The South Bronx is one of the poorest and most polluted places in America, with smog-choked freeways and smelly wastewater treatment plants.
“We’re a dumping ground,” Omar explains. “All the garbage from the rest of New York City ends up here.”
But Omar started looking at garbage in a different way. “A lot of what people throw away is perfectly good,” he says. “Just look at that stuff from construction sites—doors, sinks, toilets, People will buy those things. It’s only called garbage because somebody threw it away.” Omar was just out of college and working for an environmental group called Sustainable South Bronx when he started considering how to get this “good garbage” to people who could use it. Instead of destroying old things, why not clean them up and resell them? Why not hire people in the community to do the work? Better yet, why not make this business a “cooperative,” which means the people working in the business own it and share the profits?
Out of this, Omar started the first cooperative in the country devoted to reusing construction waste. To start his business, Omar put up advertisements along the trash-filled neighborhood streets, looking for people to work with him. He soon found four other devoted workers. They rented a warehouse and started looking for donations of used materials.
In April 2008, Omar’s cooperative, Re Builders Source, opened its business and began selling construction supplies to neighborhood builders and home owners. With the help of city officials, he also began planning a new training program to help local residents learn the skills to get good jobs that help the environment and even start their own cooperatives. Workers were trained to carefully take buildings apart so that things like doors and windows can be reused instead of being sent off to a landfill. Deconstructing buildings this way could be a huge industry with many good jobs for people who need them.
“If you have a use for something, “Omar says, “it’s no longer waste.”
1. Why is the South Bronx mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic of the article. |
| B．To serve as the background information. |
| C．To contrast with the other districts. |
| D．To introduce a famous place. |
| A．To provide jobs for local people. |
| B．To deal with dumped rubbish. |
| C．To promote harmony among neighbors. |
| D．To make money from garbage. |
| A．Selfish and realistic. | B．Creative and business-minded. |
| C．Practical and self-focused. | D．Devoted and iron-hearted. |
| A．Knowledge starts with practice. | B．One good turn deserves another. |
| C．Four eyes see more than two. | D．Kill two birds with one stone. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】When was the last time you used plastic plates? Next time, why not try some edible ones? You’ll help the environment and your guests won’t go hungry.
“I used to work in school catering and saw a lot of money being thrown away. I thought that was criminal, so I decided to do something about it,” said Italian school chef Tiziano Vicentini.
Now, Vicentini has an amazing range of edible plates for schools. The plates are made out of bread dough, so you can eat them afterwards. “These dishes cost a few pennies each and are either eaten by the kids, or go into recycling bins for animal food,” explained Vicentini, 50, of Milan.
But now other companies are developing edible plates, too. The Edible Plate Company offers edible plates, bowls, trays and cups. Their products are environmentally-friendly, 100% biodegradable and can be used for all types of catering and home use. And they’re made from a natural plant. After use, they can be fed to animals or left to degrade naturally. They also have a range of cutlery (餐具）made from corn and potato starch (淀粉).
These plates will also help reduce the amount of plastic we create. Waste from plastic causes damage to the environment, costing governments millions in waste management. Plastic bags often end up in landfill sites. And the burning of plastic waste causes toxic gases that pollute the air.
In response to this, governments around the world are introducing tough recycling regulations. And many shops are offering biodegradable plastic bags and eco-safe packaging on their products. To help matters, the International Organization for Standardization (the ISO) has also developed a system to evaluate the biodegradability of products, with a certification and logo scheme. Meanwhile, how about a nice plate for lunch?
1. Which of the following is not the advantage of edible plates?| A．They are expensive. | B．They can degrade naturally. |
| C．They are environmentally-friendly. | D．They are made from natural plant. |
| A．Tiziano is from Germany. |
| B．Edible plates are only used for school catering, |
| C．Corn and potato starch can be used to make cutlery. |
| D．The Edible Plate Company doesn’t produce edible bowls. |
| A．The air pollution. |
| B．The edible cutlery. |
| C．The toxic gases caused by the burning of plastic. |
| D．The damage to the environment caused by plastic waste. |
| A．The measures to stop the pollution. |
| B．The ways to reduce the plastic waste. |
| C．How to make edible plates from natural plants. |
| D．The plate solution to eating and environmental problem. |
【推荐2】Edward Davis was a professor who worked on ocean research. However, bored with writing death records of ocean species, he quit his job in 2007. Rather than spend any more of his life recording the dying, Edward decided to try to protect the living creatures in the few re-maining areas of the ocean.
These areas are the last wild places of the sea still undamaged by overfishing, pollution and climate change. “It is necessary for us to go to places that still look like the ocean as it was 500 years ago,” Edward says. “These places are the examples of sustainable(可持续的) development. Maybe we can’t bring all of the ocean back to this state, but these places show us what the potential is.” Beneath the surface of a stormy sea off Palau in the western Pacific lie various lively corals. The tiny island nation has protected 80 percent of its waters as a no-fishing area—the largest percentage of protected ocean area in the world. The remaining 20 percent can be fished only by Palauans.
To protect these places, Edward and his team started a project on ocean protection in 2008. Over the past years, the project has helped create 22 ocean reserves. These make up two-thirds of the world’s fully protected ocean areas. Now Edward and his team have set an even bigger goal—to protect more than a third of the world’s oceans for the purpose of keeping biological diversity.
For Edward, one of the most satisfying aspects of his job is working with local communi-ties in the places he and his team are seeking to protect. The team worked closely with about 50 local people on the island. “We showed them an underwater world they had never seen,” Edward recalls. “Huge schools of fish will surely swim in some of the clearest waters ever measured in the Pacific.”
1. Why did Edward quit his previous job?| A．To record the dying. | B．To increase land species. |
| C．To write a book on the sea. | D．To protect the sea creatures. |
| A．20 percent of it is covered by the sea. | B．It is an area open to fishermen worldwide. |
| C．It is an example of sustainable development. | D．The surface of it is destroyed by water pollution. |
| A．Edward’s project. | B．Edward’s team members. |
| C．The ways of keeping biodiversity. | D．The ways of creating ocean reserves. |
| A．Confused. | B．Stressed. | C．Curious. | D．Positive. |
【推荐3】With greater climate catastrophe (气候突变) on Earth, it is natural for us to make every effort to stop the potential floods, snowstorms, and alarming reports from scientists. For many of us (myself included), part of that means running out to buy reusable straws, organic cleaners, and packaging-free products.
However, before you are delighted at “green” purchases, take a second to consider the results of a new study from Arizona University. By comparing the shopping habits, mental health and environmental impact of young people, the researchers reconfirmed a principle: Buying less beats buying “green” stuff without effort. And that is true whether you are looking at the impact that your purchases have on the Earth or on your own happiness.
It should not come as a shock that simply consuming less is better for the planet. After all, every new item a factory yields requires some resources to produce. Take plastic bag bans for instance. If your city is getting rid of single-use shopping bags, it can be attractive to pay for a fashionable organic cotton bag hanging in the check-out line of your local supermarket. However, experts insist that growing cotton is actually no better for the Earth than producing the conventional plastic bags. Then what is your best bet for carrying your groceries if you care about sustainability? Any bag you already own.
It is not just the Earth that will be happier if you buy less. You will feel more contented too, according to the new study. “People believe that they might well be self-satisfied about becoming environmentally conscious through ‘green’ buying patterns, but it doesn’t seem to be that way”, said the lead researcher Sabrina Helm. “Reduced consumption has effects on increased happiness, but we don’t see that with ‘green’ consumption.”
“Owning every new ‘green’ product on the market might make you feel contented, but if you relieve yourself of that burden of ownership, most people report feeling a lot better,” said Helm.
1. Why does the writer mention “green” shopping habits?| A．To call on a green lifestyle. | B．To present a half true “green” truth. |
| C．To introduce a social trend. | D．To praise people’s green efforts. |
| A．Growing cotton is far worse for the Earth. |
| B．Reduced consumption is better for the Earth. |
| C．Using any bag you have is the best bet. |
| D．The plastic bag bans are of no effect. |
| A．The sense of achievement. | B．The sense of relief. |
| C．The sense of happiness. | D．The sense of security. |
| A．Less is More | B．The Greener, The Happier |
| C．Happiness Guarantee | D．What Are Green Products? |
【推荐1】While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it’s now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January 2022.
A nature reserve has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Installed with 300 infrared (红外线) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation two years ago, and has captured (拍摄) numerous photos and videos of pandas engaged in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’ living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible.
A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. It’s shown that by equipping the AI-aided system to retain the filed photos of giant pandas, we obtain a 98% success rate for species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%. In 2021 alone, this monitoring system captured 2,896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed 3,218 seconds of footage, showcasing the reserve’s sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in panda population there.
Head of the reserve’s administration, Liu Xingming, said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”
1. What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Despair | B．Maintain | C．Suit. | D．Notice. |
| A．It precisely recognizes any species. | B．It makes panda population rise rapidly. |
| C．It contributes to species data collection. | D．It understands pandas’ facial appearance. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Panda Facial Recognition Using Database |
| B．Functions of Facial Recognition Technology |
| C．AI Technology for Better Panda Protection |
| D．A Breakthrough in Video Monitoring System |
【推荐2】A 12-year-old girl from Miller Middle School in San Jose has won the top prize with $25, 000 in a science fair. Her invention is a new fire detection system that can faster detect(探测) the heat sources. It’s also cheaper and more reliable than smoke detectors.
In the summer of 2022, a restaurant behind Shanya’s house was burned to the ground. Since then, Shanya’s mother became increasingly cautious about the stove in the kitchen. It wasn’t that the restaurant didn’t have smoke detectors, but they require there is a significant amount of smoke first, which can sometimes mean a fire has already started and gotten out of control. This incident inspired her to create a fire detection system to help people suffer less loss from fires.
One day, Shanya discovered that thermal cameras can detect heat loss in homes during winter months. She wondered if these cameras could also spot house fires more quickly than traditional smoke detectors.
Shanya connected an affordable thermal camera to a tiny computer. She programmed her system to differentiate between people—which were identified as warm moving objects—and heat sources, such as a turned-on gas burner, which were identified as hot objects that remained still.
The system can send a text message when it detects a fire but no human presence for a continuous 10-minute period. Shanya conducted multiple trials at various times of day and with people entering the camera’s view from different directions. In the end, Shanya’s system accurately detected human presence 98% of the time and heat sources 97% of the time.
Shanya determined that the best place for the detector would be on the wall above the stove but under the stove range—this allowed its sensors to have clear access to the most likely locations where a fire might start in a kitchen.
After her victory, the 12-year-old has said she wants to refine the device by combining it with a smartphone app. The app will allow users to quickly switch over to a camera after receiving a text message so they can see if the alert is correct.
1. Why did Shanya invent the new fire detection system?| A．To compete in the science fair. | B．To relieve her anxiety about fire. |
| C．To help reduce people’s fire loss. | D．To market it for mass production. |
| A．find out heat sources | B．give a fire alarm |
| C．record the burning process | D．identify different people |
| A．tested all kinds of sensors | B．placed it on the ceiling |
| C．conducted some experiments | D．combined it with an app |
| A．Outgoing and smart. | B．Helpful and generous. |
| C．Modest and determined. | D．Creative and hardworking. |
【推荐3】China’s first offshore carbon storage project was put into operation on June 1 in the South China Sea.
With an annual capacity of 300,000 tons, the project is designed to store a total of more than 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is equal to planting nearly 14 million trees.
The operation of the project means China’s achievement in acquiring a complete set of technologies and equipment for capturing, processing, injecting, storing and monitoring CO2 at sea.
The project, serving the En ping 15-1 oil platform 200km southwest of Shenzhen, captures and processes CO2 from oilfields and then injects CO2 into a dome geological structure at a depth of around 800 meters under the seabed.
What needs to be done to inject CO 2 into the seabed?
Firstly, a location appropriate for storage shall be found. The “dome” geological structure discovered by Chinese experts, which resembles a massive bowl, is a natural “can” that is able to hold CO2 stably.
After the location is decided, a 900-meter-deep well with ad is pia cement(位移) of over 3,000 meters needs to be drilled so that CO2 can be sent to the “dome” geological structure.
Given such a huge di placement, the friction (摩擦力) on the sidewall of the well is expected to multiply, so the drill would probably stick inside the well. In addition, the well is likely to suffer from collapse and drilling fluid loss because of the loose soil under the seabed.
To cope with these challenges, drilling experts tailored anti-corrosion(耐腐蚀) drilling fluid that’s able to support the sidewall, which makes the injection of CO2 smooth.
Besides, a monitoring system has been fixed to the CO2 injection tube to see if the tube is leaked.
China’s sea area creates a sound environment for the storage of CO2. Its potential CO2 storage capacity is estimated to be 2.58 trillion tons, offering important support for the country to reach its goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
1. What is the purpose of the project?| A．To store CO2 at sea. | B．To build an offshore structure. |
| C．To process oil in a new way. | D．To capture carbon from the air. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．The drill getting stuck. | B．The loss of drilling fluid. |
| C．The seabed getting looser. | D．The collapse of the well. |
| A．Realization of China’s carbon goals. | B．Advantageous geology of South China Sea. |
| C．New stage in China’s carbon storage capacity. | D．Breakthrough in China’s oilfield construction. |
