Differences in land usage, building height, tree cover, rooftop color, and even how orderly the streets are all have an effect on temperature. Taken together, these factors can result in hyper-localized differences in the heat felt throughout a city, which in turn can have a big effect on who's most threatened by heatwaves. That is why citizen scientists are starting to map the urban heat island effect.
Later this month, a team of researchers and about 20 volunteers will spread out across Washington D.C. and Baltimore to take the cities’ temperatures. Equipped with instruments that record temperature data every second, they’ll drive or bike the same route three times to create a snapshot(快照) of how temperatures vary throughout the day. Those snapshots will then be collected to produce detailed maps of heat differences.
“If similar research conducted in Richmond, Virginia last July is any guide, those differences can be quite large. Temperatures in more industrial parts of Richmond reached 102°F (38.9°C) on the same day that a nearby shade-filled park topped out at 87°F (30.6°C)”, said Jeremy Hoffman, a researcher with the Science Museum of Virginia.
Based on the data collected throughout Richmond last year, project member Vivek Shandas at Portland State University and his colleagues were able to produce maps of urban heat across the city as well as heat vulnerability(脆弱性), which takes socioeconomic differences into account. Those maps are now being used to inform a citywide master plan update and a climate resilience(复原) plan.
Shandas and Hoffman plan to produce similar maps from this month's campaigns in D.C. and Baltimore. Finally, the two are hoping to scale up this effort even further. Shandas said he wish to create an off-the-shelf set of guidelines that any city can use to launch its own heat island campaign and generate citywide temperature maps.
Hoffman sees this as a way to help people to relate climate change to their own lives, and then actually do something about it. "The volunteers serve as a feedback mechanism to spread the findings," he said. "We can do heat island assessments using satellites, but we want a team of volunteers measuring temperatures in their neighborhoods to gain a better understanding of where they live."
1. The heat differences throughout the city result from the following factors except ________.| A．height of buildings | B．usage of land |
| C．layout of streets | D．social economy |
| A．In Richmond, the difference of temperature between industrial parts and the nearby park can reach 15°C on the same day. |
| B．The maps of heat differences across Richmond make little contributions to the city plans. |
| C．The researchers will appoint volunteers to take the temperatures in |
| D．C. and Baltimore to cut down the expense. |
| A．superb | B．available |
| C．tough | D．random |
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【推荐1】Coffee drink is widespread. When people argue about whether coffee is good for health, they’re usually thinking of the health of the coffee drinker. Is it good for your heart? Does it increase blood pressure? Does it help you concentrate? However, coffee affects the health of the human population in other ways, too.
Traditionally, coffee bushes were planted under the shade of taller trees. However, more and more farmers in Latin America are deforesting the land to grow full sun coffees. At first, this increases production because more coffee bushes can be planted if there aren’t any trees. With increased production come increased profits.
Unfortunately, deforesting for coffee production immediately decreases the local wildlife habitat, because native birds nest and hide from predators（捕食者）in the tall trees and migrating birds rest there.
Furthermore, in the long term, the full-sun method also damages the ecosystem because more chemical fertilizers and pesticides（杀虫剂）are needed to grow the coffee. The fertilizers and pesticides kill insects that eat coffee plant, and then the birds eat the poisoned insects and also die. The chemicals kill or sicken other animals as well, and can even enter the water that people will eventually drink.
Fortunately, farmers in Central and South America are beginning to grow more coffee bushes in the shade. We can support these farmers by buying coffee with such labels as "shade-grown" and "bird-friendly".
Sure, these varieties might cost a little more. But we're paying for the health of the birds, the land, ourselves, and the planet. I think it’s worth it.
1. Which opinion does the author agree with?| A．People should buy full-sun coffee. |
| B．Shade-grown coffee should be supported. |
| C．Farmers should change the places to grow coffee. |
| D．Pesticides should be forbidden in coffee planting. |
| A．It can protect the ecosystem. |
| B．It can promote people's health. |
| C．It can provide mare nests for birds. |
| D．It can increase the production of coffee. |
| A．They cut down trees. |
| B．They move to other countries. |
| C．They turn grassland into farmland. |
| D．They buy more land from other farmers. |
| A．It is quite worthwhile to buy shade-grown coffee at any cost. |
| B．Farmers all have realized the importance of protecting the environment now. |
| C．South American farmers are taking action to plant coffee in the traditional way. |
| D．The full-sun method does good to the health of human beings in the long run. |
【推荐2】Glacier National Park in Montana shares boundaries with Canada, an American Indian reservation, and a national forest. Along the North Fork of the Flathead River the park also borders about 17 000 acres of private lands that are currently used for ranching timber(木材)and agriculture. This land is a crucial part of the habitat and migratory routes for several endangered species that frequent the park. These private lands are essentially the only ones available for development in the region.
With encouragement from the park, local landowners launched a land use planning effort to guide the future of the North Fork. The park is a partner in an interlocal agreement that appeals to resource managing agencies to work together with more than 400 private owners in the area. A draft plan has been prepared with the objective of maintaining traditional economic uses but limiting new development that would damage park resources. Voluntary action by landowners, teaming up with the park and the county, is helping to restrict small lot subdivisions, maintain wildlife corridors, and minimize any harmful impact on the environment.
The willingness of local landowners to participate in this protection effort may have been stimulated by concerns that congress would impose(强制实行)a legislative solution. Nevertheless，many local residents want to retain the existing character of the area. Meetings between park officials and landowners have led to a dramatically improved understanding of all concerns.
1. Why are the private lands surrounding Glacier National Park so important?| A．They are heavily populated. |
| B．They function as a hunting preserve. |
| C．They are restricted to government use. |
| D．They contain natural habitats of several threatened species. |
| A．indifferent | B．favourable | C．cooperative | D．disappointing |
| A．limit land development around the park |
| B．establish a new park in Montana |
| C．influence national legislation |
| D．settle border disputes with Canada |
| A．The endangered species in Glacier National Park. |
| B．The protection of lands surrounding Glacier National Park. |
| C．Conservation laws imposed by the state of Montana. |
| D．Conservation laws imposed by Congress. |
【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. |
