【推荐1】The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.

Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true.

Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.

Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.

Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO₂ is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.

The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time.

1. ________, our world is becoming much smaller.

A．Because of the rise in pollution

B．Thanks to science development

C．Because the earth is being polluted day and night

D．Because the earth is blown away by the wind every year

2. Hundreds of years ago, life was ________ it is today.

A．much easier than	B．as easy as
C．much harder than	D．as hard as

3. Pollution comes in many ways. We can even hear it. Here “it” means ________.

A．rubbish(垃圾)	B．noise pollution
C．air pollution	D．water pollution

4. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution because ________.

A．it makes much noise

B．it makes us angry more easily

C．it makes our rivers and lakes dirty

D．it’s bad for all living things in the world

【推荐3】Though you might think you were taking care of your health by eating enough fruit and vegetables every day, new research has come out suggesting that you might be swallowing microplastic particles（微塑科颗粒）along with all those vitamins, minerals, and fibre. A study published in the journal Environmental Research has found that fruits and vegetables absorb microplastic particles from the soil and move them through vegetal tissues, where they remain until eaten by hungry diners, thus getting transferred to human bodies.

The researchers, who are from the University of Catania in Italy, analyzed a variety of common fruits and vegetables--carrots, lettuce, broccoli, potatoes, apples, and pears. These were chosen for the fact that they are frequently consumed, usually one per day, which allowed the researchers to better assess the dietary intakes of MPs（microplastic particles）and NPs（nano-plastics）. The samples were purchased from different sources in the city of Catania, including a small fruit vendor and a supermarket.

The researchers found that apples, followed by pears, were the most polluted fruit samples, and carrots were the most polluted vegetable. In the study’s discussion section, the authors wrote, “We can assume that the fruits contain more MPs not only because of the very high vascularization（血资化）of the fruit pulp（果肉）but also due to the greater size and complexity of the root system and age of the tree（several years）compared to the vegetables（60-75 days for the carrot）.”

This study is important because it’s the first to detect microplastics in fruits and vegetables. They have been found in other sources before, such as sea salt, beer, water（bottled, in particular）, shellfish, sugar, soil, and even air, but never inside fresh produce. It’s an alarming discovery that raises yet another red flag about microplastic pollution in the natural environment.

It’s an area that will likely see a lot more attention in coming years, with the study authors calling for further research into the question of microplastic and whether it harms the health of both plants and humans.

1. What is the study about?

A．The main cause of soil pollution.

B．The great changes in people’s diets.

C．The microplastic pollution in fruits and vegetables.

D．The benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.

2. What may cause fruits to contain more MPs according to the authors?

A．The large amounts of the fruit pulp.	B．The planting method.
C．The complex preservation method.	D．The long growth period of fruit trees.

3. What makes the study quite special?

A．It discovered MPs in fresh produce for the first time.

B．It proved the source of microplastic pollution.

C．It presented the danger of MPs to human’s body.

D．It showed the influences of MPs on plants.

4. What do the study authors think of the research on microplastic?

A．It has raised people’s awareness of health.

B．It wasted them quite a lot of time.

C．It needs to be further studied.

D．It has attracted people’s attention to diets.