An environmental group called the Food Commission is unhappy and disappointed because of the sales of bottled water from Japan. The water, it angrily argues in public, has traveled 10,000 “food miles” before it reached Western customers. Transporting water halfway across the world is surely the extremely stupid use of fuel when there is plenty of water in the UK. It is also worrying that we were wasting our fuel by buying prawns from Indonesia (7,000 food miles) and carrots from South Africa (5,900 food miles).
Counting the number of miles traveled done by a product is a strange way of trying to tell the true situation of the environmental damage due to industry. Most food is transported around the world on container ships that are extremely energy efficient. It should be noticed that a ton of butter transported 25 miles in a truck to a farmers’ market doesn’t necessarily use less fuel on its journey than a similar product transported hundreds of miles by sea. Besides, the idea of “food miles” ignores the amount of fuel used in the production. It is possible to cut down your food miles by buying tomatoes grown in Britain rather than those grown in Ghana. The difference is that the British ones will have been raised in heated greenhouse and the Ghanaian ones in the open sun.
What is the idea of “food miles” does provide, however, is the chance to cut out Third World countries from First World food markets. The number of miles traveled by our food should, as I see it, be regarded as a sign of the success of the global trade system, not a sign of damage to the environment.
1. The Food Commission is angry because it thinks that ________.A.UK wastes a lot of money importing food products |
B.some imported goods causes environmental damage |
C.growing certain vegetables causes environmental damage |
D.people wasted energy buying food from other countries |
A.that a food product travels to a market |
B.that a food product travels from one market to another |
C.between UK and other food producing countries |
D.between a Third World country and a First World food market |
A.British tomatoes are healthier than Ghanaian ones |
B.Ghanaian tomatoes taste better than tomatoes ones |
C.cutting down food miles may not necessarily save fuel |
D.protecting the environment may cost a lot of money |
A.a supporter of free global trade | B.a member of a Food Commission |
C.a supporter of First World food markets | D.a member of an energy development group |
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【推荐1】Scientific reports show the destructive effects of climate change, but many scientists say it is important to remain positive. If the world continues to change, don’t give up, and we can still prevent some of the worst effects of climate change.
Recently, however, many scientists are dealing with the feeling of doom about climate change or “doomism.” Jacquelyn Gill is a climate scientist at the University of Maine. She says that around 2018 she noticed an increase in these “doomers,” or people who think that saving the earth is hopeless. They refuse to change their behavior or consider how they can work to prevent climate change.
The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently published its third report. This report explained the damage caused by the burning of traditional fuels, like oil and coal. New investments in traditional fuels and removal of forests for farming are preventing the world from helping stop climate change.
Anderson is the Environment Program Director for the United Nations. She says officials are trying to get people to take action because there is a climate crisis. Their goal is not to scare people into doing nothing.
“We are not doomed, but rapid action is absolutely essential. With every month or year that we delay action, climate change becomes more complex, expensive and difficult to overcome,” Andersen said.
The UN IPCC report stated that without fast and extreme measures to cut carbon pollution, the world is not likely to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The global temperature has already increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius. After 1.5 degrees, climate change will quickly worsen causing environment to be in danger. It will cause an increase in weather disasters.
James Skea is a leader from the UN IPCC Report. “We don’t fall over the cliff at 1.5 degrees. Even if we were to go beyond 1.5, it doesn’t mean we throw up our hands in despair,” Skea said.
Michael Mann is a climate scientist at Pennsylvania State University. He says that scientists used to think Earth would continue to warm decades after we balance emissions. Balancing emissions to net zero means not creating more carbon in the atmosphere than oceans and forests can remove. New research suggests that it will only take a few years to decrease carbon levels in the air after we balance emissions.
1. What is the writer’s attitude towards climate change?A.Optimistic. | B.Pessimistic. | C.Cautious. | D.Objective. |
A.The change of people’s behaviors. |
B.The damage caused by human activities. |
C.The sharp increase in number of doomers. |
D.The measures to help stop climate change. |
A.The significance of UNIPCC third report. |
B.The difficulties of decreasing carbon levels. |
C.Scientists’ optimistic attitude towards climate change. |
D.The need to take immediate actions against climate change. |
【推荐2】Among the world’s waste-recycling pioneers, Germany is the leader. The country has quite a detailed way of sorting their waste-down to the color of glass waste, the type of paper, the separate bin for metals, etc.
Here below are what you should know about Germany’s waste sorting system:
◇You are expected to gather your waste in your apartment/housing area’s local public garbage bins.
◇There are commonly several types of public garbage bins available in the German’s apartment/housing areas:
Blue bin — for paper and cardboard
Green and white bin — for glass, different bins for differently colored glass, not available for holiday decorations and lights
Yellow/orange bin — for plastic and metals
Brown bin — for goods that can be changed naturally by bacteria into substances that don’t harm the environment, like leftovers, fruit and vegetables
Gray/black bin — for everything else that can’t be recycled such as used cat litter and animal waste
◇Some items don’t belong in these public garbage bins. Items like used batteries, electronics, unused paints, and lights must be returned to the special agent/locations so they can be properly recycled. Other items such as clothes, shoes, and oversized rubbish and furniture are advised to be donated or sold.
◇There’s this thing called Pfand in Germany, a certain part of the price for a bottled drink that you get back if you send back the bottle to certified (有资历的) shops. German law requires shops over a certain size selling bottled drinks have a Pfandruckgabestelle, or place for bottles with deposits (押金). These bottles usually made of glass or plastic will be refilled. Of course, there’re strict health regulations.
1. Which bin should the fallen leaves be classified into?A.The blue bin. | B.The brown bin. |
C.The grey/black bin. | D.The green and white bin. |
A.By returning it to special agents. | B.By placing it in a specific location. |
C.By giving it away to those in need. | D.By donating it to a Pfandruckgabestelle. |
A.To collect money for some shops. | B.To help shops reuse plastic or glass. |
C.To reduce the broken bottles. | D.To encourage bottles to be returned. |
【推荐3】Most glitter(小发光物品), which is made up of tiny pieces of plastic, is a huge danger to the environment. “Everyone talks about the mountain of plastic floating in the ocean. You can grab empty bottles from the water, but with tiny pieces, it’s impossible,” says Victor Alvarez, a chemical engineer who sells an eco-friendly alternative to glitter.
In the early 2,000s, Alvarez worked for Mercedes-Benz in Germany, where he became fond of any technology that protected the environment. A few years after leaving Mercedes-Benz, he founded Blue Sun International in Miami, which makes specialty ingredients for the skin and hair care industries.
Glitter is a popular ingredient in cosmetics, such as eye shadows and lipsticks. So Alvarez began researching an alternative that didn’t contain plastic to make his products safer for the environment. That’s when he came across Ronald Britton Ltd., a company which had developed a plastic-free, biodegradable product called Bioglitter. It is made from regenerative cellulose(纤维素) sourced from hardwoods, primarily eucalyptus(桉树). Alvarez worked with the company to become the first retailer to sell Bioglitter in America. In 2018, he formed Today Glitter in order to sell the biodegradable glitter directly to consumers through its website.
Today Glitter sells two kinds of biodegradable glitter Bioglitter Sparkle and Bioglitter Pure. Both are almost plastic-free and can biodegrade in a short time. Meanwhile, they are as shiny as regular glitter. All these products are third-party tested by TÜV, an international organization that provides testing and certification for compostable (可降解的) and biodegradable products.
Despite its benefits, the hardwoods needed to make biodegradable glitter cause it to cost about twice as much as conventional glitter. A small glass container that contains just 6 grams of Bioglitter costs $10, while the same amount of regular glitter could cost at least half that amount. Alvarez expects the price will come down over time. He also expects the company’s sales to cross $1 million next year. But more importantly, Alvarez says, his main goal is to effect a meaningful change.
1. While at Mercedes Benz, Alvarez .A.developed a way to grab glitter in the sea | B.became interested in the environment |
C.attempted to live a plastic-free life | D.created a kind of harmless glitter |
A.It is a plastic-free ingredient for eye shadows. |
B.It will soon be on sale in the American market. |
C.It is very difficult to break down in the wild. |
D.It was invented by Blue Sun International. |
A.To show Bioglitter Sparkle and Bioglitter Pure are popular. |
B.To stress it provides a broad range of testing services. |
C.To prove Today Glitter’s products are eco-friendly. |
D.To explain many plastic products are low-quality. |
A.The complex process of making glitter. | B.How to expand its overseas market. |
C.How to attract potential investors. | D.The high cost of raw materials. |
【推荐1】There are many ways to travel within a city. We can walk, cycle, or take a bus. But no matter which way we travel, we have to follow the route (线路) the city planners laid down for us.
Parkour practitioners (跑酷爱好者), however, see the city in a completely different way. To them, there are no designed routes. There are no walls and no stairs — they jump, climb, roll and crawl to move across, through, over and under anything that they find in their path. The city is their playground.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has noticed that this activity is drawing more and more people to it — there are 100, 000 people taking part in parkour today in the UK alone, according to The Guardian — and how it is helpful for people to be much stronger: It trains coordination and balance. So the FIG is thinking about recognizing parkour as a new sport and adding it to the Olympics by 2024.
But parkour practitioners themselves don’t seem to be happy with the idea. They see parkour as “a lifestyle”, wrote the website NextSportStar. “It’s a competition against the conditions rather than just a sport.”
Indeed, many do parkour just to “escape the daily routine and experience the city in different ways”, wrote reporter Oli Mould on The Conversation. They see parkour as a way to express themselves through relaxing moves and creative routes while freeing themselves from the pressure.
It’s great that the FIG wants to develop a new sport and stay close to a new cultural form. But it would be greater if they knew that not everything in life is a competition.
1. How do the parkour practitioners do parkour?A.They plan the way themselves. |
B.They move on as they wish. |
C.They run faster than others. |
D.They follow certain routes. |
A.It’s a special way of life. |
B.It draws their attention. |
C.It helps balance people’s life. |
D.It’s good for people to keep healthy. |
A.It is more exciting than other sports. |
B.It is worth adding to the sporting event. |
C.It is more a lifestyle than a competition. |
D.It encourages people to challenge themselves. |
A.Parkour practitioners |
B.Making the city their own |
C.Training in a different way |
D.A new sports competition |
【推荐2】In 1835, William Talbot finally succeeded in producing a photograph of his country house. He declared that his was the first house ever known to have drawn its own picture. The drawing was formed “by the action of light upon sensitive paper.” Photography offered nature a “pencil” to paint herself through optical (光学的) and chemical means alone.
By the mid-nineteenth century, people no longer needed to hire a draftsman to draw detailed images because the process could be completed instantly with a camera. Advocates for the technology stated that not only was it more precise than the human hand — it was faster and cheaper.
The removal of human fallibility in the creating process was one of photography’s biggest selling points, but this also started debates about the new medium’s implications for visual culture. Could images made largely by a machine be considered art? If so, where did human creativity fit in this process?
As the twenty-first century becomes increasingly automated, more and more people attempt to identify where human agency exists in the technologically driven world. Images generated with artificial intelligence by companies like OpenAI are stimulating questions like those that emerged with the coming of the photograph. By typing a sentence, users can generate “new” images composed from images collected across the Internet. The result has been a flood of Al-generated images in places that are previously unique to human authors. Painting competitions, commercial graphic design and the fashion of portraiture (肖像) have all since collided (碰撞) with the technology in troubling ways.
The fine arts were thought to be a final hold-out of human creativity, but the surprisingly high quality of AI-generated images is producing deeper questions about the nature of originality. If the history of photography tells us anything, it’s that the debate won’t be settled quickly, straightforwardly, or by the institutions we typically associate with cultural gate keeping.
1. Why did Talbot declare that his house had drawn its own picture?A.To downplay human factors in the creation. |
B.To investigate a supernatural phenomenon. |
C.To show his advanced knowledge in science. |
D.To demonstrate the beauty of his country house. |
A.Expecting a high price. | B.Detailing the images. |
C.Being likely to make errors. | D.Becoming sensitive to light. |
A.They improve the taste of beauty. | B.They advocate fashion designs. |
C.They challenge human agency. | D.They produce original images. |
A.Cultural gatekeepers will solve the issue as they did. |
B.AI-generated images will go through a similar debate. |
C.The nature of originality will be held in human hands. |
D.The fine arts will include photography and AI images. |
【推荐3】The study of psychology is facing a crisis. The Research Excellence Framework (the REF) has led to a research culture which is holding back attempts to stabilize psychology in particular, and science in general. The REF encourages universities to push for groundbreaking, innovative and exciting research in the form of 4* papers, but it does not reward the efforts of those who replicate(复制)studies.
The point of replicating a study is to test whether a statistically significant result will appear again if the experiments is repeated. Of course, a similar result may not appear - casting into questions the validity of the results from the first experiment.
Last year, the Open Science Collaboration attempted to replicate 100 studies from highly ranked psychological journalists. While 97% of the original studies had a statistically significant result, just 36% of the replications had the same outcome. Equally worrying: when an effect did appear, it was often much smaller than previously thought.
Recent data calls into question some widely influential findings in psychological science. These problems are not limited to psychology, however - many findings published in scientific literature may actually be false.
Science is supposed to be self-correcting and re-producibility is a cornerstone of the scientific method. Yet, we simply aren’t invested in replicating findings. We all want to be good researchers and understand more about how the world works. So why are we so reluctant to check our conclusions are valid?
Because no incentive(激励)is provided by the system we carry out our research in. In the UK, the REF rates the submitted research outputs in terms of their originality (how innovative is the research?), significance (does it have practical or commercial importance?), and rigour (is the research technically right?). Outputs are then awarded one to four stars. 4* papers are considered world-leading. The cumulative(累积的)total of 3* and 4* papers determines research funding allocation(分配)and has a knock-on effect on institutional position on the national ranking list and therefore attractiveness to students. Obviously, the more publications the better.
The focus on originality - publications exploring new areas of research using new models, and avoiding testing well-established theories - is the exact opposite of what science needs to be doing to solve doing to solve the troubling replication crisis. According to REF standards, replicating an already published piece of work is simply uninteresting.
Worryingly, many academics admit to engaging in at least one questionable research practice in order to achieve publication. Examples of this include: coming up with a theory after data is collected, stopping collecting data when an effect appears in case it disappears later, or only reporting the significant effects from collected data. Others simply fabricate data - Dutch psychologist Diederik Stapel shockingly falsified data from more than 50 studies. The REF completely harms our efforts to produce a reliable body of knowledge. Why?
With the next REF submission just four years away, many researchers are effectively faced with a choice: be a good scientist, or be a successful academic who gets funding and a promotion.
1. What crisis the study of psychology facing?A.The REF has started a revolution in not only psychology but also science. |
B.The REF presses the universities to conduct more groundbreaking research. |
C.The REF tends to set up a different standard for replications of studies. |
D.The REF’s indifference to replications of studies had led to disturbing effects. |
A.a reliable body of knowledge | B.publications exploring new areas |
C.tests of well-established theories | D.uninteresting replications of studies |
A.copy | B.invent |
C.transmit | D.pretend |
A.is a system for assessing the quality of research in UK universities |
B.provides UK researchers with funding and job opportunities |
C.recognizes researchers’ work and adds to their attractiveness to students |
D.is planning to change its standard before the next REF submission |