1 . Carbon is a chemical element which is present in organic compounds that make us organisms, plants as well as fossil. It is a vital component of the greenhouse gas CO2, the highest percentage of the global warming gas in the atmosphere.
These Green House Gases (GIIGs) along with other factors are responsible for the most discussed issues affecting the planet, climate change. Climate change has and still releases a huge set of environmental disasters which are fueling the difficulty of survival on the planet. In order to eliminate, reduce and adapt to these risks of survival, individuals, organizations, and countries will have to adopt carbon neutrality measures. The main aim of carbon neutrality is to achieve a net-zero emission either by balancing the emission or absorbing of carbon or quit the production of carbon. However, to really understand carbon neutrality, the carbon cycle should be first understood
The carbon cycle is the transfer of carbon through different media. Carbon has the ability to move in different media in different forms at different rates and tines. These different factors (rate, time, and media) are the phenomena underlying carbon neutrality. For instance, carbon released into the atmosphere by the rapid burning of fossil fills back as rain in the form of carbonate (碳酸盐) and is absorbed by the reservoirs (oceans, surface water, and the earth surface). Even though the exchange of carbon between some of these reservoirs takes a long time, some over 100 years, carbon was absorbed until now. The main problem existing today is that the emissions of CO2 are too high to be offset by the reservoirs, thereby leaving the offsetting task to us.
The European Union (EU) is taking all measures it can to offset carbon through Emission trading system which helps industries to manage their carbon footprints. Similarly, China, which is responsible for 25% of the world's CO2 emissions due to its economic and industrial structure is currently decreasing its energy consumption/GDP and CO2 emission/GDP, while increasing is forest cover and air quality through its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) carbon neutrality actions.
1. What does the underlined word "fueling" in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?| A．Experiencing. | B．Overcoming. | C．Increasing. | D．Ending. |
| A．By giving an example. |
| B．By comparing media. |
| C．By analyzing data. |
| D．By describing a task. |
| A．GHGs take the whole blame for the climate change. |
| B．Carbon exchange takes little time. |
| C．The contribution of the EU is not obvious. |
| D．China las a clear goal in low-carbon efforts. |
| A．Politics. | B．Environment. | C．Commercial. | D．Lifestyle. |
2 . A small bowl bought at a yard sale in Connecticut for just $ 35 has been identified as a rare 15th-century Chinese antique.
The blue-and-white bowl was made by China's royal court during the Ming dynasty. It is now expected to sell for up to $500,000, according to Sotheby's auction(拍卖)house in New York, where the auction will take place next month.
The purchase was made last year near New Haven, Connecticut. “I was just hanging around there aimlessly. But when I saw this bowl, I didn't even bargain over the $35 asking price,” the owner said. Shortly after the purchase, he sent photos of the bowl to auction specialists, who identified it as an item of historical significance.
Upon closer inspection, the artifact was found to have originated from the period of Yongle Emperor, who ruled from 1403 to 1424 - a period noted for its distinctive porcelain (瓷器)techniques. It's now valued between $300,000 and $500,000, with the top estimate nearly 14,300 times the amount it was purchased for.
“I was deeply attracted by the techniques. You can see why this bowl is so highly-valued from the very smooth porcelain body, silky glaze(上釉)and special blue coloring, which were never reproduced in later dynasties,” McAteer, an auction specialist, said.
“The Yongle Emperor improved the porcelain techniques and elevated the importance of porcelain from being an ordinary bowl into a true work of art. This small bowl has both practical and artistic value, ”McAteer said.
1. What can we infer about the bowl's owner?| A．He found the bowl by accident. |
| B．He hesitated during the purchase. |
| C．He doubted whether the bowl was real. |
| D．He bought the bowl because it was cheap. |
| A．The blue color on it. | B．The long history it has. |
| C．The people who made it. | D．The unique techniques used. |
| A．Forsaw. | B．Promoted. |
| C．Assessed. | D．Acknowledged. |
| A．An Amazing Bowl | B．A Special Yard Sale |
| C．The Return of Porcelains | D．A Man Making Fortune |
3 . Coca-Cola is to test a paper bottle as part of a longer-term goal to get rid of plastic from its packaging entirely. The prototype (样本) is made by a Danish company from an extra-strong paper shell that still contains a thin plastic liner (衬垫). But the goal is to create a 100% recyclable, plastic free botte capable of preventing gas escaping from carbonated (碳酸) drinks. The barrier must also ensure no fibers get into the liquid.
That may have a risk of changing the taste of the drink — or potentially can't meet the requirements of health and safety checks. But industry giants (巨头) are backing the plan. Coca-Cola, for example, has set a goal of producing zero waste by 2030. Coca-Cola was ranked the world's number one plastic polluter by charity group Break Free From Plastic last year, closely followed by other drink-producers Pepsi and Nestle.
The Paper Bottle Company, or Paboco, is the Danish firm behind the development of the paper-based container. Part of the challenge has been to create a structure capable of standing the forces exerted by carbonated drinks — such as cola and beer — which are bottled under pressure. On top of that, the paper needs to be mouldable to create distinct bottle shapes and sizes for different brands and take ink for printing their labels.
After more than seven years of lab work, the firm is now ready to host a trial in Hungary this summer of Coca-Cola's fruit drink Adez. Initially, this will involve 2,000 bottles distributed via a local retail chain.
But it is also working with others. Absolut, the vodka maker, is due to test 2,000 paper bottles of its own in the UK and Sweden of its pre-mixed, carbonated raspberry drink. And beer company Carlsberg is also building prototypes of a paper beer bottle.
Michael Michelsen, the firm's commercial manager, says the bottles are formed out of a single piece of paper-fiber-based material to give them strength.
1. What is the longer-term goal of Coca-Cola company?| A．To stop using plastic in its packaging. |
| B．To produce drinks of alternative tastes. |
| C．To expand business in European countries. |
| D．To use paper bottles with a thin plastic liner. |
| A．Coca-Cola has very strong competitors. |
| B．Some industry giants are in favor of plastic free packaging. |
| C．Carbonated drinks are facing stricter health and safety checks. |
| D．The paper bottle company is under pressure from environmentalists. |
| A．Being hard to be printed on. |
| B．Being able to be strengthened. |
| C．Being able to be made into different shapes. |
| D．Being able to be mixed with other materials. |
| A．Coca-Cola Takes the Lead to Go Green |
| B．Paper Bottles Are in Place for the Market |
| C．Drink Industry Is Turning to Paper Bottles |
| D．Paper Bottle Companies Spring up Worldwide |
4 . We all need waler to survive, but the general recommendation has been to drink more and more, with many guidelines now advising a minimum of eight glasses a day. Is there any evidence showing that this makes sense? The short answer is no. Studies looking at water intakes over 10 years in the elderly fail to show any benefits of extra water on kidney function or lifespan.
Clever marketing from bottled water companies has not only convinced us that we need to drink more water, but also that expensive bottled mineral water is somehow better for us. We now drink more bottled water than ever before, with the global industry growing rapidly at 10 percent a year. By 2025, the global market is estimated to be worth ＄215 billion. But research shows that tap water nowadays is perfectly safe, and with added fluoride （氨化物）, it is also good for our teeth. There have been studies showing that tap water contains traces of common pharmaceutical（制药的）drugs, but they have also found the same levels when testing bottled water. Although water in many areas contains chemicals, the levels are too small to make a noticeable difference to our health.
Bottled water has devastating environmental costs, which is self﹣evident as there are already abundant reports on pollution caused by plastic bottles, and no proven health benefits. And, does it taste better?Probably not. On the contrary, there are even blind tastings showing that tap water scores higher than most mineral water.
So, still hesitate when presented with both bottled water and tap water?Probably you should not now. My advice is to stick with tap water: you will be reducing the global environmental cost of half a trillion plastic bottles piling up each year and taking a stand against the power of marketing.
1. According to the first paragraph，we can know________.| A．eight glasses of water a day does harm to the elderly. |
| B．eight glasses of water a day isn't so scientific as we thought. |
| C．water is essential for us to survive. |
| D．drinking extra water benefits our kidney. |
| A．Tap water contains too much common pharmaceutical drugs. |
| B．Bottled water is rich in various minerals. |
| C．People are influenced by bottled water companies' marketing strategies. |
| D．Tap water is not so tasty as bottled water. |
| A．Potential. |
| B．Beneficial. |
| C．Challenging. |
| D．Damaging. |
| A．The more water we drink， the healthier we will be. |
| B．Tap water should become our first choice of drinking. |
| C．Both bottled water and tap water should be our main choices when thirsty. |
| D．Bottled water and tap water both have a lot of advantages. |
5 . Bangladesh's floating gardens, built to grow food during flood seasons, could offer a continuous solution for parts of the world which are likely to suffer from flooding because of climate change, a new study has found.
Bangladesh's floating gardens began hundreds of years ago. The gardens are made from native plants that float in the rivers and operate almost like rafts (筏), rising and filling with the waters. Historically, they were used to continue growing food during rainy seasons when rivers were filled with water.
The farmers layer the plants about three feet deep, creating a version of raised-bed gardens that float in the water. Then, they plant vegetables inside those rafts. As the raft-plants rot away, they release nutrients, which help feed the vegetable plants.
But as climate change affected the volume of water in those rivers, the researchers wanted to understand whether Bangladesh's floating gardens could be a continuous farming practice. They interviewed farming families and found strong evidence that floating gardens provide stability, both in the amount of food available to feed rural populations and in a farming family's income.
They found that farmers typically use hybrid (杂交) seeds, which must be repurchased each year, to grow a diverse range of vegetables in the floating gardens. The gardens are also sensitive to pests, so farmers end up spending some money on both pesticides and fertilizers. But even with those expenses, they found, benefits outweighed costs. One farmer told the research team that he earns up to four times as much money from the gardens as from traditional rice fields.
However, before gaining profits, farmers often take out high-interest loans (贷款) to cover the investment costs of filling the beds and stocking them with plants. Luckily; there are also lower-interest loans from responsible government or non-governmental organizations, which could ease that burden.
1. How do vegetable plants grow according to the text?| A．By absorbing nutrition from raft-plants. | B．By taking shelter from climate change. |
| C．By living together with hybrid seeds. | D．By moving up and down with raised beds. |
| A．“Our life becomes tough when rivers flood.” | B．“Fewer vegetables are planted when water rises.” |
| C．“We harvest much more food during rainy seasons.” | D．“Climate change has little influence on our income.” |
| A．Affected. | B．Brought. | C．Beat. | D．Equaled. |
| A．A solution to climate problem has been found. | B．The gardens are built with rotted native plants. |
| C．Farmers earn more from traditional rice fields. | D．Low-interest loans lighten the stress of farmers. |
6 . 2020 was a really tough year. It affected our lives in many ways and made other serious issues even more difficult to address. There was also social and political unrest in the United States and other places around the world.
All of this added up to some big, stressful year called 2020. In fact, 2020 is a song filled with low, depressing notes.
In English, “low notes” are unpleasant things that happen during an event, any event. So if something ends on a low note, it ends in an unpleasant way. For example, once I took a fun vacation. But it ended on a low note. On the last day, all my money was stolen. Then my flight home was delayed. So, I had to sleep in an airport for two days!
However, we also have another phrase-- a “high note”! In English, a “high note” is something pleasant or gratifying.
So, to end something on a high note is to end it with something pleasant. It can also mean to end something at the best possible point -- for example, at the point when something is most successful.
Anything can be a high note, if you choose it to be. For example, 2020 was a disaster. But for me it ended on a high note. One cold night in late December, I saw on owl in a tree near my house. I love owls but had never seen one so close before! That was a high note for me.
Hopefully, all of us were able to end 2020 on a high note.
1. Which of the following does NOT show the writer’s attitude towards the year of 2020?| A．It’s a year that is filled with low notes. |
| B．It’s a year that ends on a high note. |
| C．It’s a year full of easy issues. |
| D．It’s a year full of unforgettable memories. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Enjoyable. | C．Permanent. | D．Concerned. |
| A．Because it ended on a high note. |
| B．Because it is a song with something pleasant. |
| C．Because the author loves owls that have high notes. |
| D．Because the author love owls and saw one so close. |
| A．The usages of “high notes” and “low notes”. |
| B．Examples about “high and low notes”. |
| C．The change of “low notes” and “high notes”. |
| D．Some serious issues about “high and low notes”. |
7 . Now, Amazon has opened a brick﹣and﹣mortar bookstore in downtown Bethesda, and I am not thrilled. One reason is that there is no cafe area. But the biggest reason I am profoundly disappointed is that the new Amazon store does not accept cash. I refuse to use a credit card to pay for small purchases, such as books. I prefer to use cash.
Much has been written about the "unbanked" people who are too poor to afford a credit card or a debit card（借记卡）and who don't have a smartphone. No﹣cash policies are discriminatory against people of low income. In Massachusetts, it is illegal for retail establishments to discriminate against cash﹣paying customers. Several lawmakers in the district are thinking of adopting similar laws.
I am not a person of low income. I do have a credit card, and I occasionally use it. But it is my choice, for lifestyle and money management reasons, to use my credit card only for large purchases. I have decided not to own or use a smartphone, which means that I cannot use apps to make purchases.
For all their convenience, credit cards do come with problems. There are privacy concerns, because credit card purchases can be tracked. There are risks that those using credit cards may become victims of identity theft. And a cashless economy is dependent on functioning computers and uninterrupted power sources. Computers can be hacked, and power outages occur. In these circumstances, a cashless economy simply won't function.
My decision not to patronize stores that discriminate against cash﹣paying customers means that the only bookstore in downtown Bethesda will not be getting my business. In refusing to patronize such businesses, I am standing up for the "unbanked" who can't afford credit cards or smartphones and also for people like me who simply choose to use cash.
1. Why is the author disappointed at the new bookstore mainly？| A．Because there is no cafe area. |
| B．Because there are only e﹣books. |
| C．Because it rejects cash payment. |
| D．Because it doesn't accept credit cards. |
| A．The drawbacks of no﹣cash policy. |
| B．The credit risks of a cashless economy. |
| C．The convenience of credit card payment. |
| D．The privacy concerns of online shopping. |
| A．Sponsor. | B．Shop in. | C．Purchase. | D．Flee from. |
| A．Angry. | B．Worried. | C．Optimistic. | D．Enthusiastic. |
8 . In the world of Chinese archaeology (考古学), a sign of a dig's importance is the sight of Zhou Mingsheng at work. A field technician who has worked at archaeological sites all around China. Master Zhou is credited with the gentlest touch in his profession. Born into a farming family, he is a “national-level craftsman” with a talent for using simple tools to get relics (遗物) that would crumble in other hands, says his current boss, Wang Xu, director of an archaeological site at Shuanghuaishu, a Neolithic (新石器时代的) settlement near the Yellow River in the central province of Henan.
It is not beauty that attracts visitors to Shuanghuaishu. At 5, 300 years old, the settlement is the work of a culture too simple to have left behind many buried treasures. The single most precious find, to date, is a finger-length sculpture of a silkworm. Nor is the setting lovely: an area surrounded by deafening insects, between a highway and two power stations. Rather, the site's importance is historical. For since the birth of Chinese archaeology in the 1920s, it has been inseparable from claims that China has the oldest unbroken civilisation on Earth.
Leading archaeologists say that the site has the right combination of location, age and distinctive cultural elements to be the capital of an early Chinese kingdom. That would make it a bridge between China's written history and the era of the Yellow Emperor, who is said to rule over these central plains almost 5,000 years ago, though many foreign scholars doubt his existence. Chinese media call the site proof of China's 5,000 years of history.
Foreigners complain about a lack of written records, Mr Wang notes. Perhaps they are missing symbols that will one day be understood, for instance in patterned pottery. Outsiders "can't keep using Western standards to apply to Chinese ruins," he argues.
1. What does the underlined word “crumble” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Result. | B．Break. | C．Wait. | D．Shine. |
| A．It is of great historical significance. | B．It has various precious treasures. |
| C．It has appealing scenery. | D．It is easily accessible. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．Chinese history amazes the world | B．Chinese archaeology catches on |
| C．China follows its tradition | D．China digs its past |
9 . The idea of billions of people going through a few masks a week during this pandemic definitely rings alarm bells, but a team of researchers in Melbourne may have the solution.
They’ve discovered that adding millions of discarded face masks to road-paving (铺路) mixtures would actually lower the cost of the road, while preventing billions of them from landfills. Just one kilometer of road would need three million masks, and the polypropylene (聚丙烯) plastic used to make single-use surgical face masks also increased the flexibility and durability of the road.
The new material is a mixture of about 2% torn masks, with recycled concrete aggregate (RCA)—a material obtained from waste concrete and other minerals from destroyed buildings. This recycled material was found in the study to be ideal for two of the four layers generally required to create roadways. Paving a kilometer of two-way road with the RCA and three million face masks would result in a change of 93 tons of waste from landfills.
The final product then is more resistant to wear than asphalt (沥青), as well as being cheaper too, provided there was a method for collecting masks. The research team did a cost-analysis and found that, at $26 per ton, the RCA was about half the cost of mining raw materials, and as much as a third of the cost of shipping the used masks to a landfill.
The widespread application would be ideal for large infrastructure (基础设施) projects. For example, Washington has the 11th worst roads in terms of unaddressed repairs in the U.S. If the damaged roads in Washington state were repaired with the RCA/mask mixture, it would reuse nearly 10 billion masks, sparing American landfills hundreds of millions of tons of trash.
It’s said that the team is looking for private industry partners or governments willing to give their plastic mask road an opportunity for a large-scale test.
1. What does the underlined word “discarded” mean in paragraph 2?| A．Recycled. | B．Produced. |
| C．Mixed. | D．Abandoned. |
| A．2% torn masks, concrete and tons of trash. |
| B．Polypropylene plastic and building materials. |
| C．Single-use surgical masks and recycled concrete aggregate. |
| D．Waste concrete and other minerals from destroyed buildings. |
| A．To tell us what the team has found. |
| B．To prove this material is cost-effective in paving roads. |
| C．To explain repairing roads costs a lot of materials. |
| D．To praise the hard work the team has done. |
| A．The material used to pave roads is made of masks. |
| B．Generally speaking, it requires two layers to create roadways. |
| C．It remains to be tested whether the solution is practical. |
| D．The damaged roads in Washington were repaired with the RCA. |
10 . In the magnificent range of mountains of northern California, 42 radio telescopes point towards the stars, scanning for signs of life. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence （SETI） Institute has been listening for a signal here since it was founded in 1984. Jill Tarter, its co — founder, says the programmed aim is not just to communicate with remote civilisations. It is also to remind human beings of its own modest, fragile （脆弱的）place in the universe. Thus, for the first time, SETI is cocking its ear towards Earth to look for a signal that can be sent into space to represent the species.
Felipe Perez Santiago, a Mexican musician and composer, has an idea of what might work.Since songs, like the human voices, are common to all languages and nations, he and Ms. Tarter have designed the “Earthling Project”-a call to people everywhere to upload extracts （精华）of song that he plans to melt into a collective human chorus. An initial composition will be launched into space this summer, recorded on a virtually indestructible disk. Future plans and dreams include an eventual landing on Mars.
Human music has been sent to the heavens in 1977. Distant beings can in theory already enjoy Peruvian panpipes, a Navajo chant, Bach, Beethoven and more. But no previous offering, and perhaps no composition undertaken anywhere, has tried to encompass the entire diversity of human song.
Mr. Santiago says he is thrilled about bringing together contributors from around the globe. Unlike other recordings sent into space, says Mr. Santiago, “Everyone's invited. You don't have to be one of the main composers of our history like Beethoven, just someone singing in their shower.” Download the “Earthling Project" app, sing up to three songs of 30 seconds each, and your voice will be sent into the sky.
1. Why does SETI look for a signal to be sent into space?| A．To stand for species on the earth. |
| B．To scan for other liveable planets. |
| C．To respond to the call of the universe. |
| D．To stress the importance of the earth. |
| A．It is a world music organization. |
| B．It intends to create a human chorus. |
| C．It tries to develop a universal language. |
| D．It aims to search for signals from space. |
| A．Include. | B．Appreciate. |
| C．Work out. | D．Relate to. |
| A．To inspire people to become composers. |
| B．To call on people to protect our planet. |
| C．To encourage people to explore space. |
| D．To invite people to join a programme. |
