【推荐1】The Roman Colosseum( 罗马圆形大剧场), built around two thousand years ago, survived a 14th century earthquake and most of the 150-some foot high building is still standing. It has seen the rise and fall of enormous structures as well as the Roman Empire. Why could the ancient structure stand the test of time while many modern constructions fall apart after a few decades? Scientists believe the ancient Romans used a specific concrete which may account for its super-long existence.

Previous discoveries have confirmed the components of the Roman concrete: volcanic material, limestone (石灰石) and water. Architects suppose the volcanic material is what makes the building strong—which it does. But this is not enough to explain the architecture’s durability. A team of researchers recently discovered a magical power of the Roman concrete: self-healing. And the key actually lies in the tiny pieces of limestone. Worth mentioning is that researchers had taken them as impurities (杂质) due to the limitation of ancient technology. But it turned out that ancient Romans seemed to have discovered the secret.

When the Romans made the mixture, they heated up the limestone to turn it into quicklime, a very reactive chemical. Quicklime reacted with water and produced heat that set up a chemical foundation to strengthen the building material. Meanwhile, it would “wear” a hard “shell”, forming limestone pieces. It was these pieces that stopped the cracks (裂缝) from becoming bigger. When there was rain, the pieces reacted with water again, quickly filling the cracks.

For material scientist Ainissa Ramirez, this new understanding of ancient Roman concrete is a welcome discovery. “This is one way that the material can be greener,” says Ramirez, “The Romans made the material. We had to kind of figure out how they did it so that we can make better materials—and then, you know, in turn, be better guards of our environment.”

1. Why could Roman Colosseum still exist according to the text?

A．It was rebuilt constantly.	B．It met few natural disasters.
C．It contained a special material.	D．Its shape increased the stability.

2. What is the function of the limestone pieces?

A．To purify the concrete.	B．To react with volcanic material.
C．To make the structure water-proof.	D．To enable the building to repair itself.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The rainwater.

B．The foundation.

C．The quicklime

D．The limestone.

4. What can be inferred from Ainissa Ramirez’s words?

A．Architects can get inspiration from ancient structures.

B．The Romans’ building method remains a secret till now.

C．Romans’ wisdom throws light on eco-friendly architecture.

D．Scientists are exploring how to guard the ancient civilization.

【推荐3】As the electric vehicle (EV) increases, drivers may start to find queues adding to their more time at charging stations. One potential solution to this is to swap out the run-down battery pack for a new one, and a company has just revealed that it’s managed to do so in just five minutes.

Since the company launched its first-generation battery swap station back in 2021, the company reports that stations have been built across the San Francisco Bay Area to support fleet (车队) partners in testing the quick-swap solution. The company has also been in consultation with a delivery services to get a better understanding of their needs.

“When working with these fleets, we continuously heard that despite efforts to electrify fleets, drivers could spend up to 10-12 hours at a charging station.” said the company in a blog post. “There is a lack of reliable EV charging for city residents who don’t have access to garages and the option of overnight charging, and our new solution seeks to fix that.”

The latest station is designed to support EVs of all sizes—from small passenger cars to mid-sized delivery vans. EVs fitted with modular batteries could roll onto the platform and have its spent modules automatically removed and replaced with fully charged ones within 10 minutes. The removed battery units are then recharged, ready for the next customer.

The shoebox-sized battery modules have been developed to improve their safety, and can be fit for any modern EV. The new stations have been redesigned for easier building at a site in just three days, and have also been made more durable to suit different local conditions as the company expands. They can also be remotely monitored 24 hours for enhanced safety and customer support.

The company is now calling for more EV manufacturers, fleet operators and municipalities to join them in the quest to electrify.

1. What is the problem that EV drivers are worried about?

A．Driving EVs takes up their too much time.

B．They have to wait long to charge their EVs.

C．They have to buy new batteries to replace the old ones.

D．EVs are in bad quality despite increasing development.

2. Why does the company work with partners?

A．To build charging stations.

B．To deliver the last-mile goods.

C．To obtain some related information.

D．To give a helping hand in fixing vehicles.

3. What is the feature of modular batteries?

A．Time-saving and safe.	B．Universal and pricey.
C．Heavy and complicated.	D．Convenient and durable.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．A Company Is Developing a New and Safe EV

B．A Company Strengthens the Cooperation with Its Partners

C．A Company Has Expanded Its Charging Stations Across the World

D．A Company Makes the Replacement of EV Batteries Safe and Fast

【推荐1】Farms are battlefields, forcing growers to fight against greedy pests and aggressive weeds in never- ending, costly campaigns that often involve chemical weapons. Those weapons also harm innocent bystanders such as bees and fish. Now, a study chart's impressive shifts in recent decades as U. S. farmers have changed their types of pesticides. Birds and mammals have been affected less, whereas pollinators are suffering. The toxic (有毒的) impact on land plants has also increased sharply, likely because farmers are using increasing kinds of chemicals to fight weeds that have become resistant to common herbicides( 除草剂).

As a research shows, in recent decades, the amount of pesticides used in the United States has gone down by about 40% . But active ingredients have become more powerful. For example, fast-acting pesticides are very toxic. Some require as lite as 6 grams per hectare, compared with several kilograms of the older pesticides. Ralf Schulz, an ecotoxicologist, wondered whether overall toxicity in the ecosystem had changed. A few studies had looked at certain compounds and organisms, but nothing had been done on a national scale.

Schulz and colleagues started with U. S. Geological Survey data on self- reported pesticide use by U. s. farmers from 1992 to 2016. They also gathered toxicity data from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency on those same compounds-381 in all, The good news is that total toxicity decreased more than 95%, for birds and mammals from 1992 to 2016, largely because of the phaseout (逐步停止) of older pesticides. Toxicity for fish declined by less- about one-third.

Schulz hopes more researches will help policymakers and others think more about the complexity of pest and weed control, and wild species, in order to reduce unintentional harm. The rising toxicity in plants could lead to less diverse habitat and food resources that eventually spread to animal populations, potentially causing losses. “The patterns in the U. S. pesticide use and toxicity data should be a warning for the rest of the world, much of which seems to be leaning more heavily on pesticide use rather than ecological interactions for pest control,” Schulz said.

1. What do U. S. farmers usually do to fight against pests and weeds?

A．They change land plants.	B．They use chemical weapons.
C．They harm innocent bystanders.	D．They increase kinds of pollinators.

2. How did Schulz and his coworkers carry out their study?

A．By giving examples.	B．By analyzing data,
C．By doing experiments.	D．By interviewing farmers.

3. Which of the following best describes Schulz's attitude to pesticide use?

A．Subjective.	B．Doubtful.
C．Negative.	D．Favorable.

4. What will happen if toxicity in plants continues to increase?

A．Unintentional harm will be reduced.	B．People will have less food resources.
C．Ecological interactions will increase.	D．The number of animals will decrease.

【推荐2】Planetary changes which will have an influence on many are drawing near of the poor ecological state of the planet. Actually change has already begun through climate changes, but most humans haven’t noticed this yet. Climate change has begun to influence the world already and will begin to worsen within the near few years. Around 2020 most people will begin to see that the results of climate change will be far more serious than now understood.

As the planet is under big geological (地质的) stresses, which are continuously increasing, it will in the future no longer be able to support its population. Scarcity (缺) of resources, over-farming, lack of clean air, not enough clean drinking water and drought (旱灾) are some of the issues that will all play a much greater role in the near future.

Humans have caused large ecological devastation (破坏). The lifestyles of many people are changing at a fast speed; however, this will finally result in a shortage of some valuable resources. When this scarcity begins to happen, people will no longer be able to have sustainable (可持续的) lifestyles.

It’s important to understand that everyone plays a role in the whole process of life. Each person’s decision can finally affect the future. These decisions, all combined, can have a very good effect on what the future will be like for humans. So the future depends on the choices we make at the present moment.

While more and more people are becoming aware of climate change and other environmental problems related to global warming, not all are fully understanding how far-reaching its effects will be. Unfortunately, most of the humans realize that the planet isn’t functioning well, but they don’t understand that this is creating a major problem for the future survival of humans.

So, every person should make the necessary changes to reduce their influence on the environment and help create a more sustainable future.

1. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Causes of Planetary Changes

B．The Influence of Ecological Devastation

C．Reasons and Ways to Build a Sustainable Future

D．Environmental Damage and the Human Future

2. We can learn from the first paragraph that

A．planetary changes are caused by global warming

B．climate changes will affect the life of humans soon

C．the ecological state of the earth has been destroyed

D．most people have realized the danger of climate changes

3. What opinion does the author most probably hold?

A．Humans shouldn’t try to change their lifestyles.

B．The ecological devastation is coming to a stop soon.

C．The future we’ll have depends on every one of us.

D．The future of humans can be determined ahead of time.

4. In the last paragraph the author is trying to

A．encourage people to make efforts to protect the environment

B．inform people the planet isn’t functioning well

C．warn people of the dangers of ecological devastation

D．tell people the right way to protect the environment

5. The author’s attitude in writing this text is

A．grateful

B．negative

C．serious

D．humorous

【推荐3】Greta Thunberg may be the voice of a generation alarmed about climate change but she is also the voice of a generation failing to do much about it. A new study shows that young people, are taking less action to lower their carbon footprint than older Britons and are much worse at taking simple steps to help the environment, such as recycling.

The YouGov survey of 1,008 Britons found that more than 80 per cent of 18-to 24-year-old say they are worried about global warming compared with nearly 70 per cent of the over -65s. A higher proportion (比例) of young people also believe that urgent action is required to deal, with climate change. However, nearly 90 per cent of the over-65s say they recycle as much as possible compared with only half of young people. The over-65s are also more likely to have reduced the number of flights they take, to take steps to save water and to repair items. They are also more likely to turn the heating down and switch off lights in rooms they are not using.

Overall, the study found that 74 per cent of Britons are concerned about climate change and 70 per cent believe urgent action is required. However, the data suggests that the economic climate is affecting people’s willingness to act. Over half of the people questioned said that dealing with, the cost of living is a greater priority than making changes to lower their environmental impact.

Claudine Blamey, group sustainability director at Aviva, said, “The majority of UK residents believe urgent action is required to tackle environmental change. It’s heartening to see that older generations are leading the way through their climate-conscious behaviors and younger people are committing to doing more.” “It is vital that people realize making a difference is within their gift, helping their families, communities and country to get ready,” he added.

1. How did researchers of the YouGov survey support their findings?

A．By giving examples.	B．By stating arguments.
C．By quoting statistical data.	D．By presenting theoretical basis.

2. What can be known from paragraph 3?

A．Measures have been taken to get around climate change.

B．Many people in Britain are struggling with their living cost.

C．Most people are unwilling to act to protect the environment.

D．Changes made to lower environmental impact are most effective.

3. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “heartening” in the last paragraph?

A．Amusing.

B．Confusing.

C．Disturbing

D．Inspiring

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Britons Lead the Way in Protecting the Environment

B．Action Speaks Louder Regarding Climate Change

C．It Is an Urgent Need to Reduce Carbon Footprint

D．Young People Fail to Act on Carbon Concerns