1 . There aren’t enough resources to identify and cure the factors that are causing populations of animals around the world to decline. Artificial intelligence might have the power to change that.
When an endangered seabird hits a power line, it
His team recorded 600 hours of audio and sent the recordings to Preservation Metrics, a company that assists preservation efforts with AI
In science fiction stories such as The Matrix, AI-powered machines take over the world and end life on the planet as we know it. But
By many
Humans,
In large national parks and wildlife reserves,
We still face many challenges to
A.makes a sound | B.catches fire | C.keeps the distance | D.takes chances |
A.affected | B.preserved | C.recorded | D.attracted |
A.unlawfully | B.instantly | C.frequently | D.deliberately |
A.fiction | B.significance | C.factors | D.resources |
A.deceiving | B.doubtful | C.desirable | D.disturbing |
A.Engaged in | B.Qualified for | C.Armed with | D.Exposed to |
A.in addition | B.in reality | C.in return | D.in fact |
A.measures | B.programs | C.services | D.species |
A.biodiversity | B.production | C.population | D.economy |
A.distribute | B.pool | C.lack | D.exploit |
A.meanwhile | B.however | C.otherwise | D.besides |
A.big-game | B.professional | C.local | D.illegal |
A.impossible | B.dangerous | C.urgent | D.thankless |
A.disproved | B.explained | C.predicted | D.ignored |
A.estimate | B.reverse | C.experience | D.sustain |
2 . What do you know about fashion? The fashion industry, which has become one of the most
A friend of mine
The items are the products of an industry that, in the past 30 years, has become one of the most successful and also most
“The fashion industry represents a key environmental
One wonders: What can we do about it? Don’t you have any clothes on? It’s not that
A.convincing | B.interesting | C.confusing | D.damaging |
A.carry out | B.come out | C.set out | D.break out |
A.builds | B.runs | C.supports | D.controls |
A.expensive | B.useless | C.worthless | D.attractive |
A.businessmen | B.children | C.locals | D.masses |
A.little | B.few | C.much | D.many |
A.on behalf of | B.in the form of | C.for the sake of | D.in terms of |
A.effective | B.destructive | C.preventive | D.alternative |
A.quarrel | B.argument | C.fight | D.conflict |
A.tell the truth | B.hit the brakes | C.pave the way | D.break the ice |
A.threat | B.effect | C.problem | D.protection |
A.results from | B.consists of | C.brings about | D.relies on |
A.ambition | B.action | C.satisfaction | D.attraction |
A.far | B.extreme | C.bad | D.complex |
A.enjoy | B.imagine | C.miss | D.avoid |
3 . Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don’t dispute(质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
1. What has Steven Stein been hired to do?A.Help increase grocery sales. |
B.Recycle the waste material. |
C.Stop things falling off trucks. |
D.Argue for the use of plastic bags. |
A.Bans on plastic bags. |
B.Effects of city development. |
C.Headaches caused by garbage. |
D.Plastic bags hung in trees. |
A.They are quite expensive. |
B.Replacing them can be difficult. |
C.They are less strong than plastic bags. |
D.Producing them requires more energy. |
A.Plastic, Paper or Neither |
B.Industry, Pollution and Environment |
C.Recycle or Throw Away |
D.Garbage Collection and Waste Control |
4 . By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.
At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms(海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.
Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener. “Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing. ” she said, “but the type of phytoplankton is changing.”
And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.
Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. “It’ll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change,” Dutkiewicz said, “but the change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet.”
1. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?A.The various patterns at the ocean surface. |
B.The cause of the changes in ocean colour. |
C.The way light reflects off marine organisms. |
D.The efforts to fuel the growth of phytoplankton. |
A.Sensitive. | B.Beneficial. | C.Significant. | D.Unnoticeable. |
A.Phytoplankton play a declining role in the marine ecosystem. |
B.Dutkiewicz’s model aims to project phytoplankton changes. |
C.Phytoplankton have been used to control global climate. |
D.Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear greener. |
A.To assess the consequences of ocean colour changes. |
B.To analyse the composition of the ocean food chain. |
C.To explain the effects of climate change on oceans. |
D.To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton. |
Billionaires Race to Space
In late July 2021, Jeff Bezos achieved an out-of-this-world ambition. The billionaire founder of Amazon
“Best day ever,” Bezos said over the radio to mission control after landing safely back on Earth,
Bezos wasn’t the first billionaire to set his sights on space. Nor was he the first
Critics say that the money
But supporters of commercial space travel argue that it does benefit humanity. Personal funds
6 . I’ve been in an 18-year love-hate relationship with a black walnut tree.
It’s a unique tree. In late September or early October, falling fruits as hard as baseballs threaten the skulls (头骨) of you, your children, your neighbors and those that reside next door to them. Umbrellas in the yard are a must while dining in early August, and as for me, I wear my bike helmet while working in the garden.
The black walnut also releases a chemical substance through its roots as a competitive strategy. It’s poisonous to several common plants. There have been many new plant varieties that I brought home with hopes that maybe the black walnut would accept them, but they failed to flourish.
What does work are native plants that naturally grow in the area. Native plants are important to have around since they provide beneficial pollinators (传粉者) like birds, bees and butterflies with seeds and contribute to a healthy and biodiverse environment. Native plants for this area are generally easy to grow, so they experience less stress.
Have I thought of getting rid of this giant pain in my tiny backyard? Yes, however, getting rid of this tree standing at 50 feet with an 87-inch trunk is next to impossible. It’s also protected under the law. Rightfully so. Trees are important to the urban forest and for all of those that inhabit it.
Sometimes I think about my life without the black walnut. I can’t imagine a spring without the birds who arrive every year and loudly sing their songs before dawn. I’d miss falling asleep on lazy weekend afternoons as I look up into its leaves.
Every spring, I wonder what the season holds: What are the chances of being knocked unconscious while barbecuing? Like any good relationship, I’ll never be pleased. I’m stuck with this tree, so I’ll listen to its needs and give it the space it requires. In return, my walnut offers a habitat for wildlife and a reminder.
1. Why does the author wear a bike helmet while working in the garden?A.To protect the injured skull. | B.To prevent herself from sunburn. |
C.To avoid being hit by the nuts. | D.To reduce the chance of getting bitten by bees. |
A.It attracts beneficial pollinators. |
B.It lets out poison to drive away pests. |
C.It produces a chemical fatal to some plants. |
D.It competes for nutrition with similar species. |
A.The volume of its fruits may bring inconvenience. |
B.The tree outcompetes the native plants in the garden. |
C.The tree is home to numerous birds and other creatures. |
D.The presence of the tree takes up much space of the garden. |
A.it’s better to give than to take |
B.trees and plants have their own ways to flourish |
C.even a good relationship is not always trouble-free |
D.acceptance, instead of resistance, is the better way to be |
Japan Releases Nuclear Wastewater into the Pacific. How Worried Should We Be?
Japan has started releasing wastewater into the ocean. But this isn’t the kind of wastewater
Since the accident, over 1.3 million tons of nuclear wastewater
Japan’s discharge plan involves incrementally (递增地) releasing it over the next three decades, although some experts say it could take longer, given the amount still
Now, American scientists are raising concerns that marine life and ocean currents could carry harmful radioactive isotopes (同位素) —also called radionuclides—
“It’s a trans-boundary and trans-generational event,” says Robert Richmond, director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory at the University of Hawaii. “
The radionuclides could be carried by ocean currents, especially the cross-Pacific Kuroshio current. Marine animals that migrate great distances could spread them too. No
Richmond and Buesseler say that
8 . Climate experts have warned about the many ways a warming planet can negatively affect human health.
One long-held prediction that appears to be coming true — according to the results of a study recently published in Nature Scientific Reports — is how climate change might enhance
Vibrio vulnificus (创伤弧菌) flourishes in salty or brackish waters above 68℉. Infections are currently rare in the U.S., but that’s likely to change. Using 30 years of data on infections, scientists at the University of East Anglia in the U.K. found that Vibrio vulnificusis
“We’re seeing the core
Based on the latest data on how much the world’s water and air temperatures will rise, the scientists predict that by 2081, Vibrio vulnificus infections could reach every state along the U.S. East Coast. Currently, only about 80 cases are reported in the U.S. each year; by 2081, that could go up to over three-fold, the authors say.
Such a proliferation could have serious health consequences. Vibrio vulnificus kills approximately 20% of the healthy people it infects, and 50% of those with weakened immune systems. There is little evidence that antibiotics can
Warming sea temperatures aren’t the only reasons behind the rise of Vibrio vulnificus. Hotter air also draws more people to the coasts and bays, bringing them into closer contact with the bacteria.
“The bacteria are part of the natural marine environment, so I don’t think we can
To alert people to the growing threat,
Vbrio vulnificus is so
Lake says the expansion of Vibrio vulnificus is concerning for public health since the bacteria are now invading waters closer to heavily
A.Even if | B.Except when | C.The instant | D.In case |
A.numbers | B.ranges | C.coverages | D.concentrations |
A.failure | B.fatality | C.survival | D.acid |
A.ranging | B.varying | C.expanding | D.shifting |
A.distribution | B.launch | C.community | D.sample |
A.principle | B.lead | C.principal | D.hit |
A.boost | B.accelerate | C.contain | D.remove |
A.harms | B.damages | C.injuries | D.wounds |
A.relieve | B.dissolve | C.resolve | D.erase |
A.conscience | B.awareness | C.panic | D.alert |
A.monitoring | B.processing | C.managing | D.delivering |
A.sensible | B.vital | C.vulnerable | D.sensitive |
A.populated | B.dense | C.paralleled | D.bordered |
A.reaction | B.interaction | C.intervention | D.relativity |
A.rather than | B.except for | C.such as | D.other than |
It is perhaps the most ironic symbol of the life on our planet. The Amazon is the world’s largest and most bio-diverse tropical rainforest and a huge trap for carbon dioxide. The harms of
Gati has spent years
That nightmare situation is the well-known Amazon
Warnings that this is approaching have now taken on extreme urgency. The rate of deforestation has increased sharply and is fast approaching the theoretical
Scientists first began to seriously worry about a potential Amazon tipping point in about 2000, when some studies warned that a combination of climate change and deforestation could cause the rainforest to
A few years later, a team of Brazilian scientists put numbers on it. They
The scientists have since
“Either way, we would be wise not to exceed 20%”, says a scientist, “for the commonsense reason that there is no point in
A.fertilization | B.elimination | C.deforestation | D.frustration |
A.program | B.disaster | C.protection | D.regulation |
A.evolution | B.spotlight | C.condition | D.emergency |
A.measuring | B.observing | C.protecting | D.criticizing |
A.released | B.melted | C.turned | D.supplied |
A.tipping | B.disappointing | C.awarding | D.tapping |
A.build | B.turn | C.cause | D.make |
A.problem | B.prediction | C.aspect | D.limit |
A.base | B.edge | C.surface | D.track |
A.dry out | B.run down | C.pay off | D.rise up |
A.boasted | B.insisted | C.estimated | D.instructed |
A.thirst | B.starvation | C.cold | D.disease |
A.digested | B.revised | C.encouraged | D.previewed |
A.strategy | B.climate | C.average | D.system |
A.diagnosing | B.instructing | C.inquiring | D.discovering |
10 . It has always been assumed that noise is a problem unique to animals. But a new study by Ali Akbar has revealed that plants suffer too.
That plants can be damaged indirectly by noise pollution has never been in doubt. Since most flowering species depend upon pollinators (授粉者) and most fruit-bearing species need animals to spread around their seeds, it is obvious that if these animal partners are harmed by noise then their botanical counterparts will do badly, too. What has remained unknown is whether or not plants themselves suffer directly from noise pollution.
Scientists have previously assumed that plants may be able to sense sound waves as they are struck by them. A number of experiments have confirmed this in recent years — plants heavily exposed to ultrasound in the lab have shown a range of negative responses including the expression of stress-related genes, slowed growth and reduced development of seeds.
Yet attacking plants with ultrasound is not the same as growing them in the presence of actual traffic noise. To this end, Ali Akbar decided to set up an experiment to study precisely this questions.
Working with a team of colleagues, he grew marigolds (孔雀草) and sage (鼠尾草) in his lab that are commonly found in urban environments. The plants were divided into two groups after getting mature. One group was exposed to 73 decibels of traffic noise. The other group was left to grow in silence. After 15 days had passed, samples were taken from the youngest fully expanded leaves on every plant in the experiment and studied.
None of the plants exposed to the traffic noise did well. Analysis of their leaves revealed that all of them were suffering. The team found that a range of hormones(荷尔蒙) normally associated with healthy growth and development in plants were present at significantly reduced levels in the plants exposed to the noise. Two stress hormones, which are normally produced to prevent insect attacks and deal with salty soil or very cold temperatures, were elevated.
Ali Akbar’s findings make it clear that though plants lack ears, the noise of traffic still bothers them enough to trigger dramatic stress responses that are not much different to those that would be found in plants exposed to drought, highly concentrated salt or heavy metals in their soil.
The next question is whether all noise pollution affects all species in the same way. The natural world is by no means silent. Whether some plant species have evolved coping mechanisms, which might one day be collected and transferred into urban-living species, is a mystery worth exploring.
1. What did scientists believe in the past?A.Noise is a problem directly facing both animals and plants. |
B.Plants can be affected by noise in an indirect way. |
C.Animal partners can do harm to their botanical partners. |
D.Sound waves can damage plants because they have senses. |
A.Ultrasound is similar to traffic noise in that it doesn’t harm plants. |
B.Plants exposed to ultrasound exhibit negative signs of growth. |
C.Traffic noise causes plants to grow unhealthily and slowly. |
D.Plant leaves contain hormones dealing with a harsh environment. |
A.Plants growing in silence have a reduced level of hormones |
B.Plants exposed to noise respond differently from those in drought. |
C.Different noise pollution has the same effect on all species. |
D.An increase in stress hormones in plants means they are in hardship. |
A.Some plants may not necessarily be harmed by the sound in nature. |
B.Some plants have surely developed a method to cope with traffic noise. |
C.Unban-living species can be engineered to grow well in the natural world. |
D.The silence in nature promotes the development of noise coping mechanisms. |