Are There Too Many of Us?
Overpopulation — many people say this is the biggest danger to Earth. It is clear that the planet is not expanding. There is only so much space. The amount of food, water and energy on Earth is also quite limited. So the planet can hardly support more people, can it?
The answer to this question may be “Yes”. David Satterthwaite is an environmental scientist. He points out that the problem is not about the number of people on the planet. Instead, it is about the amount of their consumption (消耗). “The world has enough for everyone’s need. but not enough for everyone’s greed (贪心),” he explains.
Now, the world’s population is over 7.5 billion. According to the United Nations, it could reach 9.7 billion in 2050, and over 11 billion in 2100. Most of the growth is predicted (预言) to be in today’s underdeveloped countries. The influence of adding several billion people to these countries might not be huge. Traditionally, people in these countries consume little. People in higher-income (收入) countries leave a much greater environmental footprint on our planet.
However, the world is always changing. People in low-income countries may break their traditions. If they were to consume as much as people in high-income countries do, the influence of the predicted population growth could be much larger. So, if we want Earth to be able to support a large human population, all of us should try to limit our consumption.
Technological progress in farming, electricity production and many other fields may help Earth support more people. In the long run, space technologies may help solve the problem of over population. Scientists have already discovered many Earth-like planets. Perhaps fifty years from now, some of us may be able to live away from Earth.
1. The underlined word “expanding” means “________” in the first paragraph.| A．becoming larger | B．becoming smaller | C．becoming hotter | D．becoming colder |
| A．About 7.5 billion. | B．About 9.7 billion. |
| C．More than 11 billion. | D．More than 15 billion. |
| A．consume as little as possible | B．appear in low-income countries |
| C．leave lots of footprints on Earth | D．appear in high-income countries |
| A．under the sea | B．on the moon | C．in space station | D．on another planet |
| A．David thinks Earth can support more people |
| B．technological progress breaks our environment |
| C．we have to limit consumption to support more people |
| D．we should control the population of underdeveloped countries |
相似题推荐
In the future, I’ll buy a big house in the countryside. Although life in the city will be easier and more colorful, the environment will be worse than that in the countryside. The countryside will be more and more beautiful, so more people working in cities will go to the countryside for fun on weekends. — Barry |
In the future, people will live under the sea because the weather will be hotter and it will be cooler (凉爽) under the sea. People will take special cars to go in and out of the sea. This kind of car will be cheap because it will use sea water instead of (代替) gasoline (汽油). —Dean |
In the future, I’ll have a robot. In the morning, it will get my breakfast ready and clean the house. Then it will drive me to work. In the afternoon, it will pick me up (接) and cook me delicious dinner. If I want to travel somewhere, it will take me there as soon as possible and tell me about the place. —Sandy |
In the future, I think more and more people will know the importance (重要性) of protecting (保护) the environment and they will try their best (尽全力) to make the earth a better place for people to live on. So people won’t move to other planets but they’ll go there on vacation. —Laura |
1. Why will Barry buy a big house in the countryside?
| A．Because everything there will be cheaper. |
| B．Because house prices there won’t be so high. |
| C．Because the environment there will be better. |
| D．Because the life will be easier and more colorful. |
| A．They’ll also be able to fly in the sky. |
| B．People will only drive them under the sea. |
| C．They’ll use the same fuel (燃料) as cars now. |
| D．People won’t spend much money using them. |
①cook ② teacher ③ cleaner ④ driver
| A．①③④ | B．①②④ | C．①②③ | D．②③④ |
| A．Sandy. | B．Laura. | C．Dean. | D．Barry |
| A．Dean wants to be a driver. | B．Sandy’s robot can help her a lot. |
| C．Barry thinks people will work in the countryside. | D．Laura wants to live on other planets in the future. |
【推荐2】With the development of technology, education is changing. The classroom of the future will surely not be the same as the classroom of today. So what will the future classroom be like? Let’s try to find it out.
To start with, facing the blackboard will be a thing of the past. Students will take classes by looking at their touch-screen (触屏) desks. And doing homework, taking down notes, and taking tests will be just a click away. The walls of the classroom will also be filled with real-time screens for students and teachers to show any information they want. Students can also “visit” historical sites, see the real geography of the planet, take tours through foreign countries and much more.
Besides, the classroom of the future holds several learning styles for students. They will be given the freedom to learn things in the way they want. This includes learning through video lectures. Everyone moves at their own step, with teachers guiding them along the way. This practice will help students learn faster and have better results.
1. Where is the passage probably from?| A．A storybook. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．An art magazine. | D．A science magazine. |
| A．By looking at the blackboard. |
| B．By studying at home. |
| C．By looking at their touch-screen desks. |
| D．By visiting foreign countries. |
| A．Students won’t need to take tests. |
| B．There will be no desks in the classroom. |
| C．Students will learn things in the way they want. |
| D．There will be no teachers guiding in the classroom. |
| A．Resolution | B．Feeling | C．Reason | D．Right |
| A．How the robots will change our life. |
| B．How students will learn at their own home. |
| C．How virtual classrooms will become popular. |
| D．How the classroom will change in the future. |
【推荐3】If there is one thing I’m sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are necessary. Even now some people get most of their news from TV or radio. Many buy a newspaper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people, reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation(代) to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives—the big political stories, the reports of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more reports of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic engineering. In the future, I think there will be more reports of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do—as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operate and what our feelings really are.
It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted (传递) electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I’m pretty sure how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read—sports and international news, etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw (预料) that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screens or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.
1. What does the underlined phrase “feed off ”in the last paragraph mean?| A．Compete with. | B．Depend on. |
| C．Fight with. | D．Kill off. |
| A．Newspapers will win the competition among the different media. |
| B．Newspapers will stay with us together, with other media. |
| C．Television will take the place of newspapers. |
| D．The writer believes some media will die out. |
| A．The Best Way to Get News | B．The Changes of Media |
| C．Make Your Own Newspaper | D．The Future of Newspapers |
【推荐1】Andrew Holleman, a 12-year-old boy, loved playing in the open land near his home. The land was wet and forested, and made a home for the birds, other animals and many different plants.
It made the perfect place for him to study and get to know the nature. He had seen some red-tailed hawks, red foxes, wood turtles and other animals. He also found special native flowers.
Suddenly it was announced that the “empty” land would be improved by a lot of houses on it. The plants would be removed, the animals would run away and most would probably die. Then the wet soil would be covered with extra grounds.
When he heard about the news, he was not happy. He was very worried that the land and water would be polluted.
Andrew wrote down clearly all the research he had done about the area, and the houses would affect the local environment. He sent letters to members of local government and television reporters. He also called on his neighbors to oppose the building of the houses
Although he was only 12 years old, he had the courage and wisdom of a person much older. Andrew’s teachers described him as gentle, shy and active. His classmates also admired how much he knew about local animals and plants, and the environment. Each day after school, Andrew went door-to-door, to ask the people to sign, who did not want the houses to be built. In only one month, he got the signatures of 250 people.
In the end, the land remained a safe place for birds, animals and plants that belonged there.
Andrew won many prizes for his brave and great work to stop the houses being built, and thus help save the environment.
1. The passage is mainly about ▲ .| A．250 people who signed to help Andrew |
| B．a brave boy who cared for the environment |
| C．the open land that suited animals and plants |
| D．the research of improving the environment |
| A．the animals would be killed |
| B．new houses would be built on the open land |
| C．not all the neighbors were going to sign |
| D．the local government made a right decision |
| A．support | B．dislike | C．disagree | D．prefer |
| A．the land would remain as it used to be |
| B．the open land would be built into a park |
| C．the neighbors would have to move away |
| D．Andrew would soon work for the government |
【推荐2】“Zero Waste” was first suggested by a French woman called Bea Johnson. Her ideas are: live a life and try not to create any rubbish; use different kinds of ways to save the environment, such as stopping the use of one-off objects; giving unwanted things to others or giving them away to organizations like the Red Cross.
Yu Yuan, a post-90s girl, is a practitioner (实践者) of “Zero Waste” living. She has been leading this lifestyle for 6 years. In the past six months, she has produced only a small can of garbage. In 2017, Yu and her partner Joe opened a shop called the Bulk House in Beijing, with the aim of making Zero Waste living easy and convenient by selling a lot of Zero Waste and environmentally-friendly products. For example, you can find 100% bamboo toilet paper there, which is of course completely plastic-free.
Have you ever counted how much garbage you produce in a day? If you want to lead a “Zero Waste” life, you can follow the 5R rules: refuse what you do not need; reduce what you do need; reuse what you use; recycle what you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse; rot the rest.
Of course, it is very difficult to change our lives in the blink of an eye. We usually need gradual steps that enable us to make lasting changes. If you want to begin reducing your waste, there are many different small things that you can do. For example, you can buy a reusable water bottle instead of using single-use bottles. Or, if you want to save money, you can just use a jar (罐子) from something you already have!
1. Who first came up with the idea of “Zero Waste”?| A．Yu Yuan. | B．Bea Johnson. | C．Joe. |
| A．Do not accept what you don’t need. |
| B．Use one-off chopsticks when eating the takeaway food. |
| C．Throw the things you don’t like away and buy new ones. |
| A．easily | B．quickly | C．generally |
| A．Zero Waste Living |
| B．Yu Yuan, A Practitioner of “Zero Waste” Living |
| C．The Bulk House |
【推荐3】E-waste is fast becoming a serious problem around the world. This report will examine this problem and provide some possible ways to solve it.
We live in a society that is producing and using electronics (电子产品) all the time. It is often cheaper to buy new products than to repair old ones. Also, through clever advertising, companies always encourage people to change their old TVs, mobile phones and computers for the latest models. E-waste is created when we throw away old ones. In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of E-waste is produced each year. Sadly, just over 1,000,000 tons is recycled.
Burying (填埋) E-waste or burning it causes serious problems for the environment. Electronics have dangerous things in them. These things can then get into the ground or pollute the air when they are burnt.
In recent years,
Another way is to make producers responsible for their used products. This means that producers must take back old products which are no longer wanted. They should then make sure they are properly recycled or reused.
As for us, we should try to cut down on E-waste. Change electronics only when we have to.And don’t buy a product just to have the latest model.
E-waste is a serious problem in the modern world. Both producers and users must take actions and try to keep it to the smallest amount.
1. According to the passage, it is often to buy new electronics than to repair old ones.| A．more expensive | B．more difficult | C．cheaper | D．worse |
| A．the old products | B．the producers | C．the users | D．the new products |
| A．The E-waste problem has been solved. |
| B．The E-waste problem continues growing. |
| C．Many countries have started recycling E-waste. |
| D．People haven’t realized the E-waste problem yet. |
| A．producers | B．users | C．young people | D．producers and users |
| A．Burning E-waste causes problems for the environment. |
| B．E-waste problem is very serious and people should take actions. |
| C．Sometimes electronics are sent to poor countries such as Ghana. |
| D．In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of E-waste is produced each year. |
【推荐1】When you think about a factory, what do you imagine first? Do you picture lots of workers doing the same thing over and over again without stopping? Well, things are changing!
Nowadays, because of super cool technologies like AI, the internet of things, cloud computing and big data, factories are becoming smarter. They need fewer workers than you might think.
Teway Food Group, a company in Chengdu, Sichuan, makes tasty seasonings, which are added into food to improve the taste. There robots do most of the work in their clever factory. First, the robots get and mix the things in line with their recipes (食谱). After that, the food goes into a smart cooking system that carefully watches and controls the temperatures to make sure the seasonings taste really good. During the whole process, you hardly see any workers and this makes everything cost much less. The president of the company, Yu Zhiyong, told The Paper, “Thanks to the smart factory, we have been able to make things 40 percent cheaper.”
Besides helping companies save money, smart factories are also looking out for the safety of workers. Baidu created a smart safety assistant (助理) called Du An’an to make sure workers are safer in factories. It gives fast answers to safety questions from workers and also looks at safety problems, helping managers work with dangers and risks quickly. Thanks to Du An’an, a big chemical (化学品) company called Daxie Petrochemical can now deal with accidents 50 percent faster than before.
Faster, better and safer at a lower cost, smart factories are changing our life. In line with the “Made in China 2025” plan, China is ready to grow from “Made in China” to “Created in China”.
1. In Paragraph 1, the writer starts the passage by _______.| A．asking questions | B．offering opinions | C．showing results |
| A．季节 | B．食物 | C．调料 |
| A．There are no workers working in Teway Food Company. |
| B．Du An’an is created to make sure the safety of the workers. |
| C．Smart factories are cheaper and safer than traditional factories. |
| A．Robots will take the place of workers in smart factories. |
| B．Robots play a very important part in smart companies. |
| C．Robots are needed to cut down the cost of smart companies. |
【推荐2】All students need to have good habits（好习惯）. When you have good study habits, you learn things quickly. You also remember them easily.
Do you like to study in the living room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. You need to study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing, and you will learn better.
Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. You’ll feel tired easily if there is not enough light. So a good desk light is important if so.
1. When you have good study habits, you will ________.| A．learn things quickly | B．remember things easily |
| C．think about one thing | D．both A and B |
| A．quiet | B．clean | C．noisy | D．good |
| A．good | B．enough | C．bad | D．wonderful |
| A．tidy the room | B．clean the desk | C．turn on the light | D．go to the bedroom |
| A．Study in the bedroom | B．How to study |
| C．Good study habits | D．Desk light is important |
| A．Try to talk to him, and tell him its wrong for you two to do that. Then try to help him with his lessons in your spare time. If he can’t accept it, let it be. Maybe he’s not such a good friend. |
| B．You shouldn’t regret. The beauty of one’s looking or appearance doesn’t stand for everything. You are young and still depend on your parents. The most important thing is to study hard and you are sure to have a good future. |
| C．I used to have the same problem. You can try my ideas; they really work. Talk about the things you like best and can do best. Then try to make friends with your neighbours. |
| D．You can get some examples from newspapers, magazines or TV shows, and let her know it’s really bad. |
| E．Tell him that he has done something good to animals. If he takes the eggs home, how will mother feel when she can’t find them? On the other hand, what kind of birds are they? |
| F．Say sorry to him. And try to repair it. Or you may give him your favourite toy car instead. Or buy a new one for him. |
