Two environmental groups want a major soft drink giant to be pulled out of the world’s largest climate conference over plastics concerns, arguing the material has become “the new coal”.
Just Zero and Beyond Plastics, two US-based groups, called on the United Nations Climate Change Conference to cancel Coca-Cola’ s status as a sponsor of this year’s COP 27 on Wednesday. They believed that the soft drink manufacturer’s role in the event is undermining the global fight against climate change and conflicts with the efforts to bring down emissions.
“COP 27 is supposed to focus on solutions to the serious climate crisis.” said Judith Enck, who heads Beyond Plastics, “Instead, we’re allowing it to be a stage for company greenwashing.”
She was joined in her remarks by Just Zero State Policy Director Peter Blair, who said the company’s sponsorship of COP 27 “makes it hard to see this meeting as anything more than a performative act.”
Coca-Cola has repeatedly emphasized its recycling commitments and investments, which include plans to achieve net-zero emissions by midcentury. But an annual audit of corporate brands by Break Free From Plastic, an international coalition, has notably named Coca-Cola “the world’s top plastic polluter” for four years running.
Critics charge that its pollution footprint speaks for itself. Coca-Cola has said that it is responsible for around 3 million metric tons of plastic packaging, an inevitable (不可避免的) waste product. Such numbers, advocates argue, should disqualify the company from COP 27 sponsorship.
“By pouring millions of dollars into sponsoring COP 27, Coca-Cola is making a shameful play to give the appearance of environmental responsibility.” said Blair. “But behind the scenes, Coca Cola launched campaigns to block improvements in real recycling and resist calls to transition away from single-use plastic bottles to reusable and refillable glass containers.
1. What does the underlined word “undermining” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Making...less popular. | B．Making...less powerful. |
| C．Making...more reliable. | D．Making...more interesting. |
| A．Their doubt and surprise. | B．Their confusion and curiosity. |
| C．Their support and expectation. | D．Their anger and disappointment. |
| A．Do as you would be done by. | B．What’s done cannot be undone. |
| C．He who plays with fire gets burned. | D．Speak in one way and behave in another. |
| A．Coca-Cola—The World’s Top Plastic Polluter |
| B．Coca-Cola—One of the Sponsors of COP 27 |
| C．Green Groups Try to Kick Coca-Cola Out of COP 27 |
| D．Green Groups Demand That Coca-Cola Stop Pollution |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Europeans got more of their electricity from renewable sources than fossil fuels for the first time last year, according to an annual report from Ember and Agora Energiewende.
The report, which has been tracking European Union’s power sector since 2015, found that renewables delivered 38% of electricity last year, compared to 37% delivered by fossil fuels.
The shift comes as other sources, such as wind and solar power, have risen in the European Union. Both sources have nearly doubled since 2015, and as of last year accounted for one-fifth of electricity generation in EU countries, the report found. It’s also the reason why coal power declined 20% last year, making up only 13% of electricity generated in Europe.
“Rapid growth in wind and solar has forced coal into decline, but this is just the beginning,” said Dave Jones, senior electricity analyst for Ember and lead author on the report, in a statement. “Europe is relying on wind and solar to ensure not only coal is phased out by 2030, but also to phase out gas generation, replace closing nuclear power plants, and to meet rising electricity demand from electric cars and heat pumps.”
Last year’s COVID-19 lockdown measures resulted in less demand for electricity across the globe. European demand decreased by 4% in 2020, according to the report, which said COVID trends had no effect on the growth of renewable energy sources. Since 2015, Europe’s electricity emissions recorded a historic decline, becoming 29% cleaner, the report noted.
The milestone follows commitments from EU leaders last month to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. In the United States, their counterparts (同身份的人) successfully developed renewable energy to overtake coal consumption in recent years. Last May, renewable energy sources were consumed more than coal for the first time since 1885.
“Post-pandemic economic recovery must not slow down climate action,” said Patrick Graichen, director of Agora Energiewende, in a statement. “We therefore need strong climate policies — such as in the Green Deal — to ensure steady progress.”
1. What happened in EU countries according to the first three paragraphs?| A．The use of renewables declined by 38% last year. |
| B．20% of electricity was generated by renewables last year. |
| C．Fossil fuels were no longer used to generate electricity. |
| D．Coal power made up just 13% of electricity generation last year. |
| A．Cutting greenhouse gas emissions forced coal into decline. |
| B．Coal consumption is phased out due to rapid growth in wind and solar. |
| C．More nuclear power plants should be built to meet electricity demand. |
| D．Fossil fuels will eventually be abandoned in European countries. |
| A．The demand for renewables decreased across the globe. |
| B．Electricity consumption dropped to a historic record. |
| C．The growth in wind and solar power was hardly influenced. |
| D．The economy was making steady progress. |
| A．To compare renewable sources with fossil fuels. |
| B．To report on electricity generation in Europe. |
| C．To emphasize recovery in post-pandemic era. |
| D．To advocate strong climate policies in Europe. |
【推荐2】The old man Antonio Vicente has spent over four decades of his life fighting against the trend. As Brazilian landowners cut down rainforest to make room for profitable plantations (种植园) and grasslands, he struggled to bring the jungles of his childhood back to life.
“When I was a child, the farmers cut down the trees to make grasslands, and the water dried up and did not come back,” he says, “I thought: Water is valuable; no one makes water and the population will not stop growing. What is going to happen? We are going to run out of water.”
With only some donkeys and a small team of hired workers, Antonio Vicente set about bringing back the forest. What started out as a weekend hobby soon became a permanent way of life, and Antonio recalls often spending whole days and nights in his young jungle, surrounded by rats and foxes, and eating banana sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Over the last 40 years, he has planted an estimated 50,000 trees on his 31 hectare land, which now make up a small but unique area of rainforest, and a haven for wildlife.
As the forest grew, the water returned, and Antonio says that there are now over 20 water sources on his land that were no longer there when he bought it. Then the animals started making a home there. Today, the forest is alive with the sounds of birds and insects living there, and more species settle in every year. “There are all kinds of birds, squirrels, lizards, and even the boars are returning,” Antonio says. “If you ask me who my family are, I would say all this right here, each one of these that I planted from a seed.”
1. What do we learn about the Brazilian farmers?| A．They focused on short-term profit. |
| B．They wasted much water on farming. |
| C．They cared much about the environment. |
| D．They relied heavily on rainforest for a living. |
| A．Overpopulation. | B．Polluted water. |
| C．Loss of grasslands. | D．Water shortage. |
| A．Trap. | B．Disaster. |
| C．Shelter. | D．Balance. |
| A．His thanks for his family. |
| B．His affection for his forest. |
| C．His deep love for animals. |
| D．His pride as a successful peasant. |
【推荐3】Marcelo Toledo usually creates works of art out of metal. Now the Argentine artist is working with a new material: waste masks from the COVID-19 pandemic (流行病) to create an exhibition exploring the painful impact of the virus.
Toledo, who has made decorations for the musical “Evita” on Broadway, was among the first in Argentina to be infected by COVID-19, which left him hospitalized for eight days. The experience led to a series of artworks, including a 14-meter mask with the Argentine flag that he placed on the famous Obelisk in Buenos Aires to raise awareness about organ donation during the pandemic.
For his new exhibition, the “Museum of the After,” Toledo is collecting recycled coronavirus waste sent by hospitals, laboratories and random people, including old medical parts and newspapers about the pandemic.
“I am excited to be able to transform pain into beauty and this. exhibition is just recording everything that is happening to us as a society,” Toledo said. The artworks, which will go on show from September in a public space in downtown Buenos Aires, will all be made from waste materials or garbage that people send him. “It is the first time that I have done an exhibition in which I do not have to buy any of the elements,” he said.
In the exhibition there will be a real ship that will symbolically cross a “storm” and recycling islands to raise awareness about the importance of caring for the environment. “The exhibition will tell the story of this ship that went on sailing after the storm, which is a great metaphor (隐喻) for what is happening to us. This pandemic is a great global storm,” Toledo said.
As with the huge mask, which was replicated (复制) in countries such as the United States and Japan, the artist dreams of replicating the new exhibition in other cities around the world.
1. What inspired Toledo to make the 14-meter mask?| A．His-hospital stay. | B．His fear of COVID-19. |
| C．His Broadway experiences. | D．His research on organ donation. |
| A．They were exhibited. in hospitals. | B．They were produced in public places. |
| C．They were created by random people. | D．They were made out of used things. |
| A．Our awareness of environmental protection is improving. |
| B．We should make every effort to defeat the pandemic. |
| C．Our irresponsible behavior leads to natural disasters. |
| D．We suffer a lot from the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| A．Make more huge masks. |
| B．Host exhibitions on different themes. |
| C．Reproduce his exhibition in other places. |
| D．Collect exhibition elements from around the world. |
【推荐1】Vegetable displays have become surprisingly similar in markets around the world, which offer primarily commercial vegetables such as tomato, eggplant, onion, carrot, beet, lettuce and broccoli. In other words, world diets are actually becoming more similar and based on fewer crops.
A much greater diversity of vegetables exist in traditional food systems, but many of these crops are poorly integrated in current markets and diets. A total of 1,097 vegetable species, with a great variety of uses and growth forms, are cultivated worldwide. Still, we only seem to be familiar with less than 7% of these species.
The diversity of vegetables is more than a local preference. It could play an important role in ensuring adequate levels of nutrition and in meeting the challenges of agricultural production posed by climate change and soil degradation (退化). Many traditional vegetables are known to have higher nutritional value than commercial vegetables, and are well-adapted to local conditions, exhibiting resistance to drought, pests, diseases and poor soil conditions. For example, the Mayan spinach (玛雅菠菜) contains exceptional levels of protein, vitamin C and iron, and provides leaves year-round with little water and in poor soil conditions. Traditional crops like this could be strategic in helping more people meet the recommended levels of fruit and vegetable consumption, which is currently n global health concern.
Lack of information on traditional vegetables is a major barrier to their use and promotion because it prevents a wider recognition of their values and understanding of how best to grow, process and market them. Organizations around the world are placing increasing efforts on promoting these so called “forgotten foods”, because of their value and potential in bringing nutrition and income benefits to consumers and producers, as well as in strengthening local food traditions. This could be the beginning of a great transformation towards more diverse, vegetable-rich food systems around the world.
1. Why are world diets becoming more similar?| A．People prefer vegetables rich in nutrition. |
| B．Fewer kinds of vegetables are planted worldwide. |
| C．7% of vegetable crops lost their chances to survive. |
| D．A limited variety of vegetables are available to people. |
| A．Sold. | B．Planted. | C．Displayed. | D．Promoted. |
| A．Climate change is a great threat to humans. |
| B．Soil degradation affects vegetable diversity. |
| C．Commercial vegetables are highly profitable. |
| D．Many traditional vegetables have great values to us. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Pessimistic. |
【推荐2】Your action can speak louder than your words. It is important to know another language and how to communicate without words when you are in another country. Before saying anything, people communicate with each other by using gestures(手势). However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.
In the United States, nodding your head up and down means “yes”, while in some parts of Greece and Turkey, it means “no”. In the southeast of Asia, it is a polite way of saying “I heard you”.
Today in the USA, when someone puts his thumb(大拇指) up, it means “Everything is all right.” However, in Greece it is bad manners to do so. Also putting your clasped(紧握的)hands up above your head means “I am the winner.” It is the sign which players often make. In Russia it is the sign of friendship.
In the USA, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger(食指)in a circle, and the other three straight means “Everything is OK.” In France, it means “You are worth nothing.”
It is also important to make eye communication. If you look down when talking to an American, he or she may feel that you are shy, or you are trying to hide something.
Besides these, you should also know there are some topics that can not be talked about, such as age, weight and marriage. You can talk about the weather, work, sports, food, where one lives and news of the day.
1. What does the sentence “Your action can speak louder than your words” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．What you do is better than what you say. |
| B．You try your best to be polite. |
| C．You are better understood by your gestures than through your words. |
| D．What you say is better than what you do. |
| A．Greece | B．the USA | C．England | D．China |
| A．Putting your clasped hands up above the head means friendship in Greece. |
| B．You can express “You are worth nothing” by putting your thumb up in France. |
| C．Making eye communication is not important in a talk. |
| D．Weather, sports, food and work are the topics that can be talked. |
| A．it is important to know the language. |
| B．it is important to know what you talk about to a foreigner. |
| C．to know how to communicate without words is as important as to know the language. |
| D．to communicate through gestures is more important than to know the language. |
【推荐3】As you are soon on your way to Eastern Europe, here are a few tips on what you should pack. In general, pack lightly, with only the most basic clothes. People dress casually in Eastern Europe, so you don't need to bring along your smartest clothing.
At the risk of going against our own advice by weighing down your luggage, we suggest you consider bringing along the following things, which we find particularly useful in Eastern Europe.
Batteries：If your camera，flash，or other appliances run on batteries，bring enough supply along. Certain types of batteries don't exist in Eastern Europe，and those that do often don't last very long.
Calculator: Many travelers find it useful to figure out foreign exchange rates on a calculator. We suggest a credit-card calculator which fits into your wallet or purse.
Cash: We have found it good to have supply of small-unit U.S. bills ($l and $5) to use in hard-currency stores, to buy international train tickets, etc. The hard-currency stores never seem to have the right change, and thus you may lose out without some “pretty cash”on hand.
Electric Current Adapter: If you bring any appliances, remember that the electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A.C., not the standard 110 volts of North America. A 110 volts appliance will soon burn out when attached to an unchanged 220-volt plug. Get in touch with the Franzus Company, 352 Park Ave. South, New York, NY10010 (tel.212/889-5850), and ask for their booklet, "Foreign Electricity Is No Dark Secret".
Language Tools: One of Europe's big challenges is communicating with the local people since their languages are so different from our own. To help overcome difficulties, you might buy phrasebooks before you go -you won't find them once you are. in Eastern Europe.
If you are interested in learning an Eastern European language in more detail, we recommend the tape course produced by Audio Forum. In each course you listen to native speakers on a tape and follow along in a textbook. You can ask Audio Forum for their catalog at 96 Broad St., Guiford, CT06437 (tel. toll free 800/243-1234).
Money Belt: A money belt is especially helpful when you have many documents to carry around (as you always do in Eastern Europe). The best one we find is made by Eagle Greek Travel Gear, 143 Cedros Ave. (P. O. box.651), Solona Beach, CA 92075 (tel. 6197755 -9399, or toll free 800/874-9925) outside California.
Traveler's Checks: These are necessary. Bring your traveler's checks in small to medium unit ($10, $20, or $50) to change a little bit at a time, so as not to be left with a lot of local money. To be on the safe side, be sure to copy down the check numbers in two places, just in case something happens to the checks.
1. Which of the following sections deal with money matters?| A．Cash & Money Belt |
| B．Money Belt & Calculator |
| C．Cash & Traveler's Checks |
| D．Calculator & Electric Current Adapter |
| A．calculators | B．tapes |
| C．electric current adapters | D．money belts |
| A．No shop in Eastern Europe accepts hard currency. |
| B．Travelers may need to carry many documents in Eastern Europe. |
| C．The electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A. C. |
| D．Eastern European languages can be a problem to foreign travelers. |
| A．call 619/755-9399 for advice |
| B．ask for Franzus Company for a phrasebook |
| C．go to 96 Broad St, Guiford, for help |
| D．write to Solona Beach, CA 92075 for a textbook |
| A．an official notice | B．a traveler's guide |
| C．a holiday advertisement | D．immigration instructions |
