More than one billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the U.S. every year, and after they’ve been used for Halloween, millions of them will end up in a waste yard.
“Driving around after Halloween, you see so many pumpkins on top of their garbage cans. All of them will go to a waste yard and become methane gas(沼气),” says Kay McKeen, director of an environmental education organization based in Illinois.
Methane is a greenhouse gas. Compared to CO2, it warms the atmosphere in a shorter amount of time, which means it’s a most important cause of climate change. And waste yards—where we send as much as 40 percent of the food we produce—take up 14 percent of methane produced in the US every year.
That’s why, in 2014, McKeen began a collection event where local people can bring their waste pumpkins to 69 different locations to send them off to the bins, and—of course—smash them to pieces.
“It puts nutrients(营养) back in our soil, it saves water, it doesn’t make methane gas—it’s just a win-win,” says McKeen.
But not everyone has access to pumpkin smashing events, so we asked our newsletter readers how they reduce their pumpkin waste. The answers are various, ranging from baking sweet treats to bringing a pumpkin treat to farm animals.
1. What happens after Halloween?A.A lot of pumpkins are thrown away. |
B.People are busy cleaning up garbage. |
C.It is the best time for pumpkin harvest. |
D.People use pumpkins to make methane gas. |
A.Pumpkins cause the climate change. |
B.Illinois people waste half of their food. |
C.Both methane and CO2 are greenhouse gases. |
D.Methane is the only reason for climate change. |
A.Burn. | B.Shake. | C.Break. | D.Press. |
A.A letter. | B.A speech. | C.A news report. | D.A health report. |
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【推荐1】Every year on the third Sunday in June, Father’s Day is celebrated by families all around the world. We celebrate and honor fathers and their influence in our lives. Apart from your biological father, you can also celebrate grandfathers, stepfathers, and others you consider father figures.
The history of Father’s Day goes back to 1908, when a church in West Virginia honored 362 men killed the previous year in a coal mining explosion. The following year, a woman named Dodd started her quest to establish Father’s Day as a national holiday.
A.Dodd was one of six children raised by their single father. |
B.Therefore, the history of Father’s Day isn’t straightly accepted. |
C.A lot happened to threaten the parent-celebrating holidays then. |
D.We have the answers to your wonder about this dad-centered day. |
E.Give them a nice dad gift to show how much you appreciate them! |
F.Dodd’s home state of Washington celebrated Father’s Day in 1910. |
G.The Great Depression and World War II helped boost the idea of Father’s Day. |
【推荐2】New Year is a time to celebrate for almost everyone around the world. In Britain, people go to pubs to dance the old year away and to welcome the new one at midnight.
In recent years, street parties have become more popular. Hundreds or even thousands of people gather in squares, main streets or on the riverbanks to listen to bands playing and to see fireworks display.
For people who stay at home, most of them watch special and live New Year shows on TV with the hosts. As the last seconds of the old year are ticked away from 10 to 1, the bells of the New Year are rung.
In Scotland, on New Year’s Eve, people visit their neighbors, drink, dance and generally have a good time. If you’re invited to a Scottish home, you should bring some important things with you: some coal, shortbread and whisky.
The coal shows warmth, so you’re wishing that the people you visit will have enough heat in the coming year. The shortbread represents food, so you’re hoping that the people will have enough to eat in the new year. Some Scots call whisky “the water of life”, so when you hand over your bottle to your hosts, it means you want them to have enough to drink over the next 12 months.
There’s one more key task you still need to perform if you can. The first person to knock on a neighbor’s door is supposed to be a tall and handsome man. If you are, you’ll bring good luck to the household. What if that’s not you? Well, don’t ring the bell. Wait a while and the right person will turn up soon!
1. Which does not belong to gathering places when people throw street parties?A.Parks. | B.Squares. | C.Main streets. | D.Riverbanks. |
A.British people hate the old year, so they dance it away quickly. |
B.Street concerts have become less popular on New Year’s Eve. |
C.British people often set of fireworks to celebrate the New Year. |
D.People do nothing at home but wait for the bell of the New Year. |
A.To offer some food and water. | B.To send their lovey wishes. |
C.To show respect and richness. | D.To help those poor families. |
A.A man who listens to bands playing. | B.A man who is tall and handsome. |
C.A man who performs at street parties. | D.A man who carries bread and whisky. |
【推荐3】No matter where you go around the globe, everybody loves to celebrate. And when it comes to celebration, festivals offer something for everyone.
Mardi Gras (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a cultural event. Though the celebration
is held every year on the day before Ash Wednesday, the festivities last for months, banning in November throughout January and early February. And if you love music, check out the annual Galactic concert at the world-famous Tipitina’s on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras).
La Tomatina (Valencia, Spain)
Launched way back in 1945, La Tomatina is one of the oldest festivals on our list. It's also easily the happiest but the messiest, coming off like the world's biggest food fight.
Legend has it that the whole thing started when some local boys joined a parade alongside musicians. The boys made the performers so angry that they tried hit the boys, and a vendor's (小摊贩)vegetable stand fell victim to the incident.
If you go, please follow some simple rules: Don't throw hard objects, squash the tomato before throwing it, stay a safe distance away from tomato trucks, and stop in time.
Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland)
Founded back in 1967, Montreux is one of the oldest music festivals in the world. It's also the second largest jazz festival, after the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That Canadian concert may attract more visitors-around 2 million annually. But Montreux benefits from its pretty location on the attractive shores of Lake Geneva. The area is particularly beautiful in late June/early July, when the festival is held.
1. When is Galactic concert held?A.On Mardi Gras. | B.On Lundi Gras. |
C.On Montreux Jazz Festival. | D.On La Tomatina. |
A.Punish naughty boys. | B.Enjoy musicians' performance. |
C.Throw tomatoes without hurting. | D.Catch people who destroy tomatoes. |
A.News report. | B.Academic journal. |
C.Conceit brochure. | D.Travel magazine. |
阅读短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
Camping wild is a wonderful way to experience the natural world and, at its best, it makes little environmental influence. But with increasing numbers of people wanting to escape into the wilderness, it is becoming more and more important to camp unobtrusively (不引人注意地) and leave no mark.
Wild camping is not permitted in many places, particularly in crowded lowland Britain. Wherever you are, find out about organizations responsible for managing wild spaces, and contact them to find out their policy on camping and shelter building. For example, it is fine to camp wild in remote parts of Scotland, but in England you must ask the landowner’s permission, except in natural parks.
Camping is about having relaxation, sleeping outdoors, experiencing bad weather, and making do without modern conveniences. A busy, fully-equipped campsite (野营地) seems to go against this, so seek out smaller, more remote places with easy access to open spaces and perhaps beaches. Better still, find a campsite with no road access: walking in makes a real adventure.
Finding the right spot to camp is the first step to guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. Choose a campsite with privacy and minimum (最小化的) influence on others and the environment. Try to use an area where people have obviously camped before rather than creating a new spot. When camping in woodland, avoid standing dead trees, which may fall on a windy night. Avoid animal runs and caves, and possible homes of biting insects. Make sure you have most protection on the windward side. If you make a fire, do so downwind of your shelter. Always consider what influence you might have on the natural world. Avoid damaging plants. A good campsite is found, not made — changing it should be unnecessary.
1. You needn’t ask for permission when camping in ________.A.national parks in England |
B.most parts of Scotland |
C.crowded lowland Britain |
D.most parts of England |
A.protecting animals |
B.building a campfire |
C.camping in woodland |
D.finding a campsite with privacy |
A.the protection of campsites |
B.the importance of wild camping |
C.the human influence on campsites |
D.the dos and don’ts of wild camping |
【推荐2】The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth.The more people,the more pollution.Many years ago,the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people.When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place,man moved to another place.But this is no longer true.Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious.It’s bad for all living things in the world,but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution.It is caused by heavy traffic.We are sure that if there are fewer people driving,there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it.That means keeping the land,water and air clean.And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time.
1. What makes our world become much smaller?A.Science development. | B.The rise in population. |
C.The pollution on the earth. | D.The strong wind. |
A.It was much easier than today. | B.It was much harder than today. |
C.It was the same as today. | D.It was hard to describe. |
A.Rubbish. | B.Water pollution. |
C.Air pollution. | D.Noise pollution. |
A.Making rules to fight pollution. | B.Drinking as little water as possible. |
C.Stop buying new things. | D.Only walking to work. |
【推荐3】“The fact that the smoke reached São Paulo and blackened an afternoon proves how unusual the fires that burn in the countryside of Brazil are,” Ricardo Mello, head of the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) Amazon program, said.
The latest figures come at a time of international protest against the inaction of President Jair Bolsonaro's administration. In July, Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) showed data to the public, which indicated that there had been a significant rise in deforestation (毁林) rates. Particularly, the figures showed that in July 2019, deforestation had increased nearly 300 percent in comparison to the same month in 2018.
Environmentalists are becoming increasingly concerned, accusing the government of encouraging deforestation and those who want to make use of the forest for commercial gain. During his time in power, Bolsonaro has moved to rob some power of government agencies that are responsible for protecting the rainforest as well as regulations covering native lands and nature reserves. Bolsonaro sees these kinds of regulations as a drag on economic growth in the Amazon region.
Fire in the Amazon is used as a technique to clear land for agriculture. “Farmers clear cut land to make way for agriculture, and then wait for the dry season to set fire to clear the land so they can plant,” Mello said. “It's likely that all of these forest fires are deliberately set by humans.”
Now it is the dry season in the Amazon, which means conditions in many parts of the rainforest are suitable for the fires to spread over large areas. “It is very unlikely that those fires break out naturally,” Mello said. “It is important to remember that 2019 is not a strong El Niño year. When we have strong El Niños, weather gets drier in the northern part of Brazil and this favors fires. This is not the case of 2019.”
1. Why are deforestation figures of 2018 and 2019 compared?A.To share knowledge of the Amazon forest. |
B.To show how the Brazil president governs. |
C.To stress the seriousness of deforestation. |
D.To express the anger of environmentalists. |
A.Weakening relevant government agencies. |
B.Encouraging the fight for commercial gain. |
C.Using techniques to clear land for agriculture. |
D.Defending regulations about nature reserves. |
A.They're fit for fires to break out naturally. |
B.The Amazon experiences the dry season. |
C.They're possible for fires to spread everywhere. |
D.The Amazon is just in a strong El Niño year. |
A.Jair Bolsonaro's Administration Was Accused |
B.Farmers Cleared Amazon Land for Agriculture |
C.Unusual Rainforest Fires: Effects on Health and Weather |
D.Amazon Fires: Possibly Linked to Environmental Policies |
【推荐1】O'Plerou Grebet is a 22-year-old graphic design student in Côte d'Ivoire, Africa. Everywhere he looks, he sees signs of Western influence — from the glass skyscrapers and malls lining the streets in his home city to the way his fellows speak and dress. “We are living like we’re Western people,” he says. That even applies to the keyboard culture — when his friends text using the messaging apps, they especially love to use the “tears of joy” face emoji (表情符号). So he used his design skills to create digital stickers that show what he thinks is missing: symbols of history, life and culture in Côte d'Ivoire and neighboring countries.
In 2018, he released a free pack of over 360 stickers in a mobile app called "Zouzoukwa”, which means "image" in the local Bété language. Available on Android and iOS, it now has over 120,000 downloads. It's more impressive than other emoji apps, with the feature of connecting to the realities of Africans using it. “ It would make their jokes even livelier,” says Grebet. The stickers include traditional masks, African instruments like the djembe drum and people dressed in a variety of prints and clothing that can reflect local tradition.
Some of his favorite designs are a series of facial expressions commonly used in his area, but not available as standardized emojis. There’s a woman with lips pursed, giving some serious side-eye—a sign you can use when your friend keeps you waiting long for no reason. It's common in Côte d'Ivoire and also translates across cultures, Grebet says.
The next step, Grebet says, is to try and get some of his designs into the official emoji set, where they’d reach more than 2 billion people worldwide, as usable ones on smartphones everywhere. Grebet also plans to keep traveling and expanding his experiences and his sticker pack. His designs so far are drawn from his experience and research into a few African countries.
1. How does Grebet find their local culture according to paragraph 1?A.It's very similar to Western culture. | B.It's absent in many aspects of their life. |
C.It's full of inspirational ideas and symbols. | D.It's influential in local people's lifestyle. |
A.It provides a better source of jokes. | B.It's designed based on daily items. |
C.It's related more closely to the locals. | D.It applies to both Android and iOS. |
A.Curiosity. | B.Sorrow. | C.Annoyance. | D.Disappointment. |
A.Be on tour to advocate his designs. | B.Create an official emoji set. |
C.Research into more African countries. | D.Standardize some of his emojis. |
【推荐2】When Chris Visions began painting a ground painting in Richmond, he had no idea his street art might help save lives.
Since the painted crosswalk was finished in September, the crossroads has become safer for walkers and motorists. The overall changes were fairly small but still significant in the community, and part of a larger study in various cities that showed far fewer crashes at the art crossroads compared with the prior year.
While the initial purpose of the painting was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Jackson Ward, it came with an unexpected benefit: The painting has encouraged walkers and motorists to “slow down and take safety into consideration,” said Visions, 37, a local comic book artist.
The painting, which was created with a group of art students from a local arts nonprofit, is one of three new crosswalk art projects in Richmond. The nonprofit base funded 42 street paintings in 41 cities across the country since 2019, with funds of up to $25,000.
As part of the project, Bloomberg Philanthropies collaborated with Sam Schwartz Engineering, a consulting firm, to explore what effect the street art was having on safety. The results of the study showed a drop in the number of traffic accidents in areas with art.
The study examined the crash history at 17 art sites across the country that have a minimum of two years of crash data. It found 83 fewer crashes at the analyzed crossroads — more than a 50 percent decrease compared with data from before the crosswalks were painted.
“Crosswalk art can improve behavior behind the wheel and it can protect the weakest people on the road,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, a principal for Bloomberg Associates and the former officer of the New York City Department of Transportation.
1. What was the unexpected advantage of Visions’ street art?A.It made streets safer than before. | B.It reflected his original purpose. |
C.It promoted the sale of comic books. | D.It brought big changes to communities. |
A.Dealt with. | B.Agreed with. | C.Cooperated with. | D.Competed with. |
A.It protects behaviour art. | B.It goes beyond description. |
C.It costs more than expected. | D.It benefits drivers and walkers. |
A.A book review. | B.A scientific survey. | C.A news report. | D.A diary entry. |
【推荐3】Liu Yang, China’s first female astronaut, reportedly, has touched the hearts of millions with a letter to her two children that was made public after she set off into space for the second time earlier this month.
“You’re my strongest armor (盔甲) and softest spot. I didn’t allow you to see me off at the launch site because I was afraid that I would burst into tears, ”Liu wrote in the letter to her daughter, 8, and son, 6, just days before being launched into space for the second time on June 5 on the Shenzhou XIV mission.
Liu, 43, became China’s first female astronaut in 2012, when she spent 13 days in space during the Shenzhou IX mission. During the Shenzhou XIV mission, she will stay at the Tiangong space station for six months, working with two male colleagues to complete the construction of the station.
Many people said that Liu’s words allowed them to see that a national hero is also an ordinary mother, and they wished for her safe return.
“Liu fully expressed her love for her children in the letter. It brought tears to my eyes,” commented one netizen on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-like micro-blogging platform.
“I feel more confident and relaxed," Liu told the media ahead of the launch of the Shenzhou XIV mission.
“When I was about to return to the orbital module during the Shenzhou IX mission, I stopped and turned around to salute (致敬) the experimental space station module that I stayed in. At that moment, I told myself that I would come back to space in the near future. I didn’t expect the ‘near future’ to be a decade long,” Liu said.
In the letter, she encouraged her children not to be afraid of failure while pursuing their dreams. Liu added that she felt sorry that she could not be there for her son on his first day at primary school. “Although I cannot be with you, I won’t love you any less,” she wrote in the letter. “My babies, if you miss me, just look up into the starry sky. Every time you see the stars twinkle, it’s because I’ m saying ‘I love you’.”
1. What is the common reason for Liu’s and netizen’s tears?A.Liu’s affection for her children. | B.Liu’s indifferent expressions. |
C.Liu’s separation from her family. | D.Liu’s refusal to meet with her kids. |
A.Considerate and excited. | B.Talkative and expectant. |
C.Ready and honest. | D.Confident and equipped. |
A.To encourage kids to try. | B.To say goodbye to her children. |
C.To catch public attention. | D.To praise the spirit of space. |
A.A science magazine. | B.A woman autobiography. |
C.A Chinese textbook. | D.A news coverage. |