1 . By the year 2050, a fifth of the world’s cities will experience unprecedented climate conditions and environments that currently don't exist in any major cities, according to new research. A team of scientists at the Crowther Lab in Switzerl produced the report, which described the climate for 520 major cities 30 years in the future.
The results showed that 77 percent of the world’s cities will experience a surprising change in climate conditions by 2050, and 22 percent of the 520 cities will see conditions that are not currently experienced by any existing major cities.
In China in 2050, the climate of Xi’an, in Shanxi province, will be similar to that of current day Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho in southern Africa, with the maximum temperature of the warmest month likely to increase by 4.5 C. Chongqing in southwest China will resemble the climate of Swaziland capital Mbabane, as the warmest temperature is predicted to rise by 5.1 C.
Scientists predict summers in Europe will get warmer by an average of 3.5 C and European winters will see temperature rises of 4.7 C. London's climate will be more similar to Barcelona, and Madrid’s to Marrakech.
The Crowther Lab hopes the analysis will motivate decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent or address some of the climate impacts due to the threat of climate change. The report also found that cities in tropical regions will experience smaller changes in average temperature but will be controlled by shifts in rainfall regimes. This may lead to a noticeable increase in unexpected events, and severe droughts.
“Across all scientific fields, the greatest challenge in climate science is no longer the precise measurement of climate change impacts, but inspiring people to picture its actual effects in order to motivate action,” said Tom Crowther, senior scientist and founder of the Crowther Lab.
1. The underlined word in the first paragraph probably means .| A．New | B．Similar | C．Familiar | D．Important |
| A．By comparison. | B．By theory. |
| C．By experiment. | D．By number. |
| A．To compare the climate change of the major cities of the world. |
| B．To inspire people to picture its actual effects in order to motivate action. |
| C．To inspire decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent some of the climate impacts. |
| D．To show that 77 percent of the world's cities will experience a striking change in climate conditions. |
| A．World Temperature | B．Current Climate Change |
| C．Big Titles in the World | D．Future Climate Change in Most Big Cities |
Scientists often compare coral reefs to underwater rainforests, yet unlike the leafy plant base of a forest, corals are animals.The soft organs inside the hard parts of corals are naturally transparent and get
When corals experience stress from hot temperatures or
People first noticed coral bleaching events in the 1980s.The problem worsened in 2016, when an El Nino weather pattern,
Scientists around the world are looking for all kinds of ways to protect and maybe even revive corals.One option is
3 . Tips for Green Travel with Kids
Traveling doesn’t mean letting go of all the eco-friendly choices we work so hard to achieve in our daily life. Here are a few tips for green travel with kids:
Booking nonstop flights whenever possible will reduce carbon emissions (碳排放). If the closest local airport doesn’t have nonstop flights to a certain place, check in with other local airports to see if nonstop flights are available.
Whether you’re flying or driving, it’s easy when traveling to pull into fast food restaurants for snacks.
Reusable water bottles are easy to bring along whenever you travel. At the airport, keep your reusable bottles empty until you have passed through the security (安检).
| A．Too much carbon emissions seriously pollute the environment. |
| B．But you can pack healthy food before starting off. |
| C．In this way, you can save water and energy. |
| D．Fill them up on the other side of the security checkpoint. |
| E．Security check is a necessary part of each trip. |
| F．Save energy by turning off the hotel room lights when you head out for the day. |
| G．You might have to drive a bit further, but saving on carbon emissions makes it worthwhile. |
4 . A team of scientists says that playing sounds underwater can get fish to return to areas with severely damaged coral reefs(珊瑚礁）.
In an experiment, they found fish returned after hearing recordings of the sounds of a healthy ocean reef. The scientists placed underwater speakers in areas where coral had been dying in Australia’s northern Great Barrier Reef. They played the sounds over a period of about six weeks in 2017 and studied the results. The team reported that twice as many fish arrived in areas where the sounds of healthy coral were played.The sounds also led to a 50 percent increase in the number of species present in the area, the researchers found. Among the arriving fish were species that feed on all major food sources.
The researchers noted the importance of having many different kinds of fish return to the area. Different species of fish perform many activities that support the ocean environment and sea life. “Damaged reefs have a higher chance of recovery if they have healthy fish populations,” the scientists wrote in the report.
Steve Simpson is a professor at the University of Exeter who helped lead the research. He said in a statement that “healthy coral reefs are remarkably noisy places. ” They contain the sounds of many kinds of shrimp, fish and other sea creatures. Young fish listen for these sounds when they are looking for a place to settle, Simpson said.
He added that reefs “become ghostly quiet” when they suffer destruction that is usually related to human-caused pollution. Coral damage can cause unappealing smells and sounds that drive shrimp and fish away. But the experiment suggested that the use of underwater loudspeakers was an effective way to get young fish to come back.
Andy Radford, a professor at University of Bristol,said the underwater sounds are a promising way to fight coral reef damage at the local community level. But he noted that other threats need to be, reduced as well. These include climate change, pollution and overfishing.
1. What did the scientists find in the experiment?| A．Twice as many fish arrived in the healthy coral areas. |
| B．The sounds led to a 50 percent increase in the number of fish present in the area. |
| C．Playing the sounds of healthy coral reefs is effective to save dying coral. |
| D．Damaged reefs can recover completely if they have healthy fish populations. |
| A．Human-caused pollution. |
| B．The unattractive smells and sounds. |
| C．Climate change. |
| D．Overfishing. |
| A．Healthy fish help recover the damaged coral reefs by swimming. |
| B．People reduce environmental pollution to save dying coral. |
| C．Scientists find a new way to protect the ocean environment and sea life. |
| D．Researchers use underwater sounds to fight coral reef damage. |
5 . Lonely Planet Trips
Here are some travel destinations by Lonely Planet. Reading them, you’ll be in a flash.
Bhutan
The Kingdom of Bhutan, located on the Silk Road in South Asia, claimed the No. 1 spot partly for its majestic beauty and because it had become the first fully organic nation by 2020. The kingdom has lush subtropical plains in the south and sub-alpine Himalayan mountains in the north, which include Gangkhar Puensum, Bhutan’s highest peak and is believed to be the highest unclimbed mountain in the world.
North Macedonia
If you want an alternative to Europe's more popular travel spots, North Macedonia could be for you. Its mountains and their trails are “blissfully quiet” and the locals are “unfailingly helpful” according to Lonely Planet. Among its destinations is Ohrid, a charming, old town dotted with medieval ruins and churches, lined with cobblestone streets, and overlooking Lake Ohrid.
Eswatini
The kingdom offers multitudinous climate and topography differences, and is known for its wide varieties of wild animals, which include more than 500 bird species and 107 mammal species. The nation has seven nature reserves, four frontier conservation areas and three wildlife reserves.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is beloved for many reasons, from its coffee to its epic surfing. It’s also notable for its reliance on green energy sources. In fact, 90% of its energy is created by regenerative sources such as wind and hydro. It is also one of the world’s most biodiverse countries — home to half a million species. Of course, no trip to Costa Rica is complete without a visit to the Sloth Sanctuary.
1. What can tourists appreciate in both Bhutan and North Macedonia?| A．Organic products. | B．Subtropical jungles. |
| C．Medieval architecture. | D．Mountain scenery. |
| A．Pleasant quietness. | B．Topography varieties. |
| C．Abundant wildlife. | D．Cobblestone streets. |
| A．Renewable resources. | B．Biodiverse plants. |
| C．Frontier preserves. | D．The Silk Road. |
6 . Many of the world’s largest brewers (啤酒商) are using new technologies to replace single-use, plastic six-pack beer rings with more sustainable materials. Though mostly being used in small test trials, full adoption could have a positive environmental impact. Carlsberg, for example, is using glue to adhere cans in a production method that the Danish brewer says would avoid using 1,200 tons of plastic yearly, or the equal of 60 million plastic bags, once fully adopted.
Brewers have zeroed in on plastic six-pack-ring packaging partly because most consumers can recall the miserable image of a seagull, turtle, or some other aquatic (水生的) creature trapped or killed by the plastic rings. The packaging is so deep-rooted in our culture that many children were taught to cut up the rings to lessen the chance that an animal might choke itself to death.
The rings developed by E6PR (Edible Six Pack Ring) programme, which is led by another brewery called Saltwater, are now used by 35 brewers across the globe, including in Africa, Europe, and Australia. These rings are made of waste wheat in beer production. The final goal is to ensure that the rings can be eaten harmlessly by aquatic creatures or break down in nature within a matter of weeks rather than the years it would take for plastic.
Giving up plastic straws and beer rings may help consumers feel better about their carbon footprint, but some experts say we should focus on other efforts. Recycling rates in the U.S.stand at just over 34%. Glass, in which many brewers bottle their beer, can be difficult to recycle and large to transport. If brewers were to focus on using thinner glass, some experts say, the improvement could prove even more beneficial to the environment than giving up plastic rings.
There’s also the risk that if consumers think their E6PR rings are less harmful, they’ll be more likely to litter. “The idea of creating something that’s litter-friendly is an issue in my mind,” says Nina Goodrich, executive director of environmental nonprofit GreenBlue. “What we need in North America is a better system to encourage collection and sorting.”
1. What does the underlined word “adhere” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Collect. | B．Stick. | C．Open. | D．Reuse. |
| A．To collect the rings for recycling. |
| B．To make the rings break down more easily. |
| C．To prevent the rings harming aquatic animals. |
| D．To increase children’s awareness of loving nature. |
| A．Low recycling rates in the U.S. |
| B．Benefits of giving up plastic beer rings. |
| C．Difficulty in transporting beer glass bottles. |
| D．Another way to protect the environment. |
| A．They will be thrown away more casually. |
| B．They will not be accepted by consumers. |
| C．They will be more difficult to recycle. |
| D．They will be still made of plastic. |
7 . Who would win in a fight, a lion or a tiger? Well, if size has anything to do with the matter, the tiger would win. That’s because tigers are the largest of all cat species. Tigers are not only large, they are also fast. They can dash as fast as 40 miles per hour for short distances and leap as far as 30 feet.
At the start of the 20th century, there were over 100,000 tigers living in the wild. By the turn of the century, the number of tigers outside of catch decreased to just over 3, 000. Interestingly, the most serious threats that tigers face come from a much smaller species, one with an average weight of around 140 lbs. That species is Homo sapiens, better known as humans.
Tigers are hunted for many reasons.
Tigers have also been hunted as a game.
Humans have done great damage to the world’s tiger population through hunting, but perhaps more damage has been caused through the destruction of habitat. Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, all the way from Turkey to the eastern coast of Russia.
| A．Though humans have done great harm to tigers. |
| B．A lion is not as large as a tiger but runs faster than it. |
| C．People have long valued the famous striped（有条纹的）skins. |
| D．But over the past 100 years, tigers have lost 93% of their historic range. |
| E．Humans threaten tigers in primarily two ways：hunting and destroying habitat. |
| F．In other words, people hunted tigers only for the thrill and achievement of killing them. |
| G．You may not think that such large, fast, and fierce tigers need help to survive, but they do. |
8 . Global warming is the increase of the earth’s average surface temperature due to the effect of greenhouse gases, for example, carbon dioxide, which traps heat that would otherwise escape from the earth. After the trees are cut down and more greenhouse gases are released. the “blanket” around the earth called the ozone layer（臭氧层）, will get thicker. This catches more heat and makes the earth hotter. Luckily, there are many things that every citizen of the earth can do to help reduce the effects of global warming, and it’s never too late or too early for children to take action.
The children should learn what a carbon footprint is. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon and greenhouse gases people make as they lead the daily life and go about the normal activities. In other words, the carbon footprint is a measure of the environmental impact（冲击）the life has. To live an environmentally friendly life that doesn’t contribute to global warming, people-want to have the smallest carbon footprint possible.
Almost everything people do contributes to global warming and is related to fossil fuel consumption. These can be direct uses of fossil fuels, like riding in a gasoline-powered car, or indirect contributions to greenhouse gases, such as eating fruits or vegetables that have to be shipped from far way to reach their tables.
If a child wants to make a contribution to reducing global warming, he should ride a bicycle to the near park, school, his friend’s house, or anywhere else instead of taking the car. Or he may try to walk or jog, which is also helpful. In addition, although trains and buses often run on fossil fuels, on average, each person uses less energy and produces less pollution to run. Next time if children with their parents have to get around town or it’s too far to walk or bike, take the bus or other public transportation instead of asking for a ride.
1. What is the main reason for global warming?| A．Too much greenhouse gases are released. |
| B．The ozone layer has caught more heat. |
| C．Much more ozone layer has been released. |
| D．The increase of the earth’s inner temperature results in the global warming. |
| A．Life has an impact on carbon footprint. |
| B．The definition of a carbon footprint. |
| C．People should live an environmental friendly life. |
| D．People make a huge amount of carbon and greenhouse gases. |
| A．children | B．parents | C．children educators | D．adults |
| A．What Can People Do To Use Less Energy? |
| B．Why Global Warming Affects Humans’ Life? |
| C．How Can Kids Help Reduce Global Warming? |
| D．How Does Carbon Footprints Measure Pollution? |
It's getting hot. It's time to put on lighter clothes and open up the windows. I can't wait to do so. Yesterday, an unforeseen visit to the kitchen happened during the brief time we were out. Two daring sparrows (麻雀) had risked landing on our territory to enjoy the freshness in our sink and some other breadcrumbs (面包屑) on our kitchen counter.
Actually, sparrows are everywhere. The tiny, gray -and brown birds are found on every continent except Antarctica, flying or jumping around cities, picking up leftover food on side-walks, and sometimes chasing with native bird species. These small creatures have adapted to living alongside humans- similar to pet dogs.
When you come across such sudden callers, you are likely to sense it as an unwanted visitor into your comfort zone, or you might receive it as a lovely angel of life. I chose the second option, with no hesitation while my husband preferred driving them away. After all, I've never come to stop to feel the relationship with sparrows.
I recalled when I was a little girl living in the city, I lived in an apartment with a flat roof viewed from our kitchen window. Every day my mom and I would go out to feed the sparrows. She taught me how to call them with a clicking sound she made with her tongue. I have loved sparrows ever since. So every day in my spare time, I can't stop observing and celebrating their dance from our window. I stuffed them with the leftovers on our tablecloth after every meal. And I have provided them with every kind of bases and stands of our house.
Undoubtedly, they feel at ease in our backyard. And that has led them to gather up courage and slide into our kitchen, bedroom or even reading room. Perhaps because they have the feeling that we don' t consider them trouble makers, but friendly neighbors. But I am slightly worried about their droppings (粪便).
注意:
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One day, they left some droppings in my husband's reading room.
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About two weeks later, I heard my husband calling “Oh, my God!”
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10 . Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts (蝗虫) that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.
And now in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. “We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts.” said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-Fm, a radio station in one of Senegal's worst affected area.
This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move they produce young and increase their number and will soon threaten (威胁) Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia. Experts say the harmful effect on crops in areas already suffering from food shortage and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the areas are not well equipped to fight the pest.
Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares (公顷) per day with pesticide (杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster ,”said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.
Requests are being made for international aid, which is only way to limit the disaster, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned.
1. By using "dark cloud" to describe locusts in the first paragraph, author of the article .| A．shows the size and speed of the mass of locusts |
| B．suggests the great damage that locusts can cause |
| C．warns that locusts would sweep the continent like rain clouds |
| D．both A and B |
| A．West Africa's united effort in fighting a disaster |
| B．the difficulty in controlling locusts |
| C．how locusts caused great damage to West Africa |
| D．a struggle to fight against a disaster brought by locusts in West Africa |
| A．would be even more serious in Asia |
| B．is out of control |
| C．affected only the warning areas |
| D．cannot be stopped unless twice as much pesticide is provided for the affected areas |
| A．Sud-Fm offers a rewarded for fighting locusts so that more people will join in the effort. |
| B．Senegal is to the southwest of Sudan . |
| C．The locusts can cause such damage mainly because it has no natural enemy in West Africa . |
| D．12 countries affected by locusts have united but still lack pesticide. |
