This summer we witnessed interview teams at the North Pole wearing short sleeve shirts due to the warm weather. A study published on Aug 29 revealed more concerning issues in the supposedly coldest area of the world. Zombie ice from a massive Greenland ice sheet was confirmed to be melting, which would eventually raise global sea levels by at least 10 inches (27centimeters) on its own, reported Associated Press ( AP).
Zombie ice is the kind of ice that is still attached to thicker areas of ice, but is no longer getting fed by larger glaciers. Since glaciers are getting less snow to complement the amount of ice melted, once the zombie ice is melted, it cannot be re-formed.
Scientists decided to look at the balance of the ice. In perfect equilibrium, snow in the mountains of Greenland flows down and thickens the sides of glaciers, balancing out what’s melting on the edges, according to AP. But in the last few decades, there is less refill and more melting, creating an imbalance.
Study co-author William Colgan at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland told AP that 3.3 percent of Greenland’s total ice volume will melt eventually. “Starving would be a good phrase for what’s happening to the ice,” Colgan added.
With a great number of natural resources buried under the earth, areas of melted ice revealed treasures that attracted the world’s richest men. According to CNN, in early August, there was a “treasure hunt” in Greenland. Billionaires, including Bill Gates and others, financially backed KoBold Metals, a US - based mineral exploration company, to explore the rare metals under the glaciers in Greenland. The company told CNN that since there were enough minerals to power hundreds of millions of electric vehicles, the critical resource is capable of powering the green energy transition.
While investors are taking advantage of global warming, experts express their concerns that the mineral exploration is likely to worsen the local environment, draining up the world’s resources at a faster rate.
1. What do we know about zombie ice?| A．It has increased sea levels by up to 10 inches. |
| B．It’s totally independent from large glaciers. |
| C．It will melt away from the ice sheet. |
| D．It’s complemented by nearby natural resources. |
| A．Why melted zombie ice can’t be re-formed. |
| B．What larger glaciers exactly are. |
| C．What the melting of zombie ice can lead to. |
| D．How zombie ice functions in the ecosystem. |
| A．Supportive | B．Tolerant | C．Indifferent | D．Worried. |
| A．cutting up | B．using up | C．pulling up | D．drying up |
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【推荐1】One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation(砍伐森林) is a blank(茫然的)stare that asks the question，“Since I don't live there，what does it have to do with me? ”
The answer is that your way of life，wherever you live in the world，is tied to the tropics in many ways.If you live in a house，wash your hair，eat fruits and vegetables，drink soda，or drive a car，you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically，we are losing the richest regions on earth when，each minute，a piece of tropical forest，the size of ten city blocks，disappears.As many as five million species of plants，animals，and insects(40 to 50 percent of all living things)live there，and are being lost faster than they can be found and described.Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example.For many uses，only natural rubber from trees will do.Synthetics(合成材料)are not good enough.Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia，while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons.And rubber is an important material in making gloves，balloons，footwear and many sporting goods.Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect—or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.As we destroy forests，we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next halfcentury，warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees.The result? A partial meltdown of polar ice caps，raising sea levels as much as 24 feet；even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast.Unbelievable？Maybe.But scientists warn that by the time we realize the severe effects of tropical deforestation，it will be 20 years later.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives？Now，you should have got the answer.
1. In the last paragraph the author tries to________．| A．tell people how to avoid the tropical deforestation |
| B．persuade people to buy something synthetic |
| C．show us how important it is to protect the tropical forests |
| D．let people realize the effect of tropical deforestation |
| A．The forests are losing their function in turning carbon dioxide into oxygen. |
| B．Many of our daily uses are related to the tropical forests. |
| C．Tropical plants can be used to make industrial products. |
| D．High carbon dioxide levels will make the earth warmer. |
| A．puzzling | B．cold |
| C．supporting | D．opposed |
| A．Tropical Forests |
| B．Saving the Tropical Forests |
| C．Tropical Forests and Our Life |
| D．The Greenhouse Effects |
【推荐2】The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s longest reef, measuring 2,027 km. Running parallel (平行的) to the coast of Queensland, Australia, the reef is home to many species of fish.
The Great Barrier Reef took thousands of years to form, and has existed for thousands of years, but in just a few short decades we humans have made remarkable progress in killing it. The balance of this ecosystem is being destroyed. Poisonous coastal pollution, overfishing and unsustainable tourism all contribute to the damage done. However, the biggest threat of all is climate change, which causes coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) and other problems.
Coral bleaching is a process that causes coral to turn white in color when exposed to certain stressors, such as changes in temperature or light. As water temperatures rise due to climate change, the algae (海藻) living inside coral becomes poisonous and is expelled from the coral, causing it to lose its color and a major source of food. Not only do the algae produce coral’s color, they also provide 90%of the coral’s energy. Thus, without the algae, most corals will die.
Unfortunately, coral bleaching events are now occurring at an alarming rate. Mass coral bleaching events in the Great Barrier Reef have been recorded in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2016, 2017 and 2020, and they are now expected to become an annual occurrence. The Great Barrier Reef is believed to have lost over 50% of its corals since 1995 and as global warming continues, this number will continue to increase rapidly.
In 2015, the Australian government formed a plan for the protection and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef until 2050. While the plan contains many great aims to improve water quality and restore the reef, there are no measures to deal with the root cause of the issue-climate change.
Solving the most important problem of our generation will require many solutions, such as supporting the use of renewable energy, keeping fossil fuels in the ground, protecting forests, reducing plastic production and preventing unsustainable business practices.
Repairing the damage done to the Great Barrier Reef — and other ecosystems around the world — will be no easy job, but we believe that individuals, businesses and governments will make a change and then there will be hope in the future.
1. What can we know about the Great Barrier Reef?| A．It is a lifeless coral reef structure. |
| B．It has the most preserved ecosystem. |
| C．It is a threat to the survival of human. |
| D．It has been affected by various factors. |
| A．Taken out. | B．Given away. | C．Driven out. | D．Washed away. |
| A．Coral reefs are experiencing growth. |
| B．The loss of corals is expected to decrease. |
| C．Coral bleaching takes place more frequently. |
| D．The government has taken steps to stop coral bleaching. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐3】Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don’t dispute(质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
1. What has Steven Stein been hired to do?| A．Help increase grocery sales. |
| B．Recycle the waste material. |
| C．Stop things falling off trucks. |
| D．Argue for the use of plastic bags. |
| A．Bans on plastic bags. |
| B．Effects of city development. |
| C．Headaches caused by garbage. |
| D．Plastic bags hung in trees. |
| A．They are quite expensive. |
| B．Replacing them can be difficult. |
| C．They are less strong than plastic bags. |
| D．Producing them requires more energy. |
| A．Plastic, Paper or Neither |
| B．Industry, Pollution and Environment |
| C．Recycle or Throw Away |
| D．Garbage Collection and Waste Control |
【推荐1】Most of us have at least a few prized possessions we’d have trouble letting go of. But those with a hoarding (囤积) disorder are forced to hold onto their belongings, even when doing so means severely messy surroundings that decrease their quality of life and threaten their safety through the risk of fire or personal injury.
The hoarding disorder is an under-recognized condition. “People with a hoarding disorder are often hesitant to seek or stay in treatment because of anxiety,” says Marla Deibler, a clinical psychologist based in Princeton, New Jersey. Now scientists at Stanford University are exploring a new treatment to help individuals with a hoarding disorder.
The recent pilot study shows that therapy powered by a virtual reality headset and handheld controllers can help those who hoard to practice letting go of their possessions using a simulation (模拟) of their homes before they clean the space in real life.
The study was conducted over 16 weeks and allowed its participants — all diagnosed with a hoarding disorder — to enter virtual models of their homes to practice sorting and discarding (丢弃) items which they found hard to part with. The virtual layout of their homes and possessions are created with photos uploaded to create a 3D simulation, so the items are known and valued by each participant before they practice throwing them out.
“78% of the participants noted virtual reality contributed to their motivation in increasing real-life discarding,” says Carolyn Rodriguez, the lead author of the study. “Such results are promising, especially when the study’s participants ranged in age from 60 to 73 years old — the group in which hoarding is most common.”
The Stanford study builds on work done at the University of Chicago, published in 2020, which also showed that individuals struggling with a hoarding disorder were motivated to have a clean environment by using virtual reality to explore their homes. The uniqueness of the Stanford research, however, lies in the opportunity it has provided for participants to take part in the discarding process — a crucial step in emotionally separating themselves from each item.
1. What do we know about the people with hoarding disorder?| A．They always keep their valuables safe. |
| B．They are longing for proper treatment. |
| C．They rarely spend quality time with their families. |
| D．They are overly attached to their belongings. |
| A．The significance of the study. | B．The details of the study. |
| C．The purpose of the study. | D．The application of the study. |
| A．Approving. | B．Dismissive. | C．Concerned. | D．Neutral. |
| A．Increasing their motivation to clean their houses. |
| B．Offering them a chance to explore their homes. |
| C．Involving them in a clean-up with virtual reality. |
| D．Providing an opportunity to strengthen emotional bonds. |
【推荐2】Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But now scientists are giving this feeling an empirical (实证的) basis. They are discovering how to design space that promotes creativity, keeps people focused and leads to relaxation.
Researchers show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room’s ceiling affects how people think. Her research indicates that higher ceilings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Lower ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook.
In addition to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence a person’s ability to concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains in a standard test of attention. According to another study at the University of Georgia, using nature to improve the focus of attention seems to pay off academically. They found that students in classroom with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had higher scores in tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than those students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots.
A recent study on room lighting design suggests that dim (暗淡的) light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax.
So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. “We have a very limited number of studies, so we’re almost looking at the problem through a straw,” architect David Allison says, “How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? That’s what we’re all struggling with.”
1. What can we learn from the second paragraph?| A．Lower ceilings may promote creativity. |
| B．Lower ceilings make people think more freely. |
| C．Higher ceilings inspire creative thinking. |
| D．Higher ceilings encourage people to focus on details. |
| A．In the classroom with dim light. |
| B．In the classroom with round-edged furniture. |
| C．In the classroom close to roads or parking lots. |
| D．In the classroom surrounded by open greenness. |
| A．More researches need to be done to work out generalized patterns. |
| B．Scientists have a very limited number of studies. |
| C．The problem is too difficult for researchers to solve. |
| D．The research has given exact answers to the problem. |
| A．The importance of house design. |
| B．Scientific researches on space design. |
| C．The effects of ceiling design. |
| D．A new trend of space design. |
【推荐3】To prevent crowding on the mountain,some have suggested limiting the total number of climbers permitted per season and the size of each team to no more than ten members. Others are skeptical. “That will not happen,” says New Zealander Guy Cotter, 50, owner of Adventure Consultants, which has led 19 expeditions to Everest(珠穆朗玛峰).“Everest is big business for Nepal,and it will never turn down the money.”
Another way to make the mountain safer is with technology, says Conrad Anker,50,who led our expedition in 2012. The mountain is already high-tech—everyone at Base Camp has access to a cell phone or the Internet—but last summer in a meeting with the Nepalese ministry,Anker advised something new:identification cards issued with every climber.
“The Everest ID would contain data that could save the life of a climber or Sherpa,”Anker explains.It would have the climber’s photo,of course,but more importantly,it would also have a QR code—a type of bar code.“Scanned with a smart phone,the QR code would show information such as age,experience,health history and emergency phone numbers.”Anker says that bureaucrats just looked at him with blank faces when he tried to explain the benefits of the ID.
Despite all the problems on the mountain,Everest still stands alone.I’ll never forget the breathtaking view from our place at Camp III,clouds rolling up the Western valley.I’ll always treasure the memory of climbing with friends.
Such moments are the reasons why climbers keep coming back to Everest.It’s not simply about reaching the top but about showing respect for the mountain and enjoying the journey. Now it’s up to us to restore a sense of sanity and safety to the top of the world.
1. Why do some people want to limit the number of climbers?| A．Nepal won’t allow more climbers. | B．The top of the mountain is high and dangerous. |
| C．Climbers are not environment-friendly. | D．Crowding makes the mountain not safe. |
| A．It has the climber’s photo. | B．It has a QR code. |
| C．It has all the information of a climber. | D．Bureaucrats seem to have no interest in it. |
| A．take the problems for granted | B．should take safety into consideration |
| C．decide to get the Everest ID | D．like to challenge any danger |
| A．Anker’s advice has been adopted. | B．The Everest ID shouldn’t be issued. |
| C．Everest brings in lots of money for Nepal. | D．The author suggests climbing less frequently. |
