Lego is considering a brick (积木) rental plan in an attempt to cut down on plastic waste. The Danish toymaker has promised to make all its bricks from sustainable (可持续的) sources by 2030 and is investing significant resources into finding alternatives.
Tim Brooks, vice-president responsible for sustainability, said the company was “totally open” to the idea of a product rental plan but admitted that lost pieces could produce a significant problem. “What are the chances of giving them to an eight-year-old child and getting them all back again?” Mr. Brooks added.
“There is a lot of technical thinking that needs to be done. We are right at beginning of that.” Mr. Brooks said Lego was exploring several ideas with a view to producing the highest value from products while consuming the least amount of resources. He said many would “probably never see the light of day” and there was no current plan to try out a rental plan.
Lego has come under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint among growing international alarm about the impact of plastic waste on the environment. It produces 19 billion pieces per year—36, 000 a minute—that are made entirely of plastic while much of the inside packaging is also plastic.
So far, the only breakthrough has been the development of a line of bricks made from plant-based plastic sourced from sugarcane. The green trees, plants and flowers were first included in Lego sets late last year but make up only 1%-2% of the total amount of plastic elements produced. Henrik Nielson, a production supervisor (主管) in Lego’s factory, said last year: “We need to learn again how to do this.”
Lego reportedly releases around a million tons of carbon dioxide each year, with about 75% coming from raw materials that go into factories. The company has invested more than 100, 000,000 euros and hired 100 people to research non-plastic alternatives. It is aiming to keep all of its packaging out of landfill by 2025.
1. Lego is making great efforts to ________.| A．promote its brick rental plan | B．raise its production efficiency |
| C．explore ways to reduce plastic waste | D．develop new products |
| A．is well under way | B．has a long way to go |
| C．is totally useless | D．goes against Lego’s interest |
| A．figures | B．examples |
| C．comparison | D．classification |
| A．Defensive. | B．Determined. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Doubtful. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】For 60-year-old Gao Ruyi, the proudest achievement in his life is not measured in honors or riches but in the wings of over 1, 000 swans he has rescued. Gao, former director of the wildlife rescue station in Sanmenxia, Henan province, has guarded swans and the ecosystems they live in for almost four decades. His efforts have earned him the name “Swan Dad”.
Gao Ruyi grew up near the Yellow River, China’s second-longest river. He had little connection to swans until the winter of 1988 when one day the peacefulness of the riverside was broken by gunshots. Rushing to the scene, he found that someone had opened fire on the swans. The heart-wrenching cries of four wounded swans left a deep-rooted mark on him. Since then, Gao has become a guardian of swans and a witness to the swan protection efforts along the Yellow River.
The endeavor (努力) is not without its challenges.
Gao started working at a wildlife rescue station in the Yellow River wetland in Sanmenxia in 1994. Despite their efforts, illegal activities continued. One such tragedy happened in 1998. Several wild ducks and swans were poisoned. Gao immediately called the police and provided treatment for the feathery victims. “Swans have memories,” he said, “Since the incident, nobody saw swans in the area for many years.”
Still, Gao’s passion for swan protection has never waned. He and many other “swan dads” and “swan moms” often visited nearby villages to educate residents about wildlife conservation, and encouraged them to bring sick or injured wild animals to the rescue station.
Another challenge for the birds came from the environment. Swan populations in Sanmenxia were limited in the 1990s due to severe pollution caused by mining and industrial development, said Gao. In the past decades, however, China started extensive efforts to battle pollution in the Yellow River basin, and gradually, swan populations in the Sanmenxia section began to increase. Tens of thousands of swans are flying back home, marking the start of “swan season”, as the locals affectionately call it.
1. Which of the following can best describe Gao Ruyi?| A．Peace-loving. | B．Good-tempered. | C．Hard-working. | D．Kind-hearted. |
| A．He started a wildlife rescue station. |
| B．He educated people to raise awareness. |
| C．He cured sick or injured wild swans. |
| D．He worked with government to fight pollution. |
| A．Recovered. | B．Expanded. | C．Benefited. | D．Declined. |
| A．Yellow River Birds Saved by “Swan Dad” |
| B．Illegal Activities Done to Swans Continue |
| C．Yellow River Pollution Problems Solved by Government |
| D．“Swan Season” Is Witnessed in Sanmenxia Section of Yellow River |
【推荐2】Against the assumption that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.
1. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.| A．result in a warming climate |
| B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently |
| C．lead to a longer fire season |
| D．protect the forests and the environment there |
| A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate |
| B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere |
| C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment |
| D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming |
| A．released | B．absorbed |
| C．created | D．disturbed |
| A．warm the climate as the assumption goes |
| B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate |
| C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice |
| D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy |
【推荐3】It should be one of the main goals in today's society to reduce plastic consumption. Though many believe recycling will solve the problem, and continue using plastic, it's actually the opposite. In 2013, 254 million tonnes of trash was produced in the U.S. alone, and only around 30% was recycled. This means the rest ended up in a landfill and will stay there for up to 1000 years.
Now Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, are looking for new ideas to avoid plastic. One of those ideas was a new, eco-friendly way to pack their goods by avoiding plastic packaging. One of Perfect Homes Chiangmai's team members noticed a creative way to reduce plastic that a supermarket called Rimping Supermarket was using. Little did he know that people all around the world would absolutely love this idea. “I just popped in to get a few items while we were waiting to sign some contracts with our lawyer, who was delayed. When I noticed the vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and simply liked the idea. So I took a few pictures and posted them online, he said.
With more than 3.5 million views and over 17 thousand shares, the idea became something people can encourage more supermarkets to implement (实施).
Some have noticed that not everything on the shelves is completely plastic-free to which the supermarket responded that they are taking one step at a time, but it's not that easy. Many products come to the supermarkets pre-packaged and many companies are interested in wrapping their produce in plastic since it is the cheapest and the easiest option.
It's now up to the shoppers to show the supermarket which they prefer. If everyone opts for the banana leaf packaging, they will probably stop stocking the items in plastic.
1. What can we infer about recycling from Para. 1?| A．The author thinks highly of recycling. |
| B．The US did a great job in recycling in 2013. |
| C．Recycling has failed to solve the plastic problem. |
| D．Recycling helps a lot in reducing plastic consumption. |
| A．To purchase some items. |
| B．To look for new ideas there. |
| C．To take photos of their shelves. |
| D．To sign a contract with a lawyer. |
| A．The Internet. | B．The companies’ interest. |
| C．The contract. | D．The plastic-free shelves. |
| A．people tend to prefer farm produce wrapped in plastic |
| B．promoting leaf packaging requires people’s joint effort |
| C．China used to export part of its waste to other Countries |
| D．it's easy for supermarkets to change the way of packaging |
【推荐1】Volunteering means working for free to help someone else.Mrs.Obama says volunteering is very important. "It should be part of everyone's life,"she says.
Many teens agree.They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference.These days,more teens volunteer than work for pay.Teens clean up parks,walk dogs at animal shelters,visit the elderly,and more.
Some cities—including Seattle,Chicago,and Washington,D.C.—require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate.The student volunteers learn new skills and help their communities（社区）.
Many parents subscribe to the idea—they say volunteering helps teens build job skills.But most teens don't want to be forced to volunteer.They say they are busy.And they say volunteering is only fun if it's a choice.
Read both sides of the debate and decide.
Yes
●Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.
●Many cities and towns need help.Volunteers can help keep important programs going.
●Not all teens will volunteer if it isn't required.Schools should require students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.
No
●Most teens are already very busy with classes,homework,jobs,and sports.Forcing them to do more isn't fair.
●It should be up to each person.Helping out doesn't feel as good if you have to do it.
●Finding a volunteer job isn't always easy.Students shouldn't be kept from graduating because of something they can't control.
1. It is known from the text that in Washington, D.C.______.| A．high school students won't graduate if they don't volunteer |
| B．every one would like to volunteer |
| C．finding a volunteer job is not difficult |
| D．volunteering is a must for college school students |
| A．Correct. | B．Like. |
| C．Devote. | D．Revise. |
| A．They are not as important as students' homework. |
| B．They won't help teens prepare for their adult life. |
| C．Students shouldn't be stopped from graduation because of them. |
| D．They waste students' precious（宝贵的）time. |
| A．Whether volunteering is good for students. |
| B．Who are best to do volunteer jobs. |
| C．What kind of volunteer jobs students should do. |
| D．Whether students should be required to volunteer. |
【推荐2】Fast fashion has been sweeping the whole world for its accessibility and price. However, these quick and easily accessible clothing brands aren’t as safe as they appear. As fast fashion grows, so does the environmental influence it leaves behind. Fast fashion brands search for the cheapest and fastest way to keep up with the latest trends, and many clothing items require large amounts of cotton, nylon and polyester (聚酯纤维). These materials may appear safe to the eye, but they have a greater impact on the environment than most people believe.
Cotton is the most profitable non-food crop in the world. The cotton industry makes up 7% of all labor in developing countries. Cotton, however, is not very safe for the environment once it’s mass-produced for clothing. Cotton planting, the process of putting the leaves of the cotton plants under the soil to grow new cotton, actually destroys the quality of the soil in which it is grown. Cotton production usually includes the use of fertilizers and pesticides, which not only pollute the soil, but also the water through polluted runoff.
Nylon, unlike cotton, is a fully synthetic (合成的) material. It is the first fabric (布料) to be made fully in a laboratory. Nylon is not biodegradable (可自然降解的) and its production is an energy-wasting process that creates unsafe gases and sends them into the atmosphere.
Polyester is made out of petroleum. This fabric is one of the world’s most popular and cheapest fabrics to make. Its whole production process sends unsafe gases into the air. Besides, once the polyester clothing is made, washing it sends microfibers into the environment, specifically in waterways. So polyester is considered one of the most perilous materials to the environment.
Despite various companies making clothing out of unsafe materials, it’s up to you to put a stop to it. Try shopping for more environmentally friendly materials. And when it’s time to get rid of old clothes, don’t throw them away. Instead of having your clothes become landfill, sell them, or even donate them to somebody else.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Fast fashion is popular because of its high quality. |
| B．Fast fashion has a negative effect on the environment. |
| C．The materials of fast fashion brands are environmentally-friendly. |
| D．Despite the expensive price, the materials of fast fashion brands are safe. |
| A．A large quantity of water is wasted. | B．Harmful gases are sent into the air. |
| C．The soil environment is damaged. | D．Great profits are gained by farmers. |
| A．Safe. | B．Important. | C．Useful. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．Call on people to take action. | B．Give a warning to the public. |
| C．Offer some shopping advice. | D．Raise some questions of fast fashion. |
【推荐3】Once you find water, a major issue remains: Is it pure? Is it drinkable? And if not, how to make it drinkable?
You can make a water filler（过滤器）from a cone of birch bark（桦树皮）. This cone is then filled with layers of sand, charcoal（木炭）, grasses, and other materials. Grasses and sand help to trap suspended particles（悬浮颗粒）. Charcoal helps to remove chemical impurities, but not bacteria. You may have to pass the water through the filter more than once, depending on the site of the filter and what it's made of. Generally speaking, the bigger the filler, and the more layers you have in it, the better.
The birch bark cone will need to have a fairy small hole in the bottom. The cone will have to be tied with cordage to keep it from opening up. Put a few stones in the very bottom, to help hold your filtering materials in place. Then pour in lavers of charcoal, grasses, sand, and possibly other materials that you feel will help to filter out suspended particles and perhaps even bacteria.
Once you have constructed the filter, simply pour impure water through the filer, catching it in another container at the bottom.
This is basically the "well" method of obtaining water. Dig a hole about 2 4 feet from a water source, such as a river. Allow the hole to fill with water. The water in the hole will likely be reasonably pure.
1. How do we get purer water?| A．Bigger filter and less layers. | B．Smaller filler and more layers. |
| C．Larger filter and more layers. | D．Smaller filter and less lavers. |
| A．Killing bacteria. | B．Removing chemicals. |
| C．Blocking water. | D．Keeping the materials balanced. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．absorbing water | B．cleaning water | C．finding water | D．boiling water |
【推荐1】Many Americans buy an evergreen tree for Christmas. They put the tree in their home and hang small lights and colorful objects on it. The evergreen is usually a pine or a fir tree. It remains green during the cold, dark months of winter in the northern part of the world. So it is a sign of everlasting life.
Early long ago Romans probably planted evergreen trees during a celebration in honor of their god of agriculture. The Christmas tree may have developed from a popular play performed hundreds of years ago in what is now Germany. Traditionally, the play was on December twenty -fourth, the day before Christmas. The play was about the first people that God created—Adam and Eve. People put apples on an evergreen tree to represent the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.
By the year 1600, some Germans began bringing evergreen trees into their homes. They put fruit, nuts and sweets on the trees. They shared the food among family members and friends after the holiday season. Some people say the German religious reformer Martin Luther was the first person to add lighted candles to a tree. They say he did this to show how wonderful the stars had appeared as he traveled one night.
In the early 1800's, German settlers in the state of Pennsylvania were the first to celebrate the holiday with Christmas trees in the United States. The Christmas tree tradition spread to many parts of the world. Today, some form of the Christmas tree is part of most Christmas celebrations.
1. Why do people choose the evergreen tree for the Christmas tree?| A．It can be put in the home easily. |
| B．It can be found everywhere in winter. |
| C．It's convenient for people to put things on it. |
| D．It's evergreen and considered to represent long life. |
| A．The Christmas tree dates back to ancient times. |
| B．It was in a film that the Christmas tree was first used. |
| C．Early Romans honored the god of agriculture with trees. |
| D．The Christmas tree was regarded as the tree of knowledge. |
| A．German settlers celebrate the holiday with fir trees |
| B．Germans would share the food on the trees at Christmas |
| C．many people in the world follow the Christmas tree tradition |
| D．Martin Luther was the first person to decorate the Christmas tree |
| A．The long history of Christmas |
| B．The traditions behind the Christmas tree |
| C．The use of evergreen trees during Christmas |
| D．Evergreen trees，the sign of everlasting life |
【推荐2】Scientists in England are using two selfdirected water vehicles to explore the animal and plant life of the Celtic Sea.
The Celtic Sea is a body of water off the southern coast of Ireland. The area is known for its unusual sea life. Scientists want to know why sea creatures are so attracted to this part of the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the research vehicles is powered by batteries (电池). It collects information for the National Oceanography Center in Southampton, England, and the World Wildlife Fund. The vehicle’s low energy requirements permit it to stay floating on water for up to 30 days. Reports of what it finds in the Celtic Sea are sent by satellite.
Stephen Woodward is an engineer who helped design the vehicle. He says the vehicle has equipment that can discover small organisms called zooplankton (浮游动物) and fish. He adds that other sensing equipment measures water currents and other features of sea life. The vehicle also creates a map of the sea.
Another vehicle is powered by the sun and the wind.It can stay floating on water for months. The robotic vehicle sends information about the socalled biodiversity hotspots. A biodiversity hotspot is an area of an ocean that has a lot of plant and animal life activity.
Lavinia Suberg is one of the scientists studying the Celtic Sea. She says productive ocean areas, like the Celtic Sea, attract zooplankton. The zooplankton then attracts fish. She adds that areas with a large increase of fish often attract sea mammals and birds.
Using these robotic ocean vehicles greatly reduces the cost of exploring the sea with manned laboratories. Scientists can spend more time analyzing the collected information. They say the research will give them a better understanding of the needs of the Celtic Sea for future management and protection.
1. Why do the British scientists explore the Celtic Sea?| A．To study the geography of the sea. | B．To learn why the sea is rich in sea life. |
| C．To test their selfdirected water vehicles. | D．To learn about the sea creatures in the sea. |
| A．are controlled directly by humans | B．work depending on the map of the sea |
| C．can send the information back directly | D．can keep floating on water for a long time |
| A．are afraid of living alone | B．mainly feed on zooplankton |
| C．like to live in warm ocean areas | D．are especially interested in fish |
| A．The aim of sea exploration. | B．The cost of exploring the sea. |
| C．The importance of the water vehicles. | D．Ways to deal with the collected information. |
【推荐3】On a Saturday evening , I was waiting for my train and on the subway station's floor was a man just sitting there. I looked around and nobody stopped so I just went my way. After a few steps, I turned and asked him whether he needed help. He told me his house was one station further and he would only need to take the train there. So I reached for his hand to help him stand up.
He wanted to take the stairs but I feared that he would hurt himself since he seemed too weak to walk, so I asked him to take the elevator. Even though my mind was trying to turn the danger lights on, I put the thought that I should not go alone with a drunken man out of my mind and accompanied him on the elevator.
We arrived on the platform with no incidents. The man's knees seemed to soften, so I asked him to rest on a bench. While sitting there, he thanked me, telling me that I saved him. No, I said, I really did nothing; he saved himself as he walked on his own feet.
At the next station, we said our goodbyes. Before I knew it, he left 100 dollars and dashed out of the train. There was no way to give him back his money. I wanted to leave it on the seat, but a young woman who thought it belonged to me ran after me and gave me the note.
My initial reaction to getting that money was of shame and I even felt offended. Then I thought he just wanted to thank me, the best way he knew how. Now, my question is — what act of kindness shall I do with these 100 dollars?
1. Why was the man sitting on the subway station's floor?| A．Because he wanted to go home. | B．Because he was seriously ill. |
| C．Because he was waiting for the train. | D．Because he was drunk. |
| A．ashamed | B．grateful |
| C．delighted | D．frustrated |
| A．Give it back. | B．Buy something favorable. |
| C．Give it to people in need. | D．Leave it on the seat. |
| A．I helped the man the moment I saw him. |
| B．I thought it unsafe to go alone with the drunken man at first. |
| C．I accompanied the man to take the stairs. |
| D．A young woman ran after me and gave me the note. |
【推荐1】My father was always a good gardener. One of my earliest memories is standing without shoes in the freshly tilled (翻耕的) soil, my hands blackened from digging in the ground.
As a child, I loved following Dad around in the garden. I remember Dad pushing the tiller (耕作机) ahead in perfectly straight lines. Dad loved growing all sorts of things: yellow and green onions, watermelons almost as big as me, rows of yellow com, and our favorite ― red tomatoes.
As I grew into a teenager, I didn’t get so excited about gardening with Dad. Instead of magical land of possibility, it had turned into some kind of prison. As Dad grew older, his love for gardening never disappeared. After all the kids were grown and had started families of their own, Dad turned to gardening like never before. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still took care of his garden.
But then, the cancer, bit by bit, invaded his body. I had to do the things he used to do. What really convinced me that Dad was dying was the state of his garden that year. The rows and rows of multicolored vegetables were gone. Too tired to weed them, he simply let them be. He only planted tomatoes.
For the first few years after he died, I couldn’t even bear to look at anyone's garden without having strong memories pour over me like cold water from a bucket. Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden and started out with just a few tomatoes. That morning, after breaking up a fair amount of soil, something caught the comer of my eye and I had to smile, It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, happily playing in the freshly tilled soil.
1. Why did the author like the garden when he was a child?| A．The garden was planted with colorful flowers. |
| B．The garden was just freshly tilled by his father. |
| C．He loved what his father grew in the garden. |
| D．He enjoyed being in the garden with his father. |
| A．devoted more to gardening |
| B．turned to other hobbies |
| C．stopped his gardening |
| D．focused on planting tomatoes |
| A．The author’s son took charge of it. |
| B．No plant grew in the garden at all. |
| C．The garden was almost deserted. |
| D．It brought the author a great harvest. |
| A．the author’s son played happily in the garden |
| B．the author’s son reminded him of his own father |
| C．the author’s son was very glad to help the author |
| D．the author’s son will continue gardening as well |
Lead is such a well-known health(危害)- perhaps even contributing to the fall of the Roman Empire- that it came as a shock to discover that toys played by children could contain lead. Doctors are now dealing with the aftershocks.
Just how dangerous is this exposure? That’s the question physicians are being asked by parents who find a lead-polluted Elmo, of Dora. Millions of others toys, lunch boxes and pieces of jewelry manufactured in China have been recalled because they contain lead either in the paint that coats them or as a component of the plastic used to make the item more flexible. The lead content in some of the toys recalled this summer was 180 times the amount allowed by law. Some pieces of jewelry were almost 100% lead.
Experts advise that the items do cause a risk and that doctors should urge parents to check the comprehensive lists of recalled products on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Web site and return any appearing on those lists to the manufacturers.
If exposure is suspected, a blood test is in order . Since there is no safe level of this universal (普遍存在的) element, the risk face by children for lead poisoning and its accompanying threat of learning disabilities and behavior problems is considerable.
Doctors who have toys in their waiting rooms also are advised to see if any of them have been recalled and to check for chipped, flaking paint-even on those that haven’t yet been recalled—since new announcements of toy risk continue.
1. Why does the author mention “the fall of the Roman Empire”?
| A．To tell us a strange story. |
| B．To warn us to keep away from lead. |
| C．To explain why the Roman Empire fell. |
| D．To show how terrible lead poisoning is. |
| A．The name of a kind of metal. |
| B．The name of a girl. |
| C．The name of a toy. |
| D．The name of a toy company. |
| A．They should ask the experts for advice. |
| B．They should have a medical examination. |
| C．They should have their children blood-tested. |
| D．They should collect all the toys and check online first. |
| A．children who are exposed to lead have learning disabilities |
| B．the unsafe toys have all been listed on the website |
| C．lead is used mainly to make the products flexible |
| D．some toy and jewelry manufacturers will suffer heavy losses |
【推荐3】We know more about the surface of the planet Mars than we know about what is at the bottom of Earth’s oceans. Until recently, scientists had mapped only about 20 percent of the sea floor. But our knowledge of the deep seas is changing because of information from satellites. Scientists have produced a new map that provides a detailed picture of the oceans.
The new map is twice as detailed as the map made 20 years ago. David Sandwell is a geophysics professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California. He and other scientists worked on the mapping project. He says they turned to space to look deeper into the ocean.
“The way we’re doing that is to use a satellite altimeter(测高仪), a radar to map the topography(地形) of the ocean surface. That is because the ocean surface topography is different because of gravitational(引力的) effects.”
The scientists collected and studied information from two satellites. One was the European Space Agency’s Cryo-2 satellite that was placed in Earth’s orbit to watch sea ice. The other satellite is the American space agency’s Jason-1, studying the surface of the oceans. Scientists combined the satellite data with images gathered by equipment on ships. The equipment works by sending sound waves through the water. When the sound waves hit an object, its presence is confirmed.
The new map shows the sea floor as it has never been seen before. It shows thousands of underwater mountains and places where continents pulled apart. It shows where earthquakes were active many years ago. In one place, three mountain ridges(山脊) join at the same area. “It’s called the Indian Ocean Triple Junction. It’s one of my favorite spots in the ocean. You have three plates-the African plate, and the Indo-Australian plate and the Antarctic plate-all connected at this one point in the center of the Indian Ocean,” says David Sandwell.
The map is a powerful tool for those interested in protecting the environment and for oil exploration. It also can help ships travel safely and improve scientific projects worldwide. Of course, scientists will make many more discoveries as they examine the new map and the information it provides.
1. We can owe the success of the new mapping project to________.| A．the details of the old map |
| B．Europe’s cooperation with America |
| C．Scientists’ continual measuring work under the sea |
| D．The application of radar and sound wave measuring equipment |
| A．They hoped to use space technology to map the ocean floor. |
| B．They wanted the satellite to produce the map. |
| C．They had never explored the deeper ocean. |
| D．They decided to search the outer space. |
| A．The function of sound waves. | B．The difference of two satellites. |
| C．The difficulties of mapping the oceans | D．The process of mapping the ocean floor. |
| A．show the discovery through the new map |
| B．Prove the earthquakes were active under the ocean |
| C．Explain how the ocean floor developed |
| D．Introduce what the underwater mountains were like |
| A．How to Explore the Deep Sea |
| B．How to Get Pictures of the Ocean |
| C．Scientists Create New Maps of Ocean Floor |
| D．Much of the Sea Floor Waits for Exploration |
