Germany’s top court (法院) has ruled that parts of the country’s 2019 climate action law must be changed because they don’t do a good job of protecting young people. Nine young people aged 15 to 24 took the government to court over the law. They said that the government’s failure to plan carefully was putting their future lives in danger.
The judges (法官) of Germany’s highest court said climate change will influence young people far more than adults. That’s because climate change will become more serious over time. As young people become adults, they’ll be left to deal with any problems that today’s adults don’t deal with.
In 2019, Germany passed a new law, promising that the country would be producing no more CO2 than the forest can take in by 2050. The law made a plan of action until 2030. But the law didn’t have any plans for climate actions that would be taken between 2031 and 2050.
The court has asked the German government to fix the law by the end of 2022. The climate law will now need to have a plan for the actions that will be taken after 2030.
The German government has said that it will quickly begin working to make the needed changes. One important part of high court decisions like this is that they act as guides or examples for future decisions. This means that in the future, Germany’s lawmakers will be more likely to think about the climate future of young people as they create their laws.
1. Why did the judges make such a decision?| A．They decided the new law made no sense. |
| B．They wanted to give the young more rights. |
| C．They focused more on the future of the young. |
| D．They thought it’s hard to solve climate change. |
| A．It failed to take action before 2030. |
| B．It was producing more and more CO2. |
| C．It refused to consider the young’s rights. |
| D．It didn’t plan the climate actions after 2030. |
| A．It will make more decisions on climate change. |
| B．It will ask the young to help make climate laws. |
| C．It will consider the young when making climate laws. |
| D．It will encourage the young to protect the environment. |
| A．They were brave and forward-looking enough. |
| B．They couldn’t bear the present climate change. |
| C．They wanted to take part in law-making. |
| D．They planned to work in the government. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Fat children are more likely to have their father to blame for their weight problem than their mother, a new study shows. Research by Australian child health experts has revealed that fathers who are at ease or do not set clear limits for their kids are more likely to have heavier children. Dads who did lay down boundaries generally had children with a lower Body Mass index (肥胖指数), the study of almost 5,000 youngsters found. Surprisingly, a mother’s parenting behavior or style apparently had no impact on whether a child was overweight or obese (肥胖).
“Mothers are often blamed for their children’s obesity, but this study suggests that for more effective prevention perhaps we should focus on the whole family,” Prof Wake said.
The results also showed that 40 percent of these young mothers and more than 60 percent of the young fathers were themselves overweight or obese. The research, to be presented at a conference in Toronto this week, compared the BMIs of four-and five-year-olds with their parents’ parenting styles. The specialists said it was vital to study early parenting because home life often established patterns for life-long obesity. Earlier research had shown that childhood obesity was highly stable during the primary school years, right from school entry, Prof Wake said.
“For instance, the BMI of a preschool child has an 85 percent link with their BMI three years later,” she said. “Obese school children are very likely to become obese adults. Childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate in Australia, with more than 20 percent of preschool children either overweight or obese.”
1. Who might nurse overweight kids?| A．Mother living at ease. | B．Fathers setting clear boundaries. |
| C．Fathers with unclear rules. | D．Mothers with unhealthy living styles. |
| A．Early parenting. | B．Parents’ weight. | C．School education. | D．Family atmosphere. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making contrasts. |
| C．By analysing typical cases. | D．By presenting research results. |
| A．Education. | B．Health. | C．Science. | D．Entertainment. |
【推荐2】With a name like The Daily Orange in America, you will think the Syracuse University student-run newspaper prints a new issue every day. The newspaper began operating at the Syracuse, New York-based school in 1903. But it only prints a new issue three times a week.
Editor in chief Haley Robertson worries about where she will find companies willing to pay for advertising space. She also worries about having to fire friends. And, she searches out former students willing to donate money so the newspaper can send reporters on the road to cover the university’s sports teams. Media executives many years older than Robertson are facing similar problems. The news industry’s financial difficulties have spread to colleges and universities across the US, which brought challenges to these young journalists. Student reporters train for the future in two main ways. They receive a traditional classroom education from professors. They also put what they learn to use in student-run newsrooms.
Chris Evans is president of the College Media Association, or the CMA. He notes that few college newspapers have shut down the way local newspapers in towns and cities across the country have, considering the central role they are playing. But some have had to cut the number of times they publish each week. Some would find a former student for donation or sell enough advertising to cover it.
The University of North Carolina reports that newspaper newsroom jobs across the country dropped from 52,000 in 2008 to 24,000 today. There are other kinds of jobs in the field, of course, but not a very high number of them. Many journalism educators have wondered whether their students can deal with that. Journalism schools should do more than just equip students for possible media jobs, said Marie Hardin, head of Penn State’s Donald Bellisario College of Communications. She said journalism educators need to teach students communication, critical thinking and writing. Such skills are highly sought in many different fields.
1. It can be learnt that The Daily Orange ________.| A．is a national newspaper | B．is seeking sponsorships |
| C．lacks enough reporters | D．will go fully Internet-based |
| A．Because they can get donations from the outside. |
| B．Because they are popular among towns and cities. |
| C．Because the CMA provides much support for them. |
| D．Because journalism students need training chances. |
| A．Creating new jobs in the news industry. |
| B．Improving professional skills of educators. |
| C．Preparing students for more job options. |
| D．Encouraging students to turn to other fields. |
| A．Journalism Schools Apply New Teaching Methods |
| B．US College Student Reporters Face Difficult Future |
| C．How to Run Traditional University Newspapers Well? |
| D．Is Transformation of College Newspapers Necessary? |
【推荐3】A study of 3, 884 students from primary schools to colleges found that examinations made 83.1 percent of primary students anxious, and more than 40 percent of high school children were out of sorts (身体不适) because of stress and anxiety.
Moreover, 75 percent of the high school respondents admitted that they had problems talking to their parents and more than 55 percent of them found it hard to associate with other people, according to the study.
It is not difficult to conclude that our children are not happy.
Today’s kids are coming home from school weighed down with backpacks full of books and worksheets. They are spending hours at a desk at night, seldom going outside to play and getting to bed late.
How can this be a good thing?
Homework is eating away children’s time to play freely with neighborhood kids — and more importantly, their time to sleep.
Homework can enrich the education process. But like all things, too much of it may dampen (减少) a student’s enthusiasm for learning. To raise cheerful, contented and well-mannered children, parents need to put in a lot of time and effort.Their eyes should go beyond their children’s preparations for tests, Children need a break too. So let them be in control of parts of the day.
1. What is a finding of the study mentioned in the text?| A．Primary school students suffer less than high school students. |
| B．Children’s communicative skills need improving. |
| C．Examinations affect children’s mental health. |
| D．Children are not happy at home. |
| A．They have to carry their backpacks. | B．They have more time to play outdoors. |
| C．Many of them become near-sighted. | D．They have to stay up late. |
| A．They should spend more time with their children. |
| B．They need to push their children to work hard. |
| C．They should ignore their children’s test scores. |
| D．They need to give their children some free time. |
| A．Negative. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Particular. |
【推荐1】People aren’t walking any more — if they can figure out a way to avoid it.
I felt superior about this matter until the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn’t in any hurry, either, I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis.
It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune, for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as a good day’s walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced — and beat a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Statue of Liberty.
Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrhams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper exercise. A person who avoids exercise is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise — the most familiar and natural of all.
It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the trees, flowers, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world. He cannot learn in a car.
The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don’t dare to approach Nature any more; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is a steel river thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
I say that the green of forests is the mind’s best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting.
1. What is the national sickness?| A．Walking too much. | B．Traveling too much. |
| C．Driving cars too much. | D．Climbing stairs too much. |
| A．People usually went around on foot. |
| B．People often walked 25 miles a day |
| C．People used to climb the Statue of Liberty. |
| D．People considered a ten-hour walk as a hardship. |
| A．middle-aged people like getting back to nature |
| B．walking in nature helps enrich one’s mind |
| C．people need regular exercise to keep fit |
| D．going on foot prevents heart disease |
| A．A queue of cars. | B．A ray of traffic light. |
| C．A flash of lightning. | D．A stream of people. |
| A．To tell people to reflect more on life. |
| B．To recommend people to give up driving. |
| C．To advise people to do outdoor activities. |
| D．To encourage people to return to walking. |
| A．driving as much as possible |
| B．walking much as long as you can |
| C．to mail a small parcel |
| D．to be a victim |
【推荐2】We are all aware of the effect greenhouse gas emissions is having on our planet and the efforts needed to do with climate change. Most of us are doing our bit to minimise our impact on the environment, but despite our collective effort, are we doing enough to achieve net zero by 2050?
Net zero means not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Many countries are doing their bit by changing how they generate and use power, thereby cutting carbon dioxide output. And they announced what further steps they were going to take at the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow.
In the UK, the government has been setting out its plans to achieve net zero by 2050. It's recently announced an end date for the sale of gas boilers, which are used for heating homes. The idea is to replace them with heat pumps. It's offering homeowners grants of up to £ 5,000 to get them installed. Another initiative in the UK is a big push towards electric vehicles. There are to be financial encouragements for car manufacturers, and more charging points are to be installed in streets. And there's to be a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
But not all emissions can be reduced to zero, so those remaining will have to be made up for.
One way to do this is to plant thousands of trees, which are good at absorbing carbon dioxide, The UK government has guaranteed to plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year by 2025. There are other ideas too, but what's certain is this will cost money. The CBI's Tom Thackray told the BBC that“those costs have to be weighed up against the cost of inaction(不作为).”
Whether the UK, or anyone else, reaches net zero remains to be seen. And there's some doubt about how this can be accurately measured anyway. But it's generally recognised that a global effort is needed to tackle climate change. Therefore, net zero targets only make sense if every other country is moving in the same direction.
1. What can we learn about the UK government from the text?| A．It doesn't cut down the carbon dioxide output. |
| B．It will add to the amount of greenhouse gases, |
| C．It will ask many world leaders to discuss about reaching net zero. |
| D．It plans to end the sale of gas boilers, and petrol and diesel vehicles. |
| A．Have a simple life. |
| B．Cost money to save the UK. |
| C．Plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year. |
| D．Fight against the cost of various inactions. |
| A．Refer to. | B．Push forward. | C．Adapt to. | D．Deal with. |
| A．How to protect the environment |
| B．Working together to achieve net zero |
| C．Greenhouse gas emissions are influencing the world |
| D．Devoting major efforts to developing electric vehicles |
【推荐3】A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders: Can I communicate with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly! There are some differences between British and American English. There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital!” and “Do you have a pen?”. Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound theirs in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “color” and “honor” are British, “color” and honor” are American.
These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language.
1. According to this passage, a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that_______.| A．British people cannot understand him | B．American people cannot understand him |
| C．the grammar is too hard for him | D．the spelling is too hard for him |
| A．spelling | B．pronunciation | C．grammar | D．all of the above |
| A．British people | B．Americans | C．children | D．teachers |
| A．little | B．much | C．some | D．great |
【推荐1】On our first morning at the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, the air was still. The captain of our research icebreaker made a brave choice: Our ship would hold close to the ice shelf so that the sonar system would peer beneath it while producing a detailed map of the seafloor. The scientists on board, along with the writers like me, were the first people in the history to visit this part of Thwaites. Our task was to bring back as much information as possible about the place where ocean and ice meet.
If Antarctica collapsed, it could threaten West Antarctic Ice Sheet, causing global sea levels to jump 10 feet or more. In terms of the fate of our coastal communities, this particular glacier is the biggest wild card, the largest known unknown. Will Miami even exist in 100 years? Thwaites will decide.
Reading about the collapse of Antarctica’s glaciers, I feel I am being encouraged to jump to a conclusion: that no matter what we do now, what lies ahead is bound to be worse than what came before. This kind of thinking turns Antarctica into a passive symbol of the coming disaster. But what if we were to see Antarctica as a harbinger of change rather than doom (厄运)? This is why I came to Thwaites in 2019. I wanted to find out: Antarctica has the power to rewrite all our maps.
This week a paper analyzed the data from that exploration. The authors suggested that sometime Thwaites retreated at two to three times the rate we see today. Put another way: At the coldest period of the planet, Thwaites is stepping farther outside the script we imagined for it, likely challenging even our most detailed predictions of what is to come.
It took us nearly a month to arrive at the edge of Thwaites. It is one of the most remote regions on Earth. But despite the distance, what happens there is shaping us just as much as we are shaping it. If we can begin to recognize the agency of this faraway glacier, we will be one step closer to embracing the modesty that climate change demands.
1. Why did the captain decide to approach the glacier?| A．To find out where ocean and ice meet. |
| B．To get scientists to do experiments on it. |
| C．To get information about the seafloor in details. |
| D．To help the author write down the historical moment. |
| A．The biggest decisive factor. |
| B．The most difficult thing to predict. |
| C．The wildest thing to take control of. |
| D．The remotest place to reach. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Approving. | C．Tolerant. | D．Critical. |
| A．To escape the coastal cities in time. |
| B．To respect the power of Antarctica. |
| C．To prevent the collapse of Antarctica’s glaciers. |
| D．To be modest in predicting climate change. |
【推荐2】Swot satellite is scheduled to be launched Thursday morning to conduct a comprehensive survey of Earth’s vital resource. By using advanced microwave radar technology it will collect height-surface measurements of oceans, lakes and rivers in high-definition de tail over 90% of the globe. It’s really the first time to observe nearly all water on the planet’s surface.
The major mission is to explore how oceans help to minimize climate change by absorbing atmospheric heat and carbon dioxide in a natural process. Oceans are estimated to have absorbed more than 90% of the extra heat trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by human-caused greenhouse gases. Swot will scan the seas from the orbit and precisely measure fine differences in surface elevations (高度) around smaller currents and eddies (漩涡), where much of the oceans’ decrease of heat and carbon is believed to occur. “Studying the mechanism will help climate scientists answer a key question: What is the turning point at which oceans start releasing, rather than absorbing, huge amounts of heat back into the atmosphere and speed up global warming, rather than limiting it,” said Nadya Shiffer, Swot’s program scientist.
By comparison, earlier studies of water bodies relied on data of rivers or oceans taken at specific points, or from satellites that can only track measurements along a one-dimensional line, requiring scientists to fill in data gaps through extrapolation (外推法). Thanks to the radar instrument, Swot can scan through cloud cover and darkness over wide ranges of the Earth. This enables scientists to accurately map their observations in two dimensions regardless of weather or time of day and to cover large geographic areas far more quickly than was previously possible.
“Rather than giving us a line of elevations, it’s giving us a map of elevations, and that’s just a total gamechanger,” said Tamlin Pavelsky, Swot freshwater science leader.
1. What makes it possible for Swot to measure precisely?| A．Advanced radar technology. | B．The high-definition computer. |
| C．The three-dimensional image. | D．An accurate map of elevations. |
| A．To explore the influences of greenhouse gases. |
| B．To tackle the consequence of global warming. |
| C．To study the mechanism of oceans influencing climate. |
| D．To identify the causes of water absorbing heat and CO2. |
| A．Objective. | B．Vague. | C．Uninterested. | D．Approving. |
| A．A Solution to Climate Change | B．First Global Water Survey from Space |
| C．A Breakthrough in Space Travel | D．The Successful Launch of Swot Satellite |
【推荐3】Summer 2022 was a hard time for many. Huge heat waves swept across European countries and parts of China. They brought extreme (极端) high temperatures and drought.
Europe has experienced its hottest summer since 1979. In Spain, temperatures quickly increased past 40℃ and it was one of the hottest summers on record: In Italy and Greece, temperatures hit 38℃ or more. Europe also experienced its most serious drought in 500 years. The dry conditions led to wildfires. The lack of rainfall caused water shortages. As a result, water uses became a big problem. Back in China, similar things happened in the summer. Heat waves hit many places across the country. Chongqing’s highest temperature reached 45℃, breaking its historical record. In August, more than 20 forest fires happened in the area.
Heat waves are more harmful than you might expect. If people stay in high temperatures for too long, the heat will harm their bodies and make people feel sick, pass out or even die. During the 2003 heat wave in Europe, about 70,000 people died. Besides this, heat waves make some infectious diseases (传染病) even more serious.
What caused the extreme weather event? Scientists said climate change was likely to be the reason. Countries and organizations are taking action to deal with it. The European Union has set its goal to achieve net-zero emissions (净零排放) by 2050. China also has the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emission (碳排放达到峰值) before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality (碳中和) before 2060. Many countries have carried out policies, like supporting green energy and making more efficient use of energy.
1. What happened last summer in the passage?| A．Many people died because of heat waves. |
| B．The world faced the highest temperatures in history. |
| C．Some infectious diseases broke out (爆发) in Europe. |
| D．Huge heat waves affected European countries and parts of China. |
①infectious disease ②high temperature ③drought ④heavy rain
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．③④ | D．①④ |
| A．去世 | B．经过 | C．流汗 | D．晕倒 |
| A．Climate change. | B．Carbon neutrality. |
| C．The European Union’s policies | D．Efficient use of energy. |
