Levi Draheim, 11 years old, and 20 other young people have accused(控告)the us encouraging the climate change. For more than a century, human activities have been increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That has caused a host of effects globally, from changes in weather to ice melting at the poles.
Levi lives in Satellite Beach,Fla. He once had to leave his home because of strong storms. He rains flooded the town’s streets. And he had trouble breathing during red tides, which can develop wt harmful ocean algae(海藻)grow out of control.
Climate change is making these events more frequent. Levi and his family also have another climate-change-related problem. Sea level is rising. “If climate change worsens, the island that I live or will be gone,” he explained.
The young people say the US government allowed the use of fossil fuels(矿物燃料). Burning those fuels gives off greenhouse gases, driving climate change. The youths want the government to solve the problem of pollution. So they took the government to court in 2015.
The case has had several hold-ups. In the beginning, the government asked the trial court(初审法庭) to refuse to accept the case. The court didn’t do that. Then they turned to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. That court said the case could go ahead, and the Supreme Court agreed. Both sides did work to get ready for trial. But the government again tried to get the case thrown out without a trial.
Finally, trial was set to start on October 29, 2018. But on October 19; the US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts told the trial court to hold up. The youths’ lawyers objected. On November 2, the Supreme Court finally agreed that the trial could go forward. Right now, it is hard to say when that what happen.
1. What does the underlined word “That” in Paragraph 1 refers to?| A．The increasing amount of greenhouse gases. |
| B．The time of human activities. |
| C．Harmful ocean algae. |
| D．Climate change. |
| A．makes his family poorer |
| B．is less valued by common people. |
| C．will force his family to move again |
| D．is the direct cause of his sufferings in life. |
| A．should provide people with places to live during storms. |
| B．encourages human activities driving climate change. |
| C．should stop the growth of the harmful ocean algae. |
| D．fails to improve people’s living conditions. |
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【推荐1】The winter migration (迁徙) season has arrived. With the cold wave heading down south, migratory birds from faraway places such as Siberia have begun to arrive at Dongting Lake, central China for the winter.
Dongting Lake in central China’s Hunan Province is the country’s second-largest freshwater lake. When the temperature rises after a short cold time, locals call the 10th lunar month “Indian summer.” During this time, the lake’s water level drops and sedges (莎草) grow, allowing wintering birds to plentiful food.
Song Yucheng, deputy chief engineer of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, is proud of their protection work. According to him, the Eurasian spoonbills are the first to arrive at the heart of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve. They line up and use sideways sweeps of their beaks to filter (过滤) out tiny fish and shrimp. When they fly to another spot looking for food, people can only see the vast expanse of a white sky.
“Now the weather is also very good, the sky is very clear, with green grass, clear water and white spoonbills wandering for hunting. It’s a beautiful picture of nature,” said Song.
For the villagers living in the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, their farm fields are still full of busy and active fellows after harvest because there are about 100 swans settled down there. To provide these birds with an quiet and safe environment, the local government has stopped the vehicles and visitors from entering the area.
“Firecrackers are not allowed, and loud noises are also not allowed in the surrounding area,” said Long Yong, a villager from the Hehua Village, citing the local government.
1. The birds migrate to Dongting Lake not because _____.| A．Siberia is cold at winter. |
| B．It is the nearest to Siberia. |
| C．The protection work there goes great. |
| D．The warm temperature and plentiful food. |
| A．an engineer | B．a kind of bird |
| C．migration destination | D．birds food |
| A．Weather is always good here. |
| B．More birds are coming here. |
| C．The environment is beautiful here. |
| D．It’s good to draw pictures here. |
| A．government measures |
| B．fields harvest |
| C．village life |
| D．how to observe birds in nature |
【推荐2】Sound travels very well through water-much better, in fact, than it does through air. So it shouldn’t be surprising that many ocean animals make noise. They use sound to communicate and hunt. As biologist Brandon Southall says, “Their whole world is related to sound.”
Dolphins whistle, organizing hunts. Lovesick whales sing so loudly they can be heard hundreds of miles away. But these days they aren’t the only ones sounding off. They have more and more competition from human machines.
Every day, thousands of huge container ships sail across the world’s oceans. On top of the engine noise, the ships’ propeller (螺旋桨) make a loud noise all the time. All that can make it hard for ocean animals trying to listen out for friends, or dinner. Animals swimming nearby a ship can be deafened or even killed.
Underwater construction can also be dangerously loud. When construction machines called pile drivers were used during repairs to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, dead fish appeared.
Geologist (地质学家) pound on the seafloor too, trying to find oil wells and map Earth’s surface. The results are useful lo science, but all that hammering probably gives ocean animal a headache.
As people realize how important sound is to ocean animals, they are looking for ways to reduce human noise. Ships could get quieter just by slowing down. Engineers are also trying to find quieter propeller ships.
Now some companies are using a simple invention called a bubble curtain, which makes sound waves passing through it lose energy and gel quieter. It seems to work - when bubble curtains were fixed on the San Francisco bridge project fish deaths dropped.
We still have a lot to learn about sound in the oceans, but together we can help keep the sea a quieter place.
1. Dolphins and whales are mentioned to show .| A．sound travels very well through water |
| B．they are surprisingly noisy in the sea |
| C．the ocean is filled with sound |
| D．ocean noise is a big problem |
| A．Human noise is causing danger to their safety. |
| B．There is less food in the ocean for them. |
| C．They are being killed in large numbers. |
| D．They are losing their hearing. |
| A．started to die | B．were attracted to it |
| C．got quiet underwater | D．suffered from headaches |
| A．research on fishes underwater | B．build the San Francisco bridge |
| C．stop noisy machines working | D．reduce construction noise |
【推荐3】As environmental awareness has risen in the world, attitudes to sightseeing have changed. It is exciting to visit remote forests or spot rare species in those mysterious countries. However, with flights or long road journeys involved, traveling to far-away destinations is carbon-intensive, and conservation can be made more difficult as well as assisted by sightseers. Therefore, people and authorities have been trying to maximize the benefits while minimizing the harms by advocating domestic tours.
Most people, who take most holidays, understand better than ever that there are costs as well as benefits associated with exploring. One of the six pledges made by an environmental campaign launched last month-The Jump, is to “holiday local”, taking short-distance flights once every three years and long-distance flights very rarely. On a higher level, some governments are working on this as well. Colombia, for example, recently introduced laws aimed at promoting sustainable tourism.
Fortunately, the UK’s national parks and countless other landscapes mean that there is no shortage of special places for domestic nature tourists to visit. One recent survey found that Windsor Great Park and Kew Gardens have become Britain’s most popular attractions, while in this special time there have difficulties for indoor spaces which do not apply to outdoor ones. Some companies that formerly ran foreign trips have adapted to the infectious disease by taking people to watch dolphins and other marine life off British coasts instead. This is not to minimize the destruction of nature that is also taking place, But as we lace an increasing environmental emergency, it is essential to appreciate the nature that surrounds us. In a small way, outings to watch dragonflies, seals, or be surrounded by trees could help us to focus on what matters.
1. Why have people changed their attitudes towards travel?| A．Visiting remote areas is too exciting. |
| B．Long-distance travels are more attractive. |
| C．People’s environmental awareness has improved. |
| D．Travelers can assist with protection of scenic spots. |
| A．Commitments. |
| B．Prohibitions. |
| C．Symbols. |
| D．Surveys. |
| A．Indoor activities are becoming more popular. |
| B．People in the UK are carrying out the initiative. |
| C．The travel agencies prefer overseas business. |
| D．The UK lacks abundant historic attractions. |
| A．Domestic traveling means no harm to the environment. |
| B．There is no point in traveling to remote scenic spots. |
| C．The scenery is much better in foreign countries. |
| D．It matters much to appreciate the beauty around us. |
【推荐1】The negative impacts of plastic have been well-documented. Half plastics produced annually worldwide end up in landfills or the environment. Now, French start-up Carbios wants to help relieve the world’s plastic pollution problem with a bacterial enzyme (细菌酶) that digests PET—the most plentiful plastic used to produce packaging, and plastic bottles—and turn it into its chemical building blocks. The resulting material can be used to create anything and, more importantly, can be continuously recycled.
“Mechanical recycling is limited,” explains Carbios CEO Martin Stephan. “To make a plastic bottle with that technology, you need a plastic bottle as an input material. After several cycles of recycling, the plastic is of lower quality and can only be used for something like the backing of a carpet before it is thrown away entirely. So it’s not a solution for plastics, whereas our solution is a limitless recycling solution.”
The company’s search for the ideal plastic-eating bacteria began about a decade ago, with 100000 promising candidates. The list was soon cut down to one, which was first discovered in 2012. Once the perfect competitor had been identified, Carbios scientists began to improve its plastic digesting power and keep its table at 65℃—the ideal temperature for fast degradation (降解). The improved enzyme was able to downgrade a ton of plastic in less than 10 hours.
To breakdown the plastic, the waste is placed in are actor with water and the enzyme and heated for 16 hours at 65℃. The resulting mix is then purified. This allows for the recovery of the building blocks that makeup PET plastics.
The recycling process, which is currently in its pilot stage, will be tested on a large range by 2021. Carbios hopes to launch the technology commercially in the near future. Though Carbios’ recycling technique will certainly help reduce plastic pollution, it is only part of the solution. Only if people do a better job of ensuring plastic waste ends up in a recycling can, can we win the battle.
1. What’s Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The reason for collecting materials. |
| B．The effective solutions for plastic waste. |
| C．The drawbacks of mechanical recycling of plastics. |
| D．The characteristics of a new plastic-making technique. |
| A．Find a bacteria efficient at breaking down plastic. |
| B．Identify the ideal temperature for fast degradation. |
| C．Gather as much plastic as possible. |
| D．Place plastic in a reactor. |
| A．It’ll be environmentally friendly. |
| B．It’ll reduce their production costs. |
| C．It’ll go into the experimental stage. |
| D．It’ll bring about profits. |
| A．Garbage Sorting Benefits the Whole World |
| B．Carbios has Developed an Plastic-Eating Enzyme |
| C．Carbios: a Pioneer in Protecting Nature |
| D．Plastic Pollution: a Serious Problem |
【推荐2】For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse.
Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants(污染物)can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer.Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution.
People have paid more attention to the problem now. It is said that. When builders began making houses and offices, they did not waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using man-made building materials. These materials are now known to let out harmful gases
As the problem became more serious scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building——green plants. Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and small organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square meters of space. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and healthier place.
1. Some kind of indoor pollution can be found in______.| A．all kinds of offices | B．every old house |
| C．all kinds of houses | D．every modern house |
| A．the man-made building materials and the limit of air-flow |
| B．the building way that the builders want to save energy |
| C．the building things that are made of man-made materials |
| D．the limit of the flow of air between inside and outside |
| A．plants can absorb all kinds of harmful indoor chemicals |
| B．plants may take in more oxygen which people need |
| C．plants can let out all kinds of pollutants indoors |
| D．plants can make our houses prettier |
【推荐3】In 2016, the world’s population cast aside 49 million tons of electronic waste, known as e-waste. It has been calculated that this number will grow to more than 60 million tons by 2021.
What is causing the upsurge (激增) in e-waste? Technology is becoming more and more widespread, covering almost every aspect of our lives. Meanwhile, the lifespan of devices is getting shorter—many products will be thrown away once their batteries die, to be replaced by new devices. Companies intentionally plan the obsolescence (过时) of their goods by updating the design or software and discontinuing support for older models, so that now it is usually cheaper and easier to buy a new product than to repair an old one. Since prices are falling, electronic devices are in demand around the world.
As more people buy electronic equipment, manufacturers (制造商) are beginning to face shortages of the raw materials needed to make their products, so recycling and reusing materials from discarded (扔掉的) products and waste makes economic and environmental sense.
Recycling e-waste is practiced both formally and informally. Proper or formal e-waste recycling usually involves taking apart the electronics, separating and sorting through the materials and cleaning them. Companies must obey health and safety rules to reduce the health and environmental hazards of handling e-waste by using pollution-control technologies. All this makes formal recycling expensive. Informal recycling is typically unlicensed and uncontrolled. At informal recycling workshops, men and women recover valuable materials by burning devices to melt away non-valuable materials. Usually they do not wear protective equipment and lack any awareness that they are handling dangerous materials.
With the amount of e-waste growing around the world, recycling alone will not be enough to solve the problem. In order to reduce e-waste, manufacturers need to design electronics that are safer, and more durable, repairable and recyclable. The best thing you can do is resist buying a new device until you really need it. Try to get your old product repaired if possible and, if it can’t be fixed, resell or recycle it responsibly. Before you recycle your device, put any broken parts in separate containers and close these tightly to prevent chemicals from leaking. Wear latex gloves and a mask if you’re handling something that’s broken.
1. Which of the following is a reason for e-waste’s sharp increasing?| A．The falling of devices’ quality. | B．The results of updating devices. |
| C．The methods of recycling e-waste. | D．The shortage of protective equipment. |
| A．Increasing the variety of electronic products. | B．Lowering the costs of technology innovation. |
| C．Relieving the lack of the raw materials. | D．Improving the poor quality of e-devices. |
| A．Influence. | B．Harm. | C．Limits. | D．Costs. |
| A．They are blamed for shortening the lifespan of devices. |
| B．Their ways of reusing waste are sometimes encouraged. |
| C．They aim to discover rare materials from waste for new products. |
| D．Their workers are unaware of the danger from dealing with devices. |
| A．Everyone should take action to reduce e-waste. |
| B．Companies should be mainly responsible for reducing e-waste. |
| C．Fixing a device could cause more pollution than buying a new one. |
| D．E-waste could be broken down by burying it underground for a long time. |
【推荐1】He Zhenliang, played a very important role in helping Beijing win the bid (投标) for the 2008 Summer Olympics in 2001 after the Chinese capital failed in its first attempt. The success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics marked China's rising to a major world sports power, which was witnessed and assisted by He.
He had devoted himself to introducing China’s sports progress to the world. He started his career in 1950s as an international communication official in the National Sports Commission, with impressive foreign language skills. He then began working as a senior official in the 1960s for organizations such as the Chinese Table Tennis Association, the All-China Sports Federation and the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC). After being chosen to the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1985, He was eventually voted IOC vice-president in 1989. He promoted the Olympic Movement in China and removed misunderstandings about China's unique sports system.
Major sports figures in China expressed their respect after He’s passing. Wei Jizhong He’s longtime colleague, recalled that his most unforgettable moment about He was when He wept privately after Beijing failed in 1993 in its Olympic bid. “He said he felt he had let his country and people down, while in fact he’d done whatever he could, ” Wei said.
YangYang, the once short-track speed skater and now an IOC member, praised him as a guiding light for her change from an athlete to an international sports official. “His fruitful work in the IOC earned a positive impression from the world about Chinese sports, which inspired me and guided me to continue my career as a sports official, ” said Yang.
1. What can we learn about He from the first two paragraphs?| A．He helped bridge China and the world in sports. |
| B．He made China a competitive power in the world. |
| C．He taught language skills in some sports organizations. |
| D．He was vice president in the National Sports Commission. |
| A．explain He's failure in the Olympic bid |
| B．share some unforgettable moments of hers |
| C．stress He's contributions to China's sports |
| D．acknowledge her as an excellent speed skater |
| A．Politics. | B．Sports. | C．Health. | D．Business. |
【推荐2】Today I am here to tell you a story of death, new life and revenge（报复）. Three years ago today, the city council of Redondo Beach California ordered the death of my 30-year-old pepper tree. Its roots had begun to destroy the pavement in front of my house. They even made me pay for the damages to the sidewalk and for the tree removal.
I loved Clyde. I was beginning to get an old man, and planting something that I knew would live well beyond my lifetime was something very special. I took very good care of him. I gave him a stick to rest on when he was a young child, and I watched him grow. Just as Clyde was becoming strong and healthy, expanding his root system, and making his own way in life, the mayor took it upon himself to kill my beautiful children.
Mayor Steve Aspel. You killed my child. For this, you will pay. Two years and seven months ago, I secretly planted 45 California Redwoods and 82 Giant Sequoias in various parks, and yards of state around your city.
Today, each of their root systems will be at least 30 feet in diameter, deep in the soil. You may have noticed the trees growing in front of city council, or that new one in your backyard. That’s a Giant Sequoia, and its growth will begin accelerating rapidly in the coming months.
You killed Clyde, but I have replaced him with over 100 living giants. In a few years, they'll begin breaking heights of 100-300 feet and live well beyond 2,500 years. To remove even one of them at this point will cost well over $ 1,500... And you would pay the bill, just like you did to me 3 years ago today.
Good day to you, sir. May your city be overrun by trees. And may Clyde rest in peace.
1. Why did Steve Aspel order the killing of Clyde?| A．To protect the pavement. |
| B．To make his backyard prettier. |
| C．To make room for other trees. |
| D．To take his revenge on the author. |
| A．The childhood of Clyde. |
| B．His skills in gardening. |
| C．The suffering of Clyde. |
| D．His deep affection for Clyde. |
| A．He asked Steve Aspel for compensation. |
| B．He planted many more trees secretly. |
| C．He cut down many trees to take revenge. |
| D．He stole trees from the mayor's backyard. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Curious. | C．Proud. | D．Surprised. |
【推荐3】Paul O’Sullivan lounged around his Baltimore apartment one evening in 2014,feeling bored. So, like many others, he logged on to Facebook to find out just how many others on the social network shared his name. Moments later, dozens of name twins from around the world filled his screen. On a whim, he decided to send friend requests to them all.
Many of his fellow Paul O’Sullivans ignored him, but a few felt too curious to pass up his invitation. As Baltimore Paul scrolled through the other Paul O’Sullivans’ profiles, he noticed something four of them had in common: They were all musicians. Like Baltimore Paul, Rotterdam Paul sang and played guitar. Another Paul in Manchester, England, played bass. And Paul from Pennsylvania was a drummer. Baltimore Paul had an idea. Wouldn’t it be funny, he asked the other musical Pauls, if they formed a band called The Paul O’Sullivans? Yes, they all agreed,
Starting a band across multiple time zones proved to be tricky. Shaky Wi-Fi and other technical difficulties meant they were often out of sync. And being even half a second off from one another wrecked their sound. To fix this, they created a sort of musical assembly line. Baltimore Paul and Rotterdam Paul wrote and recorded a basic track, then e-mailed it to Manchester Paul.
“I listen to the song over a few days,” says Manchester Paul, to get a feel for what bass arrangement seems most appropriate.“ Once he recorded a bass track, he e-mailed it back to Baltimore Paul, who then built it into the main song. Later, Pennsylvania Paul added the drumbeat. Round and round the track went, with each member adding on his own layer until they achieved the sound they want.
The Paul O’Sullivan Band released its first original song, “Namesake”, in March2016, which was about long-distance relationships. And when COVID-19 slowly shutdown the world, the Pauls didn’t miss a beat. After all, the band had already got the hang of remote work. They used their time during the pandemic to record their first EP.
Titled Internet Famous: A Retrospective, it was released last April.
“What are the odds,” says Baltimore Paul, “that a random Facebook request would lead not only to new music but to lasting friendships as well?” “Some things are just meant to be.”
1. How can the four Paul O’Sullivans be distinguished?| A．By the musical instruments they play. |
| B．By their e-mail addresses. |
| C．By the musical styles they like. |
| D．By the place they come from. |
| A．The inaccessibility of Wi-Fi. |
| B．The existence of technical barriers. |
| C．Their being in different time zones. |
| D．Their lack of experience. |
| A．The band had to pause because of the pandemic. |
| B．They got inspired and composed original songs. |
| C．The whole world was badly destroyed by COVID-19. |
| D．The band continued to work in spite of the pandemic. |
| A．Banding Together | B．A Random Facebook Request |
| C．Long-distance Friendships | D．A Pure Coincidence |
