Beneath the blue waters of Trinidad and Tobago, plastic pollution is causing serious damage to marine ecosystems. Every year, over 88,600 tonnes of plastic waste is deposited(沉积)into the ocean around the Caribbean nation, harming marine life and impacting human health.
A new app is aiming to help young people in Trinidad and Tobago, along with other small island developing states, battle against the damage done by plastic pollution. Called Tide Turners, the app was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme with the help of young people. It challenges users to record their plastics consumption and develop an action plan to reduce their use of plastics. It also encourages young people to switch to reusable products and go plastic-free where possible: lifestyle changes that experts say can help stop the flow of plastic into the world’s oceans.
Reducing plastic pollution will take a joint effort from governments, businesses and, especially, youth. Children account for around 30 percent of the population in small island developing states in the Caribbean.
To tackle the plastic pollution challenge, the new app builds on UNEP’s Tide Turners Plastic Challenge Badge, which has so far engaged more than 500,000 young people in youth groups. Along with calling on youth to use less plastic, it encourages them to start campaigns and raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Sarah Sobrian, who tested an early version of the app and advised on its development, is keen to get started. “The Tide Turners app is an incredible tool that educates and empowers us to change the situation we face,” she says. “I am incredibly eager to be a part of this and share this experience with those in my life. With this app, we can and will work together to create the impact that we have long wanted to see.”
1. What is the purpose of the Tide Turners app?| A．To help youths to fight against plastic pollution. |
| B．To track marine life populations in the Caribbean. |
| C．To help the young to develop the small island states. |
| D．To encourage businesses to switch to plastic-free packaging. |
| A．They have more free time than adults. |
| B．They have access to funding the new app. |
| C．They are the main contributors to plastic waste. |
| D．They make up about one-third of the population. |
| A．Suspicious. | B．Favorable. | C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
| A．A new app can turn the situation around. |
| B．Plastic pollution is a serious threat to marine ecosystems. |
| C．Governments make great efforts to reduce plastic pollution. |
| D．Trinidad and Tobago are suffering from serious plastic pollution. |
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【推荐1】Shortly before Christmas last year, one of Brazilian pianists Joao Carlos Martins invited his friends to a bar near his home. He wanted to show them the best gift he had received: a new pair of gloves. They are not just any gloves, however. The special bionic devices let the 79-year-old pianist play with both hands for the first time in more than 20 years.
By his retirement last March, Martins had received 24 medical operations to try to reduce pain caused by a disease and from a series of accidents. Before the gloves, which were especially developed for him, Martins could only play songs slowly with his thumbs and, sometimes, his pointer fingers.
However, one designer believed Martins’ retirement had come too early. The designer, Ubirata Bizarro Costa, created special bionic gloves for Martins’ hands. The gloves help move his fingers up after they press on the piano keys. Costa said he created early models based on images of Martins’ hands, but he said those models were not good. He then decided to tell Martins about his work. Costa and Martins then spent several months testing different models. Finally, the perfect model came in December, and cost only $125.
These days, Martins never takes off his new gloves, even when he goes to sleep. Martins said, “I have received more than 100 devices in the last 50 years. None of those devices worked well or long enough, but these gloves do. ”
The new gloves have given Martins a new goal. He hopes to play the piano at New York’s Carnegie Hall in October. He is already set to conduct a concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of his first appearance there.
1. What can we know about Joao Carlos Martins?| A．He enjoys playing the piano in a bar. | B．He has received the best gift in his life. |
| C．He has just retired from a music company. | D．He often discusses with his friends about music. |
| A．A failed operation. | B．His friend's death. |
| C．The new pair of gloves. | D．A disease and some accidents. |
| A．By testing different models. | B．By pressing Martins’ fingers. |
| C．By examining Martins’ hands. | D．By working with other companies. |
| A．They are useless. | B．They are strange. |
| C．They are satisfying. | D．They are frightening. |
【推荐2】Every person who has ever camped outside has likely run into tent ropes that seem to be attracted to any passerby's legs like a magnet （磁铁). You either end up hurting your legs or the tent and sometimes those troubling ropes manage to trip you over to get a fresh taste of the soil. Well, if these. scenes create a familiar feeling in your mind, then this handy new invention might be just the thing for you.
While this glow in the dark rope might not solve other camping issues like being eaten alive by mosquitoes, it could definitely help with providing some visibility and waming when out and about at night. Besides, it looks really, really cool!
Its Amazon description reports the product's best qualities such as: reflective surface, strong construction, and 50ft x 3/16 inch measurements.”Perfect for holding items when traveling, camping or biking." Oh, and you can charge it in direct sunlight to make it extra glowing during the night.
Besides, the rope is versatile and can be used tor more than just tents. Designed for outdoor recreation, this line is great for emergency applications, hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, hunting and traveling. "The material that the rope is made out of, polypropylene, is also the lightest all-purpose rope material and because of that, it floats."
The rope currently holds a 4.2 0ut of rating on Amazon with 16 reviews from customers. The majority praised the glowing cord for providing visibility at night, making the camping experience fun and being strong. Negative reviews criticized it for not always glowing and not being strong enough for long-time use, although another reviewer stated they used the rope for about 3 years of camping.
1. What is the aim of the first paragraph?| A．To let you get into some bad memory. |
| B．To Iead to the topic of the new tent rope. |
| C．To let you go out to have a fresh taste of the soil. |
| D．To compare the camp in the past with the new one. |
| A．Hold something heavy. | B．Send it to Amazon |
| C．Paint its surface. | D．Put it in the sun. |
| A．It means being colourful. | B．It means having many uses. |
| C．It means having special construction. | D．It means being easy to handle. |
| A．How to survive when out | B．Why not go to camp in tent |
| C．The tent rope gives light at night | D．The best-selling tent rope at present |
【推荐3】Bridges are a common sight in the Netherlands. But four bridges are particularly unusual: each 26-foot structure was fashioned from concrete by a giant robotic printer. They are part of a revolution (变革) that is seeing 3D printers move from the tabletop to the construction lot.
3D construction printers work a lot like home-office ones, except instead of ink they spit out concrete. Nozzles (喷嘴) run back and forth on rails, with computers controlling the time and speed, so that a layer of concrete is laid down where needed. By the time the slow-moving nozzle reaches the end of its path, the layer has usually hardened just enough to lay down another on top of the first, building up, layer-by-layer, a home-sized wall. With precise pattern of deposit, the nozzle can leave spaces for windows, doors, and other design and structural elements.
It takes about 24 hours of printing to build a 500-square-foot single-floor home. “The printing process delivers structure, wall-sheeting, inner and outer surface finishing, all at the same time,” says Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON, an Austin, Texas company. “That normally takes 20 people representing five or six different trades working several days.”
3D construction printers are also less wasteful. A typical home construction site generates about four tons of waste. Because the concrete used in conventional construction is applied uniformly, regardless of whether it’s needed for structural support in a particular area or not, about half of the concrete is wasted. 3D printers, however, can vary the thickness of a structure with great precision, using concrete only where it is really needed.
So far, printed buildings have been modest, low-cost affairs. For instance, ICON printed a house in Austin, Texas, intended for families, at a cost of $10,000, and has a contract to print a total of six. Then it plans to take a printer down to Latin America to build 50 low-cost homes there.
1. Why does the author discuss the nozzle in Paragraph 2?| A．To analyze why the nozzle is so important. | B．To confirm 3D construction printers are slow. |
| C．To explain how 3D construction printers work. | D．To argue the precision of the nozzle needs improving. |
| A．They are highly efficient. | B．They are a little complex. |
| C．They increase the building cost. | D．They will replace builders one day. |
| A．By making a contrast. | B．By giving examples. | C．By describing a process. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Printed Bridges Become a Fashion in the Netherlands | B．3D Printing Technology is Key to Housing Problems |
| C．Your House is Going to Be Greener in the Future | D．Your Next House May Come Out of a 3D Printer |
【推荐1】About 97% of the world’s water is salty and is found in our oceans and seas. But, as we can’t drink sea water, how can it be important?
Every part of our seas and oceans contains an amazing number of animals that live at different ocean depths. Most of the different species of animals and fish depend on simple plants for their food. These simple plants called algae (海藻) drift near the surface of the ocean and use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. In fact, algae produce over half of the oxygen people breathe. How important sea water is!
Each plant or animal in our seas and oceans is an important link in a food chain. The algae are eaten in large amounts by microscopic (微小的) animals, which are in turn consumed by larger animals. These food chains are delicately balanced.
The bad news about the food chains in the oceans is that they are under threat because of man. People once thought that the oceans were so big that it didn’t matter if we dumped rubbish into them or caught huge quantities of fish and whales for food. But we now know this is not true and fish stocks in the oceans have started to drop.
Thankfully, the world is taking steps to protect the future of our oceans by introducing international agreements to protect marine habitats (海域). Most countries have introduced fishing restrictions to protect fish stocks in the oceans and new techniques are being pioneered (提倡) to cope with pollution. Finally, the importance of protecting oceans is being made known to more people. This is just the beginning of a long process to protect the oceans for our future. We depend on the oceans for fish which are an important part of the human diet. How important sea water is!
1. Which of the following is the proper order of the food chain?| A．small animals→algae→microscopic animals→large animals→man |
| B．algae→microscopic animals→large animals→larger animals→man |
| C．small animals→algae→large animals→microscopic animals→man |
| D．microscopic animals→algae→large animals→larger animals→man |
| A．wouldn’t harm the fish in the sea |
| B．would change the balance of the food chain |
| C．would be broken down in the sea |
| D．wouldn’t do much harm to the sea |
| A．most fish and sea animals live at the surface of the seas |
| B．it is very difficult to break the balance of a food chain |
| C．excessive fishing has caused the decrease in fish stocks |
| D．it won’t be long before the problems concerning oceans are solved |
| A．The use of international agreements. |
| B．Forbidding fishing to protect fish stocks. |
| C．The use of new techniques. |
| D．Raising people’s awareness of protecting the oceans. |
【推荐2】In a groundbreaking achievement, a rhino has successfully undergone embryo (胚胎) transfer, marking the first successful use of a method that holds promise for saving the nearly extinct northern white rhino subspecies.
The experiment, conducted with the less endangered southern white rhino subspecies, involved creating an embryo in a lab using eggs and sperm (精子) collected from other rhinos. This embryo was then transferred into a southern white rhino alternative mother in Kenya. Despite the unfortunate death of the alternative mother due to an infection in November 2023, researchers praised the successful embryo transfer and pregnancy (怀孕) as a proof of concept. They are now ready to proceed to the next stage of the project: transferring northern white rhinoembryos.
Professor Thomas Hildebrandt expressed optimism about the findings, highlighting the significance of the successful embryo transfer in demonstrating that frozen and defrosted embryos produced in a lab can survive. This development offers hope for the revival of the northern white rhino population.
However, challenges facing rhino conservation remain significant. While the southern white rhino subspecies and the black rhino species have shown signs of recovery from population declines due to illegal hunting for their horns (牛角), the northern white rhino subspecies is on the edge of extinction. With only two known members left in the world, Najin and her daughter Fatu, both unable to reproduce naturally, and the recent death of the last male white rhino, Sudan, in 2018, urgent action is needed to prevent the extinction of this subspecies. Dr. Jo Shaw, CEO of Save the Rhino International, emphasized the importance of addressing the primary threats facing rhinos worldwide: illegal hunting for their horns and habitat loss due to development. She stressed the need to provide rhinos with the space and security they need to succeed in their natural environment.
While the successful embryo transfer representsa significant advancement in rhino conservation efforts, organized action is required to address the main challenges facing rhino populations worldwide.
1. What is the purpose of the experiment mentioned in the text?| A．To evaluate the efficiency of a new rhino birth program. |
| B．To observe the behavior of rhinos in a controlled environment. |
| C．To assess the effects of climate change on the southem rhino habitats. |
| D．To develop a way of rescuing the endangered northern white rhinos subspecies. |
| A．Rebirth. | B．Decline. | C．Stability. | D．Decrease. |
| A．Facing extinction. | B．Showing signs of recovery. |
| C．Developing in their natural habitat. | D．Recovering from population declines |
| A．Dr. Jo Shaw’s Call to Action: Addressing Threats to Rhino Survival |
| B．Challenges Facing Rhino Conservation Efforts: Urgent Action Needed |
| C．The Successful Embryo Transfer: A Breakthrough in Rhino Conservation |
| D．Professor Thomas Hildebrandt’s Optimism: Hope for Rhino Population Revival |
【推荐3】Tristan da Cunha, a British territory, is 2,300 miles east of South America and 1,600 miles west of South Africa. To reach it requires a seven-day boat trip from South Africa, and once you’re there, you feel so much like you’re at the edge of the world.
Remote as it is, Tristan da Cunha is not without its conservation threats. Invasive mice, brought by passing ships, kill about two million birds a year. The region has seen illegal fishing vessels. A 2017 report by Pristine Seas used satellite data to track fishing vessels in the area from 2014 to 2016. A majority of the 253 vessels traced by the satellite appeared to be passing through, but 11 showed activity consistent with fishing. Improper fishing activities can make seabirds, sharks, and other important
species caught in nets or on fishing lines by accident.
To stop the situation going from bad to worse, Tristan da Cunha will receive more resources for patrolling its waters for illegal fishing activity to protect the marine areas. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are seen by experts as a conservation silver bullet. A study published on Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences further confirmed established scientific evidence that MPAs worldwide protect seafood supplies by producing larger catch yields. Fisheries that are left undisturbed in Marine protected areas can produce a “spillover” effect in which an abundance of fish from a protected area “spill over” into fishing hotspots. Expanding the current network of protected areas by just 5 percent, the study found, could boost global fish catch by at least 20 percent.
“The increasing demand for seafood from the world human population explosion, in addition to the expected negative impacts of climate change on many fisheries, increases the need for managing and protecting fish sources well.” says Reniel Cabral, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and one of the study’s authors.
1. Which country does Tristan da Cunha belong to?| A．South Africa | B．Britain | C．America | D．Pristine |
| A．illegal fishing | B．passing ships | C．alien mice | D．spillover effect |
| A．Increasing catch yields | B．Meeting the need for food |
| C．Improving the expected climate | D．Leaving the island undisturbed |
| A．Population explosion does harm to fish sources. |
| B．The climate change will be bad for fisheries. |
| C．The demand for seafood delays protecting fish sources. |
| D．Protecting fish sources contributes to environment protection. |
【推荐1】Dr. David Hetherington has spent over a decade looking at the feasibility (可行性) of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx (欧洲猞猁) to Scotland. In his new book, The Lynx and Us, Hetherington takes an in-depth look at the many issues surrounding this topic.
Hetherington begins there introduction discussion by establishing the history and ecology of the lynx, in relation to both human-lynx coexistence and geographical variations in distribution. Habitat and range requirements, prey (猎物) preferences and hunting methods are also detailed.
Armed with this background information, the reader is then taken through the nitty-gritty of lynx reintroduction by addressing the potential issues, many of which are based on human-wildlife conflict, such as safety and the impact of wild lynx, with much of the information backed up by conservation and research findings associated with the reintroductions of lynx in Europe. Hetherington addresses the significant problem of man-made barriers such as roads and rails. There are also considerations regarding prey species that are unused to having natural predators (捕食者) in their midst and the impact on prey populations.
The book looks at the feasibility of lynx reintroduction in the UK. While the reintroduction of lynx to Scotland is shown to be ecologically feasible, how desirable is it? Hetherington addresses each of the issues in-turn, using the significant knowledgebase that now exists regarding lynx ecology and the findings of research into lynx and their reintroductions elsewhere.
For anyone with an interest in lynx re wilding, The Lynx and Us is the “go-to” book.
Peter Cairns, director of there wilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, the book’s publisher, says, “With a growing national discussion about the advantages of restoring missing native species, it’s important that we all have access to balanced, factual information on which to base our opinions. That’s what this book sets out to provide.”
1. Which background information is absent from The Lynx and Us?| A．What lynx eat. | B．How lynx live. |
| C．How lynx and people coexist. | D．What lynx reintroduction will lead to. |
| A．The most basic causes. | B．The most useful functions. |
| C．The most important details. | D．The most common methods. |
| A．The popularity of The Lynx and Us. |
| B．The importance of The Lynx and Us. |
| C．The different ways of voicing our opinions. |
| D．The advantages of restoring missing native species. |
| A．A book review. | B．A research report. |
| C．A description of lynx. | D．An introduction to a scientist. |
【推荐2】Traditionally, China’s astronauts are selected from among fighter plane pilots with enough flying experience, as they can control the machinery and have the training to stay calm in space.
Yet among the three astronaut s aboard Shenzhou XVI, which is taking them to Tiangong, China’s space station, is Gui Haichao, a professor from Beihang University. He is the first civilian that China has sent into space, and will conduct space science experiments, collect and analyze data and maintain the lab devices on the space station.
That’s good news for the nation’s space science, as he will be more professional in carrying out research experiments on the space station.
It is also good news for China’s astronautics sector, as it shows that the nation is confident enough to send persons other than military pilots into space. It means that the level for traveling into space is being lowered, offering hope that one day ordinary people will be able to buy a ticket for a trip into space.
Besides Gui, there is also Zhu Yangzhu, a space flight engineer from China’s astronaut team, who will serve as a profession al rather than a pilot. Zhu’s teaching experience in college, similar to that of Gui, is also evidence of Chinese astronauts’ educational background being raised.
Twenty years after Shenzhou V took China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei out of the Earth’s atmosphere, China already has a full team of astronauts ready to further our understanding of the cosmos(宇宙).
Mission commander Jing Haipeng is on his fourth trip into space, making him the Chinese astronaut with the richest experience in space travel. In the 15 years between his first mission and this one, China has progressed from sending astronauts into space to supporting their stay for half a year on its newly constructed space station.
1. What do we know about Gui Haichao?| A．He is selected from fighter plane pilots. | B．He is on board Shenzhou XV. |
| C．He is the first Chinese into space. | D．He is a college professor. |
| A．It can carry out space science experiments. | B．It will fly to Tiankong. |
| C．It has the first Chinese civilian. | D．It will stay in space for half a year. |
| A．Only people from the army in China can fly into space. |
| B．More common Chinese will fly into space in the future. |
| C．The commander of Shenzhou XVI is Yang Liwei. |
| D．There’s only one college professor on Shenzhou XVI. |
| A．It mainly focuses on Chinese space pilots. |
| B．It mainly focuses on Shenzhou XVI and its astronauts. |
| C．It mainly focuses on Chinese space research. |
| D．It mainly focuses on Shenzhou V and its research. |
【推荐3】The number of British students going to US universities has been climbing steadily over the past decade. The latest available figures (from 2017- 2018) show 11,460 British students are choosing to study in US. This represents a small drop (0.3%) from the previous year, showing that American degrees remain a popular choice.
Among the most popular American universities for British students are, Harvard, Y ale, Princeton, Stanford and also institutions with convenient location-- New York University in New York City, or the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, for example.
Two factors motivate young people to head west for universities: academic opportunity and the increasing availability of financial aid for foreign students. Anthony Nemecek, an education expert, explains, “While there are many reasons British students consider higher education study in the US, the main reason is the wide range of choice on offer, both subjects and institutions, as well as not having to decide their *major/course' until the end of the second year."
One reason why the Brits may be unwilling to pursue a US degree is the cost. The University of Oxford, for example, estimates living costs of f14,850 in 2020, along with course fees of f9,250, so a total of f24,100. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a world-leading specialist in science, costs $73,1 60 (£59,447; more than twice as much as Oxford), but most students at MIT will get financial aid. MIT is home to a financial aid program for international students, making it a great place to apply if money is not enough.
1. How many British students went to US universities in 2016- 2017?| A．11,495. | B．11,460. |
| C．11,425. | D．14,898. |
| A．Its low cost. | B．Its location. |
| C．Its influence. | D．Its top institutions. |
| A．He will suffer financial problems. |
| B．The financial aid is not easy |
| C．The living costs will be twice as much. |
| D．He is likely to pay less than required. |
| A．British students studying in US universities. |
| B．Differences between US and British universities. |
| C．Why British students are going to US Universities. |
| D．Which are more attractive, US universities or British universities. |
