little as $10 an hour, have been concerned about coming to work during the crisis and some cities have been competing to find enough protective gear (防护装备) for all of their employees. Federal health officials have assured them that the risks of transmission from household refuse is low. But workers in recycling facilities often work side by side sorting material, making social distancing difficult.
At AMP Robotics, executives like Mr. Horowitz say their robots will enable recycling facilities to space out their employees, who stand at conveyor belts weeding through the used plastic and paper.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．The pandemic becomes less strong. | B．Robots are in greater demand now. |
| C．Recycling services aren’t satisfying. | D．Unemployment is sharply on the rise. |
| A．Panicked. | B．Doubtful. | C．Appreciative. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Sorting out recycled material. | B．Minimizing close human contact. |
| C．Replacing the jobs of cheap labor. | D．Producing enough protective gear. |
| A．Pandemic accelerates automation. | B．Robots cause severe unemployment. |
| C．Recycling industry is changing. | D．Social distancing is still important. |
【推荐2】
NASA will crash a spacecraft into an asteroid (小行星) to try to change its orbit, attempting to prevent humans going the same way as the dinosaurs.
Earth is constantly being disturbed by small pieces of debris (碎片), but they usually burn up or break up long before they hit the ground. Once in a while, however, something large enough to do significant damage makes impact. About 66 million years ago, one such crash is thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs. Someday, something similar could end human beings-unless we can find a way to tackle it.
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission is the first attempt to test if such asteroid redirection is a realistic strategy: investigating whether a spacecraft can autonomously reach a target asteroid and intentionally crash into it, as well as measuring the amount of redirection. “If it works, it would be a big deal, because it would prove that we have the technical capability of protecting ourselves,” said Jay Tate, the director of the National Near Earth Object Information Center.
The 610kg Dart spacecraft is scheduled to be launched at the target—the Didymos system-a harmless pair of asteroids consisting of a 163-metre “moonlet” asteroid called Dimorphos that orbits a larger 780-metre asteroid called Didymos (Greek for “twin”). The plan is to crash the spacecraft into Dimorphos when the asteroid system is at its closest to Earth-about 6.8 million miles away.
About 10 days before the impact, a miniaturized satellite called LiciaCube will separate from the main spacecraft, enabling images of the impact to be relayed back to Earth. Combined with observations from ground-based telescopes, and an onboard camera that will record the final moments before the crash, these recordings will enable scientists to calculate the degree to which the impact has changed Dimorphos’s orbit. The expectation is that it will change the speed of the smaller asteroid by approximately 1% and reduce its orbit around the larger asteroid.
Then, in November 2024, the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft will visit the Didymos system and conduct a further close-up analysis of the consequences of this snooker (斯诺克) game, recording details such as the precise makeup and internal structure of Dimorphos, and the size and shape of the hole left by Dart. Such details are vital for transforming asteroid redirection into a repeatable technique.
Even then, it is impossible that any single redirection strategy would be enough. “The problem is that no two asteroids or comets are alike, and how you redirect one depends on a huge number of variables. There is no silver bullet in this game. What you need is a whole folder of different redirection methods for different types of targets,” said Tate.
So, while this may be one small step towards planetary protection, many more are likely to be necessary to avoid destruction.
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 2?| A．To examine the impact of dinosaurs’ extinction. |
| B．To explain the necessity of NASA’s Dart mission. |
| C．To show the damage caused by small pieces of debris. |
| D．To highlight the crisis threatening human beings at present. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．Sending impact data back to Earth. |
| B．Calculating the length of Dimorphos’s orbit. |
| C．Helping the satellite separate from the spacecraft. |
| D．Recording the scientists’ ground-based observations. |
| A．There is no challenge too big to overcome. |
| B．There is no possibility to satisfy NASA’s needs. |
| C．There is no single solution to the complex problem. |
| D．There is no strategy to help make an obvious decision. |
【推荐3】Two hours from the tall buildings of Philadelphia live some of the world's largest bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance（丰富）of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, grasslands, mountain and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Pocono's natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America's "Last Great Places".
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Bud Cook, the president of the Conservancy, is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forming partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose's family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two year ago, Francis worked with the local branch of the Nature Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family's land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy's success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents.
"The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community," Cook said. "The people who live here respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation efforts."
For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world's other "Last Great Places," please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org.
1. We learn from the passage that _________.| A．the tourist industry is growing fast and has great influence on the Pocono area |
| B．wildlife in the Pocono area is dying out rapidly |
| C．the security of the Pocono residents is being threatened |
| D．farmlands in the Pocono area are shrinking fast |
| A．Financial contributions from local business leaders. |
| B．Consideration of the interests of the local residents. |
| C．The establishment of a wildlife protection foundation in the area. |
| D．The setting up of a local Nature Conservancy branch in the Pocono area. |
| A．The setting up of an environmental protection website. |
| B．Support from organizations like the Nature Conservancy. |
| C．Cooperation with the local residents and business leaders. |
| D．Inclusion of farmlands in the region's protection program. |
