A great amount of dark, sticky tar (焦油) was reported along Israel’s coast last week. An offshore oil tanker is believed to have leaked out.
The floating oil can form tar balls as it is pushed by wind and waves on the ocean’s surface. After a violent storm, the tar balls were seen ashore. Israel has about 190 kilometers of beaches. The tar has already had a big effect on the local wildlife. Volunteers were working quickly to rescue sea birds, turtles, and fish. Some animals were covered in oil or tar. Others had swallowed it. The body of a young whale was found washed up on shore. The whale appeared to have died after swallowing a black oily liquid.
The government has asked people to avoid going to the beach, since tar exposure can make people sick and do harm to the skin. A number of volunteers had to be taken to the hospital after breathing in the air polluted by chemicals from the tar.
Experts from Israel and Europe are still trying to figure out exactly what happened. The leak is believed to have taken place about a week ago, when there were strong storms in the area. Israel believed that a ship leaked tens or even hundreds of tons of oil in the Mediterranean. Experts are working together to review satellite images (图像) of ships that passed through the area, and they have a list of about 10 ships that are the most likely ones to leak out.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority warned that the “consequences will be seen for years to come.” Israeli environmental minister Gila Gamliel said on Saturday that there is no more floating oil visible off Israel’s coast, “which is a very animative condition.” However, the ministry warned that large waves are forecast this week. The waves could carry the sticky tar from beach to beach, which could make cleanup efforts more difficult.
1. What brought the tar balls to the shore?| A．An oil ship. | B．The sea animals. |
| C．A strong storm. | D．The floating oil. |
| A．When it took place hasn’t been sure. | B．Israel has found out the cause of it. |
| C．Who’s responsible for it is unclear. | D．Volunteers have tried hard to stop it. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Natural. | C．Rare. | D．Encouraging. |
| A．Health. | B．Environment. | C．Science. | D．Trade. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Electric cars are dirty. In fact, not only are they dirty, they might even be dirtier than their gasoline-powered cousins.
People in California love to talk about “zero-emissions vehicles”, but people inCalifornia seem to be clueless about where electricity comes from. Power plants mostly use fireto make it. Aside from the new folks who have their roofs covered with solar cells, we get ourelectricity from generators (发电机). Generators are fueled by something—usually coal, oil,but also by heat generated in nuclear power plants. There are a few wind farms andgeothermal (地热)plants as well, but by far we get electricity mainly by burning something.
In other words, those “zero-emissions” cars are likely coal-burning cars. It’s justbecause the coal is burned somewhere else, it looks clean. It is not. It’s as if the CaliforniaGreens are covering their eyes—“ If I can’t see it, it’s not happening.” Gasoline is anincredibly efficient way to power a vehicle; a gallon of gas has a lot of energy in it. But whenyou take that gas (or another fuel) and first use it to make electricity, you waste a nice partof that energy, mostly in the form of wasted heat—at the generator, through the transmissionlines, etc.
A gallon of gas may propel your car 25 miles. But the electricity you get from that gallonof gas won’t get you as far — so electric cars burn more fuel than gasoline-poweredones. If our electricity came mostly from nukes or geothermal, or hydro or wind or solar, thenan electric car truly would be clean. But for political, technical, and economic reasons, wedon’t use much of those energy sources.
In addition, electric cars’ batteries which are poisonous for a long time will eventuallyend up in a landfill. And finally, when cars are the polluters, the pollution is spread acrossall the roads. When it’s a power plant, though, all the junk is in one place. Nature is verygood at cleaning up when things are too concentrated, but it takes a lot longer when all thegarbage is in one spot.
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．Electric cars are far from being clean. |
| B．Electric cars are better than gasoline-powered ones. |
| C．People cast doubts on electric cars’ batteries. |
| D．Gasoline is an efficient way to power a vehicle. |
| A．no less than 25 miles | B．as far as 50 miles |
| C．less than 25 miles | D．as far as 25 miles |
| A．are more environmentally friendly |
| B．burn more fuel than gas-powered ones |
| C．are very good at cleaning up when things are not too concentrated |
| D．are poisonous for a long time and will eventually end up in a landfill |
| A．being green is good and should be encouraged in communication |
| B．electric cars are the dominant vehicles compared with their gas-poweredcousins |
| C．zero-emissions vehicles should be chosen to protect our environment |
| D．electric cars are not clean because we get electricity mainly by burning something |
【推荐2】Climate change is a global challenge. One way to fight it is by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. New research shows that trees planted in China have helped in this fight.
A recent study in the journal Nature shows that the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed (吸收) by new forests in two parts of China is more than we thought. These areas are in the northeastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces and the southwestern Yunnan and Guizhou provinces and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. They make up about 35 percent of China’s land-based (基于陆地的) carbon sinks (碳汇). A carbon sink is a natural area like a forest or ocean that absorbs more-carbon dioxide than it emits (排放). Carbon sinks help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
China’s goal is to peak (达到峰值) its CO2 emissions (排放) before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality (中和) by 2060, Xinhua reported. Carbon neutrality refers to removing as much CO2 as one puts into the air.
According to study co-author Yi Liu at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, “the afforestation activities described in our Nature paper will play a role in reaching that goal.”
1. A recent study in Nature shows that ________.| A．China has serious air pollution | B．China has planted the most trees in the world |
| C．China has fewer CO2 emissions now | D．China has planted fewer trees |
| A．is the world’s largest emitter of CO2 | B．will bring CO2 emissions down after 2030 |
| C．will not release CO2 in the future | D．will reach carbon neutrality by 2030 |
| A．One way to fight climate is by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. |
| B．Trees planted in China have helped fight against climate change. |
| C．New forests in two parts of China absorbed more carbon dioxide than we thought. |
| D．35 percent of China’s land has been affected by CO2 emission. |
| A．It takes a long time for carbon sinks to form. | B．Climate change is no longer a serious problem. |
| C．More trees will be planted in China in the future. | D．China has beaten climate change. |
【推荐3】Politicians and the public tend to worry about carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (排放) but neglect the effects of cutting methane (甲烷). Actually, dealing with the gas would have a large effect rapidly and at relatively low cost.
Human activity emits far less methane than carbon dioxide, but methane has a heavier impact. Over the course of 20 years, a ton of the gas will warm the atmosphere about 86 times more than a ton of CO2. As a result, methane is responsible for 23% of the rise in temperatures since preindustrial times. Carbon dioxide gets most of the attention, but unless methane emissions are limited, there is little hope of controlling the climate.
By how much do methane emissions need to fall? Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for centuries, making it hard to reduce its atmospheric concentrations (浓度). By contrast, methane has a half-life of roughly ten years, which means that it degrades quickly. If new emissions can be cut to below the rate at which old emissions reduce, the concentration of methane in the atmosphere will soon fall, slowing global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that, to keep temperatures between 1.5℃ and 2℃ above preindustrial levels, human methane emissions must drop to 35% below where they stood in 2010 by midcentury.
That is entirely possible. A big step would be to stop millions of tons of methane from leaking out of fossil-fuel infrastructure each year, through pipes with holes, leaky valves and carelessness. The International Energy Agency, a global forecaster, estimates that 40% of methane emissions from fossil fuels, equal to 9% of all human methane emissions, can be got rid of at no net cost for firms. The harder task is to reduce emissions from agriculture, but even here farmers can make use of new ideas, including developing new forms of food for farm animals, and changing how rice is watered.
1. What does the underlined word “neglect” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Ignore. | B．Blame. | C．Value. | D．Delay. |
| A．A less serious threat to global warming. |
| B．The little hope of controlling the climate. |
| C．People’s more attention on carbon dioxide. |
| D．The urgent need to reduce methane emissions. |
| A．They are the only hope of controlling the climate. |
| B．Their atmospheric concentrations are hard to reduce. |
| C．Their impact on the climate is huge but manageable. |
| D．They stay in the atmosphere longer than carbon dioxide. |
| A．Coal mining. | B．Rice farming. | C．Fuel burning. | D．Oil leaking. |
【推荐1】Southern California’s Catalina Island is a popular destination for nature lovers. It is reachable by boat from Los Angeles and San Diego. Most of the small island is a government-protected wild area. But, a report last October in the Los Angeles Times newspaper raised public concern about the water surrounding Catalina. The newspaper discovered that industrial companies for years had been dumping (倾倒) the insect poison DDT into the ocean near Catalina. The practice began in the 1940s and ended in the 1970s.
The newspaper report led to a search and study of the area by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (UCSD). The research team discovered about 25,000 large containers, below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The scientists suspected the containers held DDT, and other chemicals used to make the poison.
Eric Terrill, who led the Scripps program that worked on the project, said the finding was a surprise as the containers were spread over a very large area. The Scripps examination also showed the companies responsible for the chemical dump disobeyed rules about where to place the containers.
The researchers mapped about 15,000 hectares of ocean floor where past studies had shown evidence of poisonous chemicals. The area lies between coastal Los Angeles and Catalina. “The long-term effect on ocean life and humans is still unknown, and needs extensive study,” said Lihini Aluwihare, a member of the Scripps program. But, in 2015,she co-wrote another study that found high amounts of DDT and other chemicals in the fat of bottle nose dolphins. Aluwihare said some studies among small groups showed that DDT-linked health problems have been passed from parents to children.
1. What can we know about Catalina Island?| A．It’s the smallest island off Los Angeles. | B．Various chemical plants are still there. |
| C．No man has ever set foot on the island. | D．It’s a good option to explore nature. |
| A．It’s an illegal activity. | B．It lasted half a century. |
| C．It’s caused by an accident. | D．It poses no effect on wildlife. |
| A．Many dolphins were poisoned to death. | B．Further research should be conducted. |
| C．Her previous study was a great success. | D．Parents tended to get recovered soon. |
| A．How to Respond to Water Pollution | B．What to Be Done to Save Ocean Life |
| C．Shocking DDT Dump Around Catalina | D．Breathtaking Views in Southern California |
【推荐2】Somewhere between 40,000 and 110,000 tons of plastic waste produced by Americans ends up in the ocean, according to a study published in the journal Science.
It’s difficult to point out where all that waste comes from, and researchers think that much or most of it probably comes from the nation’s seriously-populated coasts. But there’s also evidence that the nation’s inland waterways serve as a passage for plastic to travel thousands of miles into the oceans.
While researchers have documented plastic and human trash floating in the world’s oceans, there has been relatively little attention paid to plastics in rivers, streams and lakes. “To my knowledge, no one has studied particular routes, with the exception of places like L.A, and Baltimore Harbor where there are measures in place to prevent trash in rivers from entering the ocean.” said Kara Lavender Law, an oceanographer.
The few studies that exist, however, suggest that it may be a huge problem. A 2011 study of two southern California urban rivers—including Santa Ana River—found that every square meter of water contained from 125 to 819 pieces larger than 4.75 millimeters. Another survey of the Meuse River, which flows 575 miles through France. Belgium and the Netherlands to the North Sae, found that it contained 70,000 pieces of plastics per square meter of water, about 500 of which were roughly an inch or bigger in size.
If there’s anything positive in this, it’s you that can do something, at least on a personal level, to reduce the amount of plastic that goes into the oceans. “Put trash where it goes.” said Jenna Jambeck, an associate professor of environmrental engineering at the University of Georgia. “Use reusable items—bags, cups and bottles—to reduce waste.”
Finally, Jambeck urges people to pick up litter along waterways, and record it with a phone app called the Marine Debris Tracker. The data you provide can help scientists to get a better handle on the trash problem.
1. According to the text, the least polluted place might be _____?| A．Meuse River | B．Baltimore Harbor | C．The North Sea | D．Santa Ana River |
| A．By referring to experts’ views | B．By following time order. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．. By listing statistics. |
| A．Make use of plastic items. | B．Stay positive about the oceans’ future. |
| C．. Start from small things to deal with waste. | D．Reduce the size of waste we throw away |
| A．Provide some data for scientists to use. |
| B．Recycle some wasted items. |
| C．Call on more people to pick up litter. |
| D．Make picking up litter a daily routine. |
【推荐3】The expression“a thirst for knowledge" may soon have a new meaning for millions of people who have no way to get clean water. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can turn dirty water into clean and drinkable water. They say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world.
About 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is polluted by harmful bacteria.
The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles (微粒) of silver. The pages can be used as filters（过滤器）to remove harmful microorganisms(微生物) that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass through it.
Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages are made of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can be poured through the paper to be cleaned.
Ms. Dankovich, the inventor, says each page can treat up to 100 liters of water. She recently presented her invention at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She was asked whether she had considered adding classic literature on the book's pages.
"The idea of classic texts—that's of interest maybe later. We have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really haven't had the time to go through that part," she says.
Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful.
Water for Life, a non-governmental organization, has provided financial support for the project.
1. What do we learn about the book from the text?| A．It has pages with several functions. | B．It is about environment protection. |
| C．It sells well around the world. | D．It can treat about 100 liters of water. |
| A．Classic texts. | B．Exciting discussion. |
| C．Invention presentation. | D．Financial support. |
| A．Ghana | B．Bangladesh. |
| C．South Africa. | D．America. |
| A．Researchers have found a way to save those being ill. |
| B．Book pages could provide safe drinking water. |
| C．Knowledge is as important as drinkable water. |
| D．Millions of people are in great need of drinkable water. |
【推荐1】The Beatles have released the last song they recorded. The song is titled “Now and Then”. It was written by John Lennon in 1977. He sang it at the piano and recorded it in 1979 at his home. The other Beatles added to the track over the years. Recording engineers used AI technology to bring the song to life, resulting in a sound like the four Beatles recorded it together in a studio. The song has been released as a double-A side single. The flip side of the record is a new mix of the band’s first single “Love Me Do”. This was first released in 1962. “Now and Then” will also be the final track on a new edition of the Beatles’ legendary greatest hits “blue” album. This is a collection of their classics from 1967-1970.
Beatles member Paul McCartney spoke to reporters about the new song. He said, “It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it. It’s a genuine Beatles recording.” He spoke about his excitement at being able to release a new song, saying, “In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music, and to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.” McCartney was also excited about hearing John Lennon’s voice. He said it was “crystal clear”. Lennon was shot dead by a fan outside his New York home in 1980. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said recording the song was, “the closest we’ll ever come to having [John Lennon] back in the room”. He said it was, “very emotional for all of us”.
1. What can be learned about “Now and Then”?| A．It was first released in 1962. |
| B．It was a song created by John Lennon in 1979. |
| C．The four Beatles didn’t actually record it together. |
| D．It was AI technology that helped to write the song. |
| A．Because the song was emotional. |
| B．Because he could play on a new song. |
| C．Because John Lennon came back in the room. |
| D．Because the band could release a new song that people hadn’t heard before. |
| A．The Beatles singer. | B．The Beatles engineer. |
| C．The Beatles drummer. | D．The Beatles manager. |
| A．A news website. | B．A travel blog. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A nature magazine. |
【推荐2】Many children love using a trampoline（蹦床）for fun. They love the excitement the activity brings to them. But are trampolines safe to use?
Starting in the early 1990s, trampolines saw a major increase in popularity. In 1989, 140,000 trampolines were sold in the United States and by 1998 that number had increased to 640,000. But with the increase in popularity there was a rise in pain. From 1990 to 1995, trampolines-related injuries jumped by 98% and in 1999 over 100,000 kids were treated in the emergency room because of using trampolines.
The data behind the danger is clear, but parents may not know that even though trampolines are made for children, they are not suitable for kids under the age of six. Kait Ellen posted an article on Facebook about her visit to a trampoline gym with her son Colton. Actually the visit was anything but enjoyable for the little guy. Colton, who was three years old, broke his bone while jumping up and down on a trampoline. And in her article there was a warning from a government department, which advised that children under the age of six should never use a trampoline.
In 2004, the first indoor trampoline park opened Thursday in LasVegas, Nevada and parks have been growing rapidly ever since. Parents should keep in mind the advice of experts for keeping their kids safe. To keep your kids from getting injured while using trampolines, you’d better keep them away from them.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing Paragraph 2?| A．To make comparisons. |
| B．To show trampolines’ popularity in America. |
| C．To advise people to buy trampolines. |
| D．To prove trampolines are unsafe. |
| A．Through the advice of expert. |
| B．Through a government department. |
| C．Through her son’s accident. |
| D．Through the data behind the danger. |
| A．Negative | B．Cautious | C．Uncertain. | D．Approving. |
| A．Kids can easily get hurt while playing. |
| B．Trampolines are dangerous for kids under 6. |
| C．Parents often make trampolines for their children. |
| D．Trampolines are very popular with children. |
【推荐3】On the day Apple debuted the often-delayed white-colored iPhone 4, the company’s marketing department gave a nod to the product’s troubled history.
“Finally.” read the big headline Thursday above a picture of the white phone on the homepage of Apple.com.
The white model was supposed to ship alongside the black one at the iPhone 4’s launch (推出) last June. But design and manufacturing complications delayed the process by 10 months, catching Apple off guard, executives say.
As CNN reported last month, earlier test models of the white iPhone 4 produced unclear photos, especially when the flash(闪光灯) was used. Its whiteness confused the proximity sensor (距离传感器) , which detects when the phone is held next to someone’s head and turns off the touch screen to save battery life.
These problems weren’t present in older iPhones that came in white because they didn’t have flash photography; the proximity sensor was unaffected because the front side of previous models was black.
“We thought we were there a year ago, or less than that, when we launched the iPhone 4, and we weren’t,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s chief marketing executive, said in an interview. “It’s not as simple as making something white. There’s a lot more that goes into both the material science of it —how it holds up over time…but also in how it all works with the sensors. ”
Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White predicts that the white model could help drive sales of Apple’s phones. He says Apple could sell 1 million to 1.5 million every three months until the next iPhone model is unveiled, which is expected to be this fall.
Forty-five people were lined up at Apple’s flagship New York store Thursday morning to buy white iPhones, according to a CNN Money report.
1. The reason why white-colored iPhone 4 was delayed by 10 months is that _______.| A．it’s always sold out due to its popularity |
| B．it met some problems concerning design and manufacture |
| C．it lacked white manufacturing materials |
| D．its proximity sensor can’t save battery life |
| A．There are multi-colored models of iPhone 4. |
| B．The same design problems were also found in older white iPhones. |
| C．IPhone4 will be launched this fall. |
| D．Originally designers thought they could solve the problems before iPhone 4 was launched. |
| A．Why the White iPhone 4 Took So Long |
| B．The History of iPhone 4 |
| C．The Attraction of White iPhone 4 |
| D．The Design and Manufacture of iPhone 4 |
| A．to remove one’s mask from his face |
| B．to remove a cloth from something, especially as part of a ceremony |
| C．to show to the public for the first time |
| D．to disappear from the public for the first time |
