A 36-year-old man is attempting to set a new record by rowing 5,000 miles solo from Hawaii to Australia while dedicating his journey to saving the planet.
Tez Steinberg, of Boulder, Colorado, plans to leave Hawaii on December 20 on his solo trip across the Pacific Ocean. Actually, it’s the second leg of an adventure that began in 2020 when he rowed solo for 71 days from Monterey, California, to Oahu, Hawaii.
Steinberg began to experience depression while he was in college. At the time, he found a solution by participating in endurance sports. “It helped me feel better,” he said. “But as I went farther and farther, pushing myself through marathons and triathlons, I discovered this belief in myself that I’m so much stronger than I thought I was.”
However, in 2016, his life took a big turn after the sudden death of his dad. The blow caused him to challenge himself even more by solo rowing across an ocean. After successfully completing the task without any prior professional experience, Steinberg realized he could use his story to inspire other people to believe in themselves and their potential to change and grow.
Recalling the first journey at sea, he said, “I was so surprised by how beautiful the ocean was, and also how much plastic I saw. So it was that realization at sea that led me to want to go back out again.” Inspired by his first expedition, Steinberg’s new mission is to focus on ocean conservation, and specifically ocean plastics. “All the plastic I saw at sea was just heartbreaking,” he said.
The upcoming voyage will be part of an attempt to break a Guinness World Record. Nevertheless, breaking records isn’t his priority. “Personally, although a world record is exciting, that’s not why I’m in it. The world record is fun for media attention, but through it we can get more donations, support and action for ocean plastics,” Steinberg said.
1. What can we learn about Steinberg from paragraphs 3 and 4?| A．He suffered academically. |
| B．He was expert in extreme sports. |
| C．He gained confidence from motivating others. |
| D．He turned to challenging tasks in face of difficulties. |
| A．To recover from the state of depression. |
| B．To relieve the pain of his father’s passing. |
| C．To inspire other people to fulfil their dreams. |
| D．To challenge himself to achieve the impossible. |
| A．To break a world record. | B．To establish a good reputation. |
| C．To contribute to ocean protection. | D．To urge governments to take action. |
| A．Stubborn and ambitious. | B．Self-centered and sympathetic. |
| C．Determined and knowledgeable. | D．Responsible and courageous. |
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【推荐1】“What if we treat the ocean as if our lives depend on it? Or, what if we don’t?” World-famous marine biologist Sylvia Earle poses her famous “what if” questions to inspire people to reflect on how they can help save the ocean. In 1998, Time magazine named Earle its first “Hero for the Planet.”
Earle’s move to Florida’s west coast at age 12 is what started a lifelong passion. She says, “That’s where I first fell in love with the ocean.” In 1953, using newly developed equipment, the young scientist became one of the first in her field to scuba dive (水肺潜水). Her first long-term exposure to the ocean depths came in 1970 when she led an all-female research team to study the ocean. They lived under the sea in a submersible (潜水器) for two weeks. When they returned to the surface, world-wide cheer and praise were waiting, especially for Dr. Earle.
Sylvia Earle’s career includes many firsts. In 1979 she became the first woman to walk the ocean floor 381 meters below the surface. In 1990, she became the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Through the years, Earle has spent roughly 7,500 hours underwater. During that time, she has become increasingly alarmed by the significant changes she has observed.
The famous scientist fears that the ocean is dying. Climate change, overfishing, the dumping of trash and chemicals and oil spills are just some of the many causes. In order to tackle the problem, Earle formed Mission Blue in 2009. This organization promotes the legal protection and conservation of the world’s oceans. Her plan is to develop “Hope Spots,” protected areas large enough to reverse (逆转) damage and restore the ocean.
1. Why does Sylvia Earle put forward “what if” questions?| A．To call on people to protect the ocean. |
| B．To stress our dependence on the ocean. |
| C．To criticize people’s damage to the ocean. |
| D．To contribute an article to Time magazine. |
| A．She moved to Florida to learn diving. |
| B．She was the best in scuba diving. |
| C．She did not get much attention in 1970. |
| D．She became a chief scientist of NOAA in 1990. |
| A．Scientists’ fears. | B．Causes of the damage. |
| C．Efforts Earle made. | D．Bright future for the ocean. |
| A．Dr. Sylvia Earle — A Lover of Diving |
| B．Dr. Sylvia Earle — Pioneer of the Deep |
| C．The Ocean — A place in Urgent Need of Our Care |
| D．Scuba Diving — A Fantastic Way to Learn the Ocean |
【推荐2】A recent report revealed that, in the US alone, 27 million tons of plastic ended up in landfills in 2018, but only 3.1 millon tons were recycled. Wordwide the numbers are similarly bad, with just 9% of plastic being recycled. The statistics are even worse for certain types of plastic. For example, out of 80,000 tons of polystyrene (聚苯乙烯) containers generated in the United States, only a small amount (less than 5,000 tons) was recycled.
Now, researchers at The University of Queensland and have found a species of wom with an appetite for polystyrene could be the key to plastic recycling on a mass scale. The superworm can eat through polystyrene, thanks to a bacterial enzyme (酶) in their gut. To study how superworms react to purely plastic food, researchers broke up l35 of the creatures into three teams: one was fed only wheat bran(麸皮), another was fed only plastics, and the third was given nothing.
“We found the bran-fed worms have been significantly healthier than the plastic-fed or starved worms, more than doubling their weight over the three weeks they have been monitored. Though the plastic-fed worms made less impressive gains, they still put on more weight than the starved worms,” Dr. Rinke said. “This suggests the worms can get energy from plastics, most likely with the help of their gut microbes.”
Researchers used a technique called me a genomics to find several encoded enzymes with the ability to degrade polystyrene. The long-term goal is to engineer enzymes to degrade plastic waste in recycling plants.
“Super worms are like mini recycling plants, eating the polystyrene and then feeding it to the bacteria in their gut” Dr. Rinke said. It’s hoped this bio-up cycling will promote plastic waste recycling and reduce landfills. Researchers said they aim to grow the gut bacteria in the lab and further test its ability to degrade polystyrene. Then they can look into how to upscale this process to a level required for an entire recycling plant
1. What problem do the statistics in paragraph 1 indicate?| A．Landfills are poorly managed. |
| B．It takes a long time for plastic waste to break up. |
| C．Many plastic containers are of poor quality. |
| D．Plastics are recycle data very low rate. |
| A．By collecting data. | B．By introducing a concept. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By refering to a previous study. |
| A．consume | B．breakdown | C．throwaway | D．regulate |
| A．Conduct experiments on other worm species. |
| B．Improve gut bacteria’s ability to degrade plastics. |
| C．Apply the bio-up cycling technology to recycling plants. |
| D．Raise super worms on a mass scale to solve plastic pollution. |
【推荐3】Are we aware in protecting the environment?
There are many organisations, at a local, national and international level devoted to the environmental protection. Together they form the Green Movement.
Whenever a habitat is threatened (威胁) by industry or development, the Green Movement takes the side of the environment. These groups already enjoy considerable public support.
Encourage organic (有机的) farming.
Farming without chemicals is known as organic farming. In several countries, organic produce has become very popular. Because no chemicals are used to grow the food, there are none to enter the human food chain.
Save the rainforest.
In developing countries, action is finally being taken to save the rainforests. In Africa, the Ivory Coast recently banned all timber exports. In Central America, the government of Panama made it illegal to cut down any tree more than five years old.
It is difficult to persuade poor people in developing countries of the importance of saving the forests. They need more food and want to use the land to grow crops on. What matters is not just our enjoyment of nature, but the future of life on Earth.
| A．But their most important work is education. |
| B．Is there anything we can do about it? |
| C．Why are people determined to take actions? |
| D．Join the Green Movement. |
| E．Such actions show great determination. |
| F．Found organisations to protect our environment. |
| G．In addition, people think it will save the environment. |
【推荐1】Chinese scientists have built a chamber to simulate (模仿) the conditions on the surface of the moon to help make preparations for future lunar exploration.
The specially designed vacuum chamber is equipped with an electron gun to negatively charge dust, deuterium lights to produce ultraviolet (紫外的) rays to generate low-voltage positive electrical charge, and a vibrating screen (振动筛) designed to simulate flying dust. Scientists at the vacuum chamber have made similar dust particles (颗粒) with similar features to those on the moon. These elements together produce a chamber which can test materials and items in simulated lunar conditions.
The facility was developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), based in the city of Harbin in Heilongjiang province in northeast China. “The comprehensive lunar surface simulator, which can simulate many environments which are very close to the real state on the moon, helps us understand the lunar dust formation process in such an environment and its effects on spacecraft, spacesuits and astronauts and prepare us for a crewed moon landing in the future,” said Li Liyi, dean (院长) of the HIT’s Institute of Space Environment and Material Science. “At the experiment chamber, we can simulate six major kinds of environmental factors. It is an experiment facility that can simulate the most environmental factors and has the comprehensive performance most similar to the real space environment in the world,” Li added.
A leading Chinese lunar scientist said that China is working to land astronauts on the moon before 2030.The country is actively working on the hardware needed for the mission, including a new launch vehicle, a new generation spacecraft for crew and a lunar lander.
A representative from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the country’s main space contractor, presented an animated film earlier this year giving an impression of what the future Chinese crewed lunar landing might look like.
1. Why do Chinese scientists design a vacuum chamber to simulate the conditions on the surface of the moon?| A．It can test ultraviolet rays on the moon. |
| B．The low-voltage electrical charge can be beneficial. |
| C．It can help prepare the country for future lunar exploration. |
| D．It is close to the real environment on the moon. |
| A．Lunar dust is a big challenge for crewed moon landing. |
| B．The new facility can simulate all environments on the moon. |
| C．The facility can generate the real space environment in the world. |
| D．The chamber can make the future lunar exploration successful. |
| A．To indicate the difficulties of crewed moon landing. |
| B．To introduce China's newly-built vacuum chamber. |
| C．To describe the real environment on the moon. |
| D．To introduce China's crewed moon landing project. |
| A．understand its impacts on spacecraft. |
| B．prepare us for a crewed moon landing. |
| C．help us have a better understanding of the dust formation process. |
| D．help us to design flying dust. |
【推荐2】Toy giant Lego has given up on plans to make its bricks from recycled bottles, in a blow to its efforts to cut carbon emissions (排放). The company said in 2021 that it aimed to reduce oil-based bricks within two years. But Monday’s statement said it had found that using the new material didn’t reduce carbon emissions. Lego said it remains fully devoted to developing sustainable materials for bricks.
The toy maker makes about 4, 400 different bricks. Currently, many of them are made using a plastic, ABS, mainly made from oil. The move, which was first reported in Financial Times, will be seen as a setback (挫折) after an open claim by Lego to improve its sustainability. Like many other companies, Lego has been exploring alternative materials to plastic that will be lasting enough for generations. In 2021, it said it had developed bricks made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, with some other chemicals added, to offer an alternative to oil-based bricks.
But Lego has now discovered that after more than two years of testing, it had found that using recycled PET didn’t reduce carbon emissions. It said extra steps were required in the production process, which meant it needed to use more energy. It has decided not to progress with making bricks from the material, and now testing and developing bricks made from a range of alternative sustainable materials.
Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of Lego, told the FT that it was hard to find “magic material” to fix the firm’s sustainability challenges. “We tested hundreds and hundreds of materials. It’s almost not been possible to find a material like that,” he said.
A spokesperson for the company told the BBC, “We are investing more than $1. 2bn in sustainability move in the four years to 2025 as part of our efforts to turn to more sustainable materials and reduce our carbon emissions by 37% by 2032.”
1. What material has been Lego trying to replace?| A．ABS. | B．PET. | C．Oil. | D．Carbon. |
| A．It failed to achieve its desired goal. |
| B．Carbon emission was under control. |
| C．Pressure from competitors was huge. |
| D．Added chemicals harm the environment. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Sports. | C．Economy. | D．Education |
| A．A New Announcement from Lego | B．More Recycling, More Pollution |
| C．Lego: Dropping Its Low-impact Act | D．Lego: Firm Green Goal Despite failure |
【推荐3】Dogs are usually regarded as the friends of human beings. Recently, a dog was filmed jumping onto the back of an ambulance as his owner was transported to hospital. The dog owner had been walking his pet when he fell ill in the city of Uruguaiana, Brazil. Emergency services were called to the scene and the man was placed into an ambulance to hospital. The dog, dressed in a little red jumper, did not run away instantly. Instead, he jumped onto the bumper(保险杠) of the ambulance, trying to follow his stricken owner as close as possible. The medical workers took pity on the sweet dog and opened the doors to allow him inside the ambulance.
The dog was reported to be waiting outside the hospital entrance as his owner was treated. Lots of social media users and those who spotted the dog at the hospital were attracted by the dog’s behavior. Many took photos and posted them on the Internet.
Local animal rescuer Maria Muniz, who lives near the hospital, said she saw the lonely dog and offered to take it in for the night until his owner recovered. However, the dog was unwilling to leave, keeping waiting at the spot. Luckily, he did not have to wait long before his owner left hospital and the pair were reunited. Maria Muniz said, “It was very moving. But thank God the owner was only hospitalized for 30 minutes. His family arrived to take him and his dog home. ”
1. What did the dog do when his owner fell ill?| A．Calling an ambulance. | B．Following his owner. |
| C．Running away instantly. | D．Jumping up and down. |
| A．They wanted to show off. |
| B．The dog was good-looking. |
| C．The dog’s act was impressive. |
| D．They wanted to attract animal lovers. |
| A．A day. | B．A night. | C．Half a day. | D．Half an hour . |
| A．Dog: a Loyal Friend | B．Love Me, Love My Dog |
| C．An Animal Lover | D．Dog: a Good Helper |
【推荐1】Lufinha has crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat powered only by the sun and wind. He used kites to move the boat and solar power to use lights and equipment on the boat. He expects his trip will earn him a Guinness World Record for Fastest Solo Atlantic Crossing by Kite Boat. He also hopes to help people understand the need to protect the oceans.
The kite-powered boat reached top speeds of over 30 kilometers per hour. Lufinha traveled 6,400 kilometers in 25 days. The 38-year-old set out from Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal on November 3, 2022, and arrived in Martinique on December 20, Lufinha was not at sea for all that time, however. He made a planned stop at the Canary Islands on November 8. But he had to stay longer than planned because of the powerful storm and he remained there until November 30.
Lufinha made the crossing completely alone in a 7.2-meter-long and 5.6-meter-wide trimaran, a boat which has three long, thin parts, with a small room for sleeping and shelter. Lufinha used a hand pump (抽水机) to produce water for drinking and cooking. He said, “I have two such water makers, which I can pump and every hour I can make around four liters of water.” The water pump has a special filter (过滤器) to remove salt from the sea water. Lufinha used the water to add to dried food he carried with him on the boat.
He called his trip “a big learning experience”. It was a big test of his adaptability. He learned most of all to look at his problems relatively. He had so many problems all of the time, such as kites getting torn and kites exploding (爆炸). And the only way not to suffer was to think, “It could be worse.” He said his way of thinking during the difficult crossing helped him get through it hour by hour, day by day, week by week until he finished this Atlantic crossing.
1. What’s one of the purposes of Lufinha’s trip?| A．To set a new world record. |
| B．To map out a new sailing route. |
| C．To check his boat’s performance. |
| D．To collect money for the local charity. |
| A．His boat broke down halfway. |
| B．He took the wrong sailing direction. |
| C．His water pumps required replacing. |
| D．He was overtaken by terrible weather. |
| A．He developed his own independence. |
| B．He discovered how to obtain drinkable water. |
| C．He learned to view problems more positively. |
| D．He mastered more advanced sailing techniques. |
| A．Strict and honest. | B．Calm and curious. |
| C．Determined and brave. | D．Outgoing and generous. |
【推荐2】Become an Atlantis Jr. Aquarist and spend 3 days working with marine life! Food prepping to feeding the animals to snorkeling (浮潜) and learning about coral reefs, it’s a week of marine adventure!
| Marine Adventure Camp | |
| June 24--28; Monday--Friday | |
| July 8--12; Monday--Friday | |
| July 29--August 2; Monday--Friday | |
| August 12--16; Monday--Friday | |
| 5 days/4 nights Ages: 10 to 14 Price: $595 (not inclusive of room cost) | Camp Hours |
| Monday: 5:45 p. m. to 7:30 p. m. Tuesday: 8:00 a. m. to 3:00 p. m. Wednesday: 9:00 a. m. to 5:30 p. m. Thursday: 9:00 a. m. to 4:00 p. m. Friday: Check out (or you may extend your stay on your own). *Please note: Programming subject to change based on weather conditions. | |
| Package Components | Dress Code |
| 1. Amenity(便利设施）Package —Camp Name Badge —Mask and Snorkel —Messenger Bag —Cap —Towel —Marine Life Guide —Water Bottle 2. Welcome Dinner 3. Lunch for 3 days (venue to be determined) 4. Behind the Scenes with our Sea Keeper Team 5. Behind the Scenes with our Marine Mammal Team 6. Fish food preparation and hand feeding 7. Ruins Snorkel 8. Stingray Snorkel 9. Blue Adventure Snorkel Trip 10. Shark Walk with Stuart Cove | T-Shirts Shorts Swimsuits Water Shoes (Since most water shoes are uncomfortable for the amount of walking they do, especially when wet, you are not allowed to change into water shoes when you prepare to swim.) Sun Block |
Important Notes | |
| All attendees must be able to swim without assistance. All attendees must speak fluent English. Camp name badge must be worn daily. Attendees must be at least 10 years of age. | |
| A．camp hours | B．camp price | C．things to bring | D．daily schedules |
| A．Tom, who has just graduated from high school |
| B．Jerry, who has saved up 600 dollars for summer holiday |
| C．Mary, a local 6 grader who likes swimming |
| D．Edward, who has been offered a position in an aquarium |
| A．Attendees don’t wear water shoes when they go swimming. |
| B．All attendees must check out on the last day of the camp. |
| C．The programs are fixed and no minor changes will be made. |
| D．Attendees will have a 5-day experience working with marine life in the camp. |
【推荐3】My husband and I live near San Luis Obispo, California, close to the beach. In November 2023, during the humpback whale migration, we kayaked (划皮划艇) out to watch the wildlife. We were in awe watching these graceful whales breach and spray through their blowholes.
At the time, my friend Liz was staying with us. Initially, she refused to join us on the water, fearing the kayak would overturn among the whales. After some cajoling (劝说) she finally agreed to join me. The following morning, we set out early and had our first whale sighting just past the pier: two humpbacks swimming toward us. How amazing to be that close to a creature that size, I thought as the whales dipped under the waterline.
When whales go down after breaching, they leave what looks like an oil slick on the water. I figured if we paddled toward that spot, we’d be safe from the whales, since they’d just left. We followed them at a distance — or what I thought was a distance. I later found out that it’s recommended to keep 300 feet away. We were more like 60 feet away.
Suddenly, we were surrounded by jumping silverfish fleeing from the whales. Before we could react, our kayak was lifted out of the water about six feet, bracketed by massive jaws. Liz and I slipped out of the kayak into the whale’s mouth. As the whale’s mouth closed, I felt the creature begin to dive and had no idea how deep we’d be dragged. Still, I didn’t panic. I just kept thinking. I’ve got to fight this. I’ve got to breathe.
Whales have enormous mouths but tiny throats. Anything they can’t swallow they spit right out. That included us. As soon as the whale dipped underwater, it ejected us, and we popped back up onto the surface about a foot apart. The entire ordeal lasted only about 10 seconds.
Other kayakers rushed to our aid, shocked to see us alive. But I am much more aware of the power of nature and the ocean than I was before. Liz was shaken up, comparing the ordeal to a near-death experience, and she says her whale-watching days are over. But even she had to laugh when she got home that afternoon and realized she’d brought back a souvenir. When she pulled off her shirt, six silverfish flopped out.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．At first, Liz was hesitant to go on the kayaking trip because she was not interested in whale watching. |
| B．If Liz and I had maintained a distance of 300 feet from the whales, we might have avoided the subsequent danger. |
| C．Liz and I slipped into the whale’s mouth because jumping silverfish overturned our kayak. |
| D．Liz is likely to go on another whale-watching trip someday because she found a precious souvenir from this kayaking. |
| A．Terrified and panicked. | B．Disoriented underwater |
| C．Calm and focused. | D．Regretful about going kayaking. |
| A．a challenging or difficult experience | B．a thrilling experience |
| C．a surprising encounter | D．a joyful adventure |
| A．How to Survive a Whale Attack | B．Respecting the Power of Nature |
| C．A Day at San Luis Obispo Beach | D．I Survived Being Swallowed By a Whale |
