People in Western countries are eating less meat these days, whether for their health or because they want to protect animals. But now they have another reason: Eating less meat can help to prevent climate change, according to a recent study published in Nature.
Raising livestock (家畜) is bad for the environment. When animals like cows digest (消化) food, their stomachs make greenhouse gases, which are a major cause of global warming. Seventeen percent of greenhouse gas emission (排放) come from livestock farming, the New York Times reported.
In addition, to raise these livestock, people have to cut down forests and turn them into farms. Forests play a key role in fighting global warming because they absorb greenhouse gases.
Eating less meat according to certain guidelines could cut global food-related emissions by nearly a third by 2050. The study found keeping a vegetarian diet in the long term could bring down emissions by 63 percent.
But eating less meat won’t be easy. According to the study, people in Western countries will need to eat 90 percent less meat than they do now in order to have an influence on our climate. Scientists are now trying to find new foods to replace meat.
Some say that insects could help. A 2013 UN report said that eating insects is healthier and better for the environment. They produce 75 percent less greenhouse gases than livestock.
Some experts are creating lab-grown meat. They make meat in a lab using livestock cells. In March, a US company JUST said people in the US might be able to buy its lab-grown meat by the end of this year.
1. Eating less meat can help protect the environment because _________.| A．there will be more animal-related waste | B．less livestock means less greenhouse gas emissions |
| C．animals are an important part of the environment | D．people will plant more trees around their houses |
a. stay healthy b. reduce waste c. protect animals d. slow down climate change
| A． a; b; c | B． b; c; d | C． a; b; d. | D．a; c; d |
| A．63 percent. | B．70 percent. | C．75 percent. | D．90 percent. |
| A．Why Westerners eat more insects and lab-grown meat these days. |
| B．What people will eat in the future. |
| C．How eating less meat influences the environment. |
| D．What the major cause of global warming is. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】It’s always happy when children get some pocket money (零花钱). But how do they get pocket money from their parents? In the USA, many children do housework to get pocket money.
School students have to do homework and study for tests. They don’t have a lot of free time on weekdays. They often do housework on the weekend.
Young children only do easy housework. So they don’t get much money. But that’s all right. Many of them only want to buy candy. And candy is cheap! They help do the dishes after dinner and feed the family pets.
When they get older (年长的), at the age of 10, children want to buy model cars, CDs and computer games. They want expensive things. Then they have to do more work, like washing the family car, cutting the grass, walking the dog or cooking dinner.
For children, doing some housework is a good way to get pocket money. It is a good way to learn new things, too. Of course, parents often help them at first.
1. How do American children get pocket money?| A．They ask parents for it. | B．They help parents with housework. | C．They study hard to get it. |
| A．On weekdays. | B．Every day after school. | C．On weekends. |
| A．Doing the dishes. | B．Walking the dog. | C．Cooking dinner. |
| A．All the young children just want to buy candy with pocket money. |
| B．Older children need to do more work to buy expensive things. |
| C．American parents don’t help their children to do housework at first. |
| A．it’s important for children to do some housework |
| B．children find it difficult to do housework |
| C．many children don’t want to do housework |
【推荐2】All students have bad times. What do they usually do when they get into trouble?
Linda My mom is like my friend. Whenever I have some trouble, I can get good advice from her. I have another good friend—my diary. It knows all my secrets. Talking with my two friends always makes me feel better.
Peter Laughing helps me when I’m upset. I usually watch funny movies and TV shows. I also love spending my hard time with my best friend Dave. He is humorous and always makes me laugh.
John Every time I feel bad, I go climbing alone. The study says exercising can help cheer one up. And the beautiful view at the top of the mountain makes me forget all my troubles. Sometimes I shout at the mountain top. It feels fantastic.
1. Linda’s ________ knows all her secrets.| A．mother | B．diary | C．teacher |
| A．shy | B．careful | C．funny |
| A．watches movies | B．goes climbing | C．talks with his friends |
| A．Exercising can help people feel good. |
| B．Linda often asks her teacher for advice. |
| C．Dave often helps Peter with his homework. |
【推荐3】As you grow older, you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions-like whether to cut class or try cigarettes. Making decisions on your own is hard enough. but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder. People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence（影响）how you act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure.
Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you a way to remember the planets in the solar system. Maybe you got others excited about our new favorite book, and now everyone’s reading it. These are examples of how peers positively influence each other.
Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them. your soccer friend might try to convince（说服）you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball.
It is tough to be the only one who says“no”to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do.
You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to“choose your friends wisely.”Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don’t cut class, smoke cigarettes, or lie to their parents, then you probably won’t do these things either, even if other kids do.
If you find it difficult to handle（处理）peer pressure, talk to someone you trust. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two.
1. To whom is the passage most probably written?| A．Students. | B．Parents. | C．Teachers. | D．Doctors. |
| A．You shared your favorite book with your friends. |
| B．Your friends asked you to cut class with them. |
| C．A classmate taught you how to solve a math problem. |
| D．A friend showed you a way to remember the planets. |
| A．explains why friendship is so important to us. |
| B．shows how to choose more good friends. |
| C．discusses how peers influence us in some ways. |
| D．gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure. |
| A．Talk to someone you trust about the problem. |
| B．Take up more hobbies to relax yourself. |
| C．Focus on your own feelings and beliefs. |
| D．Choose friends with few bad habits. |
| A．Friendship. | B．Making decisions. | C．Peer pressure. | D．Problem solving. |
【推荐1】Most of us know that Ikea is the world's biggest furniture company. However, did you know that it's also a pioneer in environmental protection?
Ikea says it's working hard to improve the environment. The company has made huge efforts to cut the carbon emissions(碳排放)of its suppliers(供应商). Over the past five years, Ikea has helped its suppliers become 18 percent more energy-efficient. It managed to do so by bringing its suppliers together. The one that produces the least carbon emissions will be praised.
Ikea has also invested(投资)heavily in clean energy. The company now operates more than 300 wind turbines(叶轮机)around the world. It has also set up nearly 750,000 solar panels(太阳能嵌板)on the roof of its stores. As a result, Ikea can produce 71 percent of the energy it uses, which are all from clean sources. In some countries,such a Denmark and Finland,the company produces as much energy as it uses.
Ikea has been buying forests as well. It owns nearly 750 square kilometers of forest.
Last but not least, Ikea has tried changing customers' behavior(行为). It does so by improving product designs. In 2015,Ikea changed all of its lighting products into LED. This change alone,it says,has saved lots of electricity.
1. According to the article, which of the following are examples of clean energy?① Fire wood. ② Oil. ③ Solar energy. ④ Wind power.
| A．①② | B．③④ | C．①③ | D．②④ |
| A．Ikea is the world's biggest furniture company. |
| B．Ikea has been working hard to protect the environment. |
| C．Ikea has invested heavily in clean energy. |
| D．Ikea has helped customers save lots of electricity. |
| A．To cut the carbon emissions of its suppliers. | B．To make itself famous. |
| C．To save money and buy more forests. | D．To make customers' behavior changed. |
【推荐2】Water is the “life blood” of our earth. Like air and sunshine, it is very important to living things.
根据短文内容，将下面的句子还原到文中空白处，使短文内容完整、通顺(每个选项只能用一次)。
| A．Water is nearly everywhere. |
| B．People should keep water clean, but they often make water dirty. |
| C．We need water to drink, to cook and to clean ourselves. |
| D．Without water, there can be no life on the earth. |
| E．We can only drink fresh water. |
【推荐3】The journey of a plastic bottle
I am a plastic bottle. A week ago, I was on a supermarket shelf. I had a normal life. I felt happy. Then a woman put me in her shopping basket. The woman took me home and put me in the fridge. However, only a few hours later, she took me out of the fridge and drank the water inside me. Then she threw me into a letter bin. I have never felt so empty and alone.
Early the next morning, a man took me out of the litter bin. He threw me and the other rubbish into the back of a truck. There were so many terrible smells. Then I was pushed together with the rest of the rubbish. Soon I was completely flat（扁平的）. I slept for a while. When I woke up, I found myself in a terrible place. Everything around me smells terrible. I felt afraid. I kept hoping that I would be moved somewhere else. Then huge trucks came and covered us with a lot of soil.
I asked another bottle what would happen to us. He said that we would never leave this crowded place, but would have to stay here for thousand of years.
“Why can’t they reuse or recycle us?” I cried.
1. The plastic bottle felt very ________ at first.| A．alone | B．happy | C．afraid |
| A．milk | B．juice | C．water |
| A．A woman | B．A man | C．Nobody |
| A．It was covered by a lot of soil. |
| B．It was moved to another place. |
| C．It was recycled by the man. |
| A．It can be reused. | B．It can come back to the supermarket. | C．It can live happily. |
1. How does Alex usually go to school?
| A．By bus． | B．On foot． | C．By car． | D．By bike． |
| A．穿 | B．洗 | C．买 | D．送 |
| A．He has to clean his room． | B．He has to wash his clothes． |
| C．He has to read a storybook． | D．Both A and B． |
| A．Plays computer games． | B．Plays sports． |
| C．Cleans the room． | D．Watches TV． |
| A．he is not happy |
| B．he has a happy family |
| C．he wants to talk with his parents |
| D．he dislikes his family rules |
Traditional Chinese Cultures | |
Chinese Folk Music Chinese folk music is connected with ancient Chinese stories. One of the classics（经典著作）,shijing, included some folk songs from theWest Zhouto theSpring and Autumn Period. Traditional Chinese musical instruments includeguzheng,pipa,erhu,xiaoand so on. | Weiqi Weiqi, calledyiin ancient China, is a smart board game between two players with a history of over 3,000 years. People believeweiqiis the beginning of all ancient chess games. |
Chinese Handwriting Chinese handwriting is a special art of Asian cultures. Brush handwriting is much loved around the world.WangXizhiwas very famous for brush handwriting. He made a great achievement in Chinese handwriting. | Chinese Painting In ancient China, most of the Chinese paintings were done on paper or silk. Traditional Chinese painting includes mountains and water, flowers and birds, figures（人物）. The highest form of Chinese painting is mountains and water. |
1. What is Chinese folk music connected with?
| A．Weiqi. | B．Ancient Chinese stories. | C．Chinese painting. |
| A．xiao | B．piano | C．guzheng |
| A．He was a greatweiqiplayer. |
| B．He was good at Chinese painting. |
| C．He made a great achievement in Chinese handwriting. |
| A．on wood or cloth | B．on paper or wood | C．on paper or silk |
| A．mountains and water | B．flowers and birds | C．figures |
【推荐3】Do French Fries Really from France?
There has been a food fight between France and Belgium (比利时). The two countries have been arguing over who really invented French fries.
You may think that French fries come from France. However, this might not be true. Some historians believe potatoes were first being fried in the late 1600s in Belgium.
According to local stories, poor villagers living in Meuse Valley (默兹河流域) in Belgium often ate small fried fish. During the winter months, the river would freeze and fishing would be impossible. The villagers had to find other kinds of food. So they turned to the potato. They would fry potatoes in much the same way as they would fry fish. And that’s how the earliest French fries were born.
During World War Ⅰ, some American soldiers were stationed in Belgium. They were first introduced to French fries at that time. As the official language of the Belgian army was French, American soldiers nicknamed (绰号) the delicious fried potatoes “French fries”. The name stuck.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The food fight between France and Belgium. |
| B．The debate on who really invented French fries. |
| C．The thought that French fries come from France. |
| D．The belief that potatoes were first being fried in Belgium. |
| A．they thought it was more delicious than fish |
| B．they found it hard to fish during winter |
| C．they were tired of eating small fried fish |
| D．they just tried to taste fried potatoes |
| A．in the late 1600s |
| B．at a restaurant in Belgium |
| C．during the First World War |
| D．when they were stationed in France |
| A．The American soldiers did not like the name “French fries”. |
| B．The Belgian army officially renamed the dish “French fries”. |
| C．The name “French fries” was only used by the American soldiers. |
| D．“French fries” became widely accepted as the name of fried potatoes. |
