A grocery store in Ann Arbor, Michigan opened on Tuesday to the public. This is an artist’s uneatable creation. The Plastic Bag Store presents shelves filled with items such as meat, eggs, cakes and so on, all of which are made from single-use plastics taken from streets and garbage.
The store at times during the day will be transformed into a stage for a series of short films in which puppetry (木偶戏表演), shadow play, and handmade sets are used to tell a story of how the overabundance of plastic waste we leave behind might be misinterpreted by future generations — and how what we value least may become our most lasting “cultural legacy (遗产)”.
Theater and film director Robin Frohardt is the creative driving force behind the Plastic Bag Store. “I got the idea many years ago after watching someone bag and double-bag and triple-bag my groceries,” Frohardt said on Tuesday. “I just was sort of struck by how much packaging was involved in our everyday lives. And it just seemed so unreasonable. I just thought, maybe I could set up a project to change it.” Combining a real-life supermarket with film experience, Frohardt planned to use art and humor to question our culture of consumption and convenience and to show one of the greatest problems of our planet.
Plastic bags are created by fossil (化石) fuels and often end up as waste in landfills and the ocean. Americans throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags per year. She hopes that she can continue to tour with the project and bring it to different communities. “My dream would be that this project will become unnecessary one day,” said Frohardt.
“Frohardt’s work reminds us, with humor, to think not just about the next two weeks, but also about the next two decades and the next two centuries. What will remain hundreds of years later? We hope that our legacy will be plays rather than piles of plastics,” said Tim Tompkins, President of Times Square Alliance.
1. What are the things in the Plastic Bag Store like?| A．Decorative. | B．Recyclable. | C．Dirty. | D．Artificial. |
| A．Appeal to people to recycle plastic. | B．Call attention to harm of plastic waste. |
| C．Change people’s consumption concept. | D．Show achievements of plastic recycling. |
| A．Her film experiences. | B．Short films at the store. |
| C．Overuse of plastic bags. | D．Concern for overconsumption. |
| A．Meaningful. | B．Challenging. | C．Imaginative. | D．Impractical. |
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【推荐1】Internet users worldwide are planting trees — nearly 65 million of them to date — just by browsing the internet. That’s because instead of relying on Google or Yahoo to conduct their online searches, they are using Ecosia.
Like other search engines, Ecosia makes money through advertising — every time someone clicks on one of the ads located next to search results, Ecosia makes several cents. The Berlin-based start-up invests 80 percent of its profits in tree planting.
Currently, 8 million users are funding 20 tree-planting projects in 15 countries. For example, Ecosia is planting mangrove trees along the Madagascar coast, nut trees in Ghana, and acacia trees in Ethiopian valley.
To make sure the trees actually stay in the ground, the search engine employs a chief tree-planting officer, who reviews projects and regularly visits tree-planting sites. The company also relies on satellite imaging to help ensure millions of trees it funds aren’t subject to logging.
The majority of Ecosia users are located in France, Germany, and the UK, but the search engine is rapidly expanding in US. “We’re seeing real growth in the US as people find out they can plant trees while searching the internet,” founder Christian Kroll said, “which means we are on track to plant more than 100 million trees by next year.”
When it comes to being a force for social good, Ecosia seems to walk the walk. As the climate movement worldwide grows, the internet has not escaped scrutiny for its carbon footprint — and for good reason. In early August, the company announced that with the completion of its second solar plant, it is returning enough renewable energy to the grid to offset more than 100 percent of the energy used by Microsoft to power Ecosia searches. Given that trees suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the start-up claims that each Ecosia internet search actually removes 1kg of CO2 from the atmosphere.
1. What is Ecosia?| A．An ad agency. | B．A search engine. | C．A browser. | D．A power plant. |
| A．It transforms to do charity. |
| B．Its users make money by using it. |
| C．It earn money by clicking the ads on it. |
| D．It spends most profits on tree-planting projects. |
| A．Check the growth of trees. | B．Hire a tree-planting officer. |
| C．Protect trees being cut down. | D．Inspect planting sites irregularly. |
| A．The Internet needs to save energy. |
| B．The solar plants can boost energy for itself. |
| C．The company’s purpose is to find alternative energy. |
| D．Ecosia keeps making efforts in environmental protection. |
【推荐2】There is a huge demand for shark fins (鳍) in Asian countries. As a result, many sharks are caught and killed. In Palau, where more than half of tourists are drawn by diving excursions, each reef shark brings in about $179,000 in tourism revenue annually, or about $1.9 million during its lifetime. Due to overexploitation and lack of proper management, many shark species are under considerable risk of unrecoverable decline with some species having declined to near extinction in recent years. According to reports, sharks are being killed at an alarming rate of up to 273 million worldwide per year.
Some experts predict that if the killing continues at the current rate many shark species will be lost forever. It can be very dangerous. Sharks are very important and they should be protected.
In a study of the east coast of the United States, 11 species of sharks were eliminated from their range. Of the 14 species of ocean life that those sharks used to eat, the populations of 12 exploded and caused great damage to the ecosystem. For example, the cownose ray (鳐) population was no longer kept under control by sharks and so grew out of control. As a result, the rays destroyed the population of bay scallops (扇贝), their favorite food. The scallop fishery, which had been in good condition for over 100 years, was wiped out. Also, the removal of the scallops most likely had an effect on water quality as they were no longer there to perform their function of cleaning the water.
Sharks play a vital role in the oceans in a way that the average fish does not. Most sharks serve as top predators at the pinnacle of the marine food pyramid, and so play a critical role in ocean ecosystems. Directly or indirectly they regulate the natural balance of these ecosystems. Sharks tend to eat very efficiently, going after the old, sick, or slower fish in a population, keeping that population healthy. Sharks help keep many populations of ocean life to the right size so that those prey (猎物) species don’t cause harm to the ecosystem by becoming too populated. The ocean ecosystem is made up of very complex food webs. For the most part, sharks are at the top of these webs and are considered by scientists to be "keystone" species, meaning that removing them may cause the whole structure to fall apart, including key fisheries such as tuna and other important fish species that maintain the health of coral reefs.
Therefore, we should protect sharks because doing so is to protect the whole ecosystem.
1. The underlined word "eliminated" in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by "________".| A．separated |
| B．removed |
| C．forbidden |
| D．protected |
| A．water quality improved as well |
| B．bay scallops grew out of control |
| C．the health of coral reefs worsened |
| D．the local scallop fishery was harmed |
| A．Why sharks are killed worldwide. |
| B．Why sharks should be protected. |
| C．How humans keep the ecosystem balanced. |
| D．How ocean life affects the ecosystem. |
【推荐3】What’s the furthest you have ever cycled? Perhaps you cycle to school or to work, or maybe at most a short cycling trip with friends? How would you feel about spending months on the road travelling solo from the UK to China，by bike?
As an experienced British cyclist and adventure lover, Pete Jones is at present making a long trip across the Eurasian Continent from Britain to China alone. For Pete, camping in the wild and cycling for long distances through inhospitable terrain (不适合人居住的地带) are his second nature.
Mr Jones is currently taking a great journey. Having lived on and off (断断续续地) in Xinjiang for three years, and having visited the country many times since 1992, Pete Jones is no stranger to China. But he says many people there are puzzled by his strong love for cycling, and they ask why he chooses to cycle when he can afford a car. Indeed, while there are about 400 million bicycles in China, where it has long been the preferred means of transport, rapid economic growth has caused an rapid development in car ownership.
Edward Genochio, another British cyclist who completed a 41,000 km trip to China and back, said one of his goals was to tell people cycling is a safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly means of getting about.
In the UK, the last few years have seen a rise in the number of people choosing two wheels over four, with some estimates (估计) saying the number of people cycling to work has almost doubled in the last five years.
Politicians also see cycling as a way to prove that they are concerned about the environment, with people such as London mayor Boris Johnson often riding to work by himself. But we may have to wait some time before we see him emulating (效仿) Pete Jones in attempting to cycle all the way to China.
1. What is the meaning of the underlined word “solo” in the first paragraph?| A．Alone. | B．Lonely. |
| C．Happily. | D．Hard. |
| A．cycling is good for health |
| B．cycling around the world is interesting |
| C．cycling is not polluting the environment |
| D．bicycles are a kind of safe transportation |
| A．Pete Jones’s desire for cycling led to his staying in China for three years |
| B．now the number of Chinese people owning cars is larger than those owning bikes |
| C．London mayor Boris Johnson will emulate Pete Jones to cycle to China in the future |
| D．both British common people and politicians see riding bikes as a good means of transport |
| A．An Adventure Lover | B．Cycling to China |
| C．What’s the Use of Bicycles | D．Three British People |
【推荐1】The Christmas season has always been important for the economy. Stores, hotels and travel businesses usually make their money at Christmas time. But it is unclear if the holiday season helps other industries. Governments are hoping to re-open their economies in time for Christmas. Some economists, however, wonder if it will do any good. The question is especially important this year. There is a risk that re-opening too early could hurt public health, economic growth and employment.
In Britain, December sales are usually around 12 percent of the yearly total. Economists say that helps retail businesses, even if people buy less in January to recover from December spending.
However, lower-priced Black Friday sales across Europe in late November has made December spending less important. The growth in online purchasing also makes it less necessary for some stores to stay open. German retail association HDE expects online sales to fuel an increase of 1.2 percent over 2019.
Some economists believe that even if people do not buy before Christmas, they will spend on other things. Paul Donovan is chief economist at UBS Global Wealth Management. He said in his weekly blog, “Not spending on drinks at a Christmas party translates into the purchase of new furniture.”
And usually, productivity drops as Christmas nears. Workers rush out to buy things or go to parties. One research company found that 25 percent of workers said they did less work or tried to avoid more work during the holiday season.
There are even some economists who believe the act of buying gifts is bad for the economy. As Yale economist Joel Waldfogel once said that when people pay a lot for gifts, especially unwanted gifts, that was like destroying their economic value.
Most economists continue to argue about this idea. However, few disagree that Christmas does have unintended and harmful effects on the economy, from drunk-driving accidents to increased paper waste. Information on new coronavirus cases in coming days will show if Europe can reopen for Christmas. But for the economy, it may not make any difference.
1. How many reasons have made spending in December less important?| A．1. | B．2. | C．3. | D．4. |
| A．Many people like to buy furniture before Christmas. |
| B．If people save money on drinks, they will have money to buy furniture. |
| C．If people do not shop for Christmas, they will have other consumptions. |
| D．Drinking at a Christmas party will cost you a lot. |
| A．Productivity increases due to the Christmas season. |
| B．Business should reopen for Christmas. |
| C．Christmas don’t have good effects on the economy. |
| D．Christmas sales helps business a lot. |
| A．If European can reopen for Christmas. |
| B．Why Christmas season is important for the economy. |
| C．Influences of Christmas season on economy. |
| D．Solutions to the European reopen. |
【推荐2】Located deep in the mountains of Chongyang county of Hubei province, the Qingshan Reservoir(水库)looks like a river with many twists and turns.
For Wang Zhijun, a primary school teacher who has served the villages near the reservoir for 28 years, the river is an obstacle(障碍)to be overcome. He doubles as a ferryman to help students shuttle(往返)back and forth via boat.
A recent video of Wang went viral on social media and moved many.
He became a teacher at the primary school in Panshan village in 1995. With water in three directions, the village occupies a sort of peninsula(半岛), even though it’s high on Qingshan Mountain.
Wang travels 500 meters of mountain roads to carry water to the school for the students. He rows a boat to pick them up for school, and then he takes them home afterward. Wang said he had suffered many falls with the water buckets, but the ferry trips have always been safe.
With development of the local economy, Panshan Primary School merged with(与……结合)the Chichong Primary School on the opposite bank of the reservoir in 2017. Wang could drive to pick up most of the students, but a few depend on his boat.
He said he had been given several opportunities to get out of the area for better career development, but he felt responsible for the kids and stayed.
Panshan and Chichong villages together have more than 1,000 residents. Wang is proud that 40 of his students eventually entered college. “My ultimate dream is to send them out from the mountains through education,” Wang said. Meanwhile, he is proud that six of the 40 college students returned to their hometown and became teachers themselves.
1. What can be learned about Wang according to the news report?| A．The ferry trip is sometimes dangerous. |
| B．Wang works in a primary school near a reservoir. |
| C．The parents often help him carry water to the school. |
| D．Wang is sorry that few of his students were admitted to college. |
| A．Original. | B．Unreasonable. | C．Final. | D．Unusual. |
| A．Shy and depressed. | B．Selfish and stubborn. |
| C．Cautious and sensitive. | D．Devoted and considerate. |
| A．Teacher picks up kids by boat for 28 years |
| B．A talented teacher works at primary school |
| C．A common teacher makes great achievements in life |
| D．Teacher refuses opportunities of better career development |
【推荐3】Contributing to climate change efforts and biodiversity conservation have been the priority of the ongoing work for global beverage leader the Coca-Cola Co. in China, as it has operated more than 50 water stewardship programs in the country.
Since 2007, Coca-Cola has been working with the WWF, UNDP and other partners to protect the freshwater resources of the Yangtze River, in which rare species such as pandas, snow leopards, white cranes, porpoises and Chinese dragonflies were bred. Coca-Cola’s actions over a decade have effectively contributed to the protection of more than 200, 000 hectares of high-ecological value areas, as part of the efforts to conserve the biodiversity and communities of 2 million hectares of wetland ecosystems in the basin.
Coca-Cola China has also been working on responsible agriculture. Since 2012, together with the UNDP, Coca-Cola China has helped double the production of sugar cane in Chongzuo, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, by establishing an irrigation system for the first time, which uses wastewater byproducts to irrigate the fields.
“The water coming from the sugar processing facility needed to be treated, but once it’s treated it can be used,” Goltzman said. “You don’t have to withdraw from the ecosystem to water those crops.”
The Coca-Cola Company used a smart “golden triangle” model in all sustainability proposals. The innovative (创新的)model gives full play to the advantages and expertise of governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and all sectors of society, to meet the increasingly serious environmental challenges, and protect water and biological diversity.
Zhang said, “We act in ways to create a more sustainable and better shared future. Sustainability remains core to what we do.”
1. Which of the following can best describe the Coca-Cola Co.?| A．Peace -conscious. | B．Earth-friendly. |
| C．Fully-equipped. | D．Recently-built. |
| A．The ecosystem has been improved. | B．The sugar processing facility is set up. |
| C．The irrigation system has been changed. | D．Treated wastewater byproducts are used. |
| A．It consists of new conservation proposals. |
| B．It is created by nongovernmental organizations. |
| C．It makes the most of social resources to help nature. |
| D．It is employed to solve the problem of water shortage. |
| A．In an essay. | B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a fashion magazine. | D．In a biology book. |
