1 . Building good transportation is a good idea. To have environmental value, new transportation has to sufficiently replace or eliminate driving to cut energy consumption overall. That means that a new traffic system has to be supported by reduction in car use. Traffic lanes should be eliminated or converted into bike or bus lanes. Ideally, these should be combined with higher fuel taxes, and parking fees. Needless to say, I have to struggle to make myself extensively understood. But they’re necessary, because you can’t make people drive less, in the long run, by taking steps that make driving more pleasant, economical, and productive.
Lengthy commuting (通勤) time is a forceful factor which can slow the growth of suburbs. The farther people live away from cities, the longer commuting time they need, which means more pollution their cars produce. If, in a misguided effort to do something of environmental value, governments take steps that make long-distance car commuting faster or more convenient—by adding lanes, building bypass, employing traffic-control measures that make it possible for existing roads to accommodate more cars with fewer delays—we are actually encouraging people to live still farther from their jobs, stores, and schools. As a result, governments are forced to further extend road networks, water lines, and other facilities. If you cut commuting time by 10 percent, people who now drive fifty miles each way to work can find reason to move five miles farther out, because their travel time won’t change.
Traffic congestion (拥堵) isn’t an environmental problem; traffic is. Relieving congestion without doing anything to reduce the total volume of cars can only make the real problem worse. Highway engineers have known for a long time that building new car lanes only temporarily reduces congestion, because the new lanes add additional driving. Widening roads makes traffic move faster in the short term, but the improved conditions eventually attract additional drivers, and congestion reappears. With more car on the roads, people think about widening roads again. Moving drivers out of cars and into other forms of transportation can have the same effect, if existing traffic lanes are kept in service: road space stimulates road use.
One of the arguments that cities inevitably make in promoting transportation plans is that the new system, by relieving automobile congestion, will improve the lives of those who continue to drive. No one ever promotes a transportation system by arguing that it would make travelling less convenient—even though, from an environmental perspective, inconvenient travel is a worthy goal.
1. In the first paragraph, the author gives us the hint that his recommendations are ______.| A．not widely supported | B．costly to carry out |
| C．generally recognized | D．temporarily beneficial |
| A．Drivers will become more productive employees. |
| B．Mass transportation will be extended farther into suburban areas. |
| C．Drivers will be more willing to live farther from their working place. |
| D．Mass transportation will carry fewer passengers and receive less government funding. |
| A．They are environmentally beneficial and should be carried out immediately. |
| B．They are well intentioned but ultimately lead to environmental harm. |
| C．They will definitely arouse people’s awareness of environmental protection. |
| D．They will only work if they can make driving more economical and productive. |
| A．support the claim that efforts to reduce traffic actually increase traffic. |
| B．oppose the belief that improving mass transportation systems is good for the environment. |
| C．provide a balance between suburban expansion and traffic congestion. |
| D．indicate that making driving less agreeable is a way to reduce negative effects of traffic. |
2 . A “secretive” new species of frog has been discovered on the forest floor in India’s Western Ghat mountain range. Named the starry dwarf frog after the markings on its dark brown back, it is just 2 centimeters long.
The frog, whose closest relatives are a group of species native to India and Sri Linka, is the only member of an ancient lineage (血统)dating back to millions of years ago, according to researchers from India and the US. It is unclear whether the species is descended from African or Asian frogs.
A group of Indian and US researchers first came across the local species hidden in leaf-litter as part of a wider project to look for new frogs, lizards and snakes in the richly biodiverse region and stored it in a jar for later study. Genetic testing and a closer look at its shape, colouring and other features has shown that it doesn’t match any existing species.Kartik Shanker of the Indian Institute of Science, who helped design the study, says while it is common to find new frogs in India, this one needs to be noticed. “This particular species not just is a new species, but also belongs to a new genus (属), and that makes it a little more special,” says Shanker.
The number of known species of frog identified in India has climbed from around 200 to above 400 over the past two decades. While many species new to science are frequently immediately sorted as endangered, it is too early to say whether the starry dwarf frog is threatened. “They are very secretive,” says Shanker, adding that the team didn’t know the size of its population. The frog is active at night and lives near water.
Habitat loss is a serious risk to frogs in tropical forests around the world, alongside threats such as a deadly fungus(真菌)that has been killing off amphibians(两栖动物)for the past four decades. But the new species was found in a reserved forest, meaning it will enjoy a degree of protection by Indian government agencies.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 3?| A．The species was discovered by tourists. |
| B．The species was found in a rich region. |
| C．The species was finally set free. |
| D．The species was further studied. |
| A．It is in small quantities. |
| B．It is an endangered species. |
| C．It is well worth attention. |
| D．It is related to African or Asian frogs. |
| A．Habitat loss is the chief threat to frogs. |
| B．The new species may face less dangers. |
| C．Tropical forests in India are all under protection. |
| D．The Indian government determines to save frogs. |
| A．A rare frog species protected in India |
| B．A rise in species of frog seen in India |
| C．A secretive frog species discovered in India |
| D．A risk of habitat loss for frogs removed in India |
Iceland lies far north in the Atlantic. Because of its climate, three-quarters of its area is uninhabitable. Iceland is
4 . Spectacular Waterfalls in the World
Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe
They are accessible via the Western Zimbabwe town of the same name. Though technically not the tallest (107 meters), Victoria Falls is commonly known as the largest for its rapidly falling water. Summers can be hot and too dry to see the falls in full form, making the best views between March and August.
Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
Though Iguazu is only 82 meters tall, its curtain of water extends for over 1,600 meters. But if two stamps in your passport aren’t enough of a reason, these Falls are also considered the largest waterfall system in the world. The temperate year-round weather around Iguazu Falls only adds to its popularity.
Niagara Falls, New York and Ontario
The falls are impressively high at 99 meters but equally impressively long, stretching on for what feels like forever. While the Canadian side boasts a touristy town to spend the weekend, the American side trades mostly in natural views. For blue skies and high waterfall rainbow visibility opportunity, visit in summer. And while those making the trip in the winter shouldn’t expect the falls to freeze, they should bundle up or risk freezing themselves.
The Detian Falls, China and Vietnam
The Detian Falls is located in Daxin County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, crossing the Sino-Vietnamese border. The roaring waterfall is separated into three-tiered falls by rocks and trees, dropping more than 70 meters. It has a maximum width of 200 meters. The waterfall is the largest naturally formed falls in Southeast Asia and has been identified as a top tourist destination.
1. Which is the tallest of the following waterfalls?| A．Victoria Falls | B．Iguazu Falls | C．Niagara Falls | D．The Detian Falls |
| A．They stretch in two countries. | B．They show good view in July. |
| C．They are over 100 meters in width. | D．They have mild year-round weather. |
| A．The freezing falls in winter | B．The town appealing to tourists. |
| C．The visible high waterfall rainbow. | D．The equally long and high waterfall. |
5 . In a street largely unchanged since it was built in the 1800s, Hobart’s Battery Point is probably the last place you would expect to find a farm.
In one corner of Peter Handy’s backyard is a controlled environment unit that houses vertical pastures (垂直牧场), the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere (半球). Mr. Handy is changing the definition of what it means to be a farmer. “I know it’s really funny, because when people say to me, ‘Where’s your farm?’, I’ll say ‘it’s in Battery Point’ and they’re like, ‘No, there’s no farms in Battery Point’,” he said “People think the Martians have landed because we’ve got this massive, big pink light that comes out of it from the bottom but other than that, they’d have no idea.”
Not just a backyard project, Mr. Handy is running a business. “It’s here because I need to be as close to my customers, the chefs and restaurants of Hobart,” he said. “I aim to use the least amount of food miles as possible and make this a super-efficient business.”
Using LED lights and hydroponic nutrients, the farm grows leafy greens, root vegetables and flowering plants. “I don’t have to worry about floods, wind, wild animals, electric fences, turning the soil over,” Mr .Handy said. Using 95 percent less water than traditional farming, the farm ticks the box environmentally. “I mean, this is definitely not the answer to food sustainability in the world. But it’s definitely a part of it.”
Science writer Julian Cribb believes a world food crisis is coming, due to a combination of loss of water, loss of topsoil, climate change and overuse of poisons. “We’re going to need to change the nature of the way we produce food and change the human diet at the same time,” he said, “and new urban farming methods would see most of the world’s great cities feeding themselves.”
Mr. Cribb said Australia was still quite a way off from adopting urban farming. But he believes that it poses a rather unique opportunity for Australian farmers to sell their expertise to cities, teaching people to grow food in urban environments.
1. What might people think of Mr. Handy’s farm?| A．Scared. | B．Impressed. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Confused. |
| A．It is not affected by weather. |
| B．It mainly plants and sells flowers. |
| C．It serves customers from near and far. |
| D．It is the solution to food sustainability. |
| A．To praise his contribution to science. |
| B．To explain how urban farming works. |
| C．To stress the necessity of urban farming. |
| D．To present the seriousness of the food crisis. |
| A．Cities are struggling to get food. |
| B．Technology is changing people’s life. |
| C．Peter Handy is a successful businessman. |
| D．Food production is being moved into cities. |
The world witnessed what was described
On August 17, a historic heat wave caused forest fires
In the following days, numerous stories, pictures and videos regarding this fire rescue
Among them, Generation Z, classified as those born in the mid-90s to early 2000s, played a
7 . Fat is an important part of all living things and most body fat in animals and people is white. White fat allows people to eat more than they need when food is enough. It stores those extra calories until food becomes short.
Hibernation(冬眠) can help animals get through the cold winter. They feed themselves on much food in fall in preparation for a long and cold winter. Animals don’t eat when they are hibernating.
When in torpor, it seems that animals have been sleeping. But torpor goes much deeper than that. In fact, animals’ activities slow down in torpor.
In order to wake up during the hibernation, these animals have to warm their bodies.
| A．But hibernating animals don’t stay asleep all winter long. |
| B．If so, they will suffer from hunger during the winter. |
| C．Their heart may beat only a few times each minute. |
| D．Instead, they burn their white fat to keep their bodies running. |
| E．They might feel comfortable when they wake up after a long winter. |
| F．Then the body burns it for energy to stay alive until more food shows up. |
| G．That means going from a temperature above freezing to their usual body temperature. |
8 . Best places to see wildlife in Canada
Whether you’re keen to see the mysterious spirit bears or listen to the songs of beluga whales, Canada’s varied landform offers dozens of wildlife adventures that are bound to impress you. So grab your camera and set out for a few of the best places to see Canada’s incredible wildlife.
Search for the mysterious spirit bears in the Great Bear Rainforest,British Columbia
Spirit bears are one of the most special animals found in Canada.They are a rare species protected by Canada and can only be found in the Great Bear Rainforest. which is a remote protected area mainly accessible by boat.
Listen to beluga whales sing in Churchill,Manitoba
About 136,000 beluga whales can be found here in Canadian waters in the summer.They are white in color and are nicknamed the“canaries(金丝雀)of the sea”thanks to the sounds they make, which are used to navigate.
Spot a moose (麇鹿) or two at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
The moose are one of the most-loved species in Canada,but are surprisingly difficult to find in the wild. If you have your heart set on seeing a moose or two,head to Algonquin provincial Park in Ontario, where you might catch sight of them at dusk or dawn, especially in the spring.
Witness the monarch butterfly migration at Point Pelee National Park,Ontario
Every year thousands of monarch butterflies migrate from Canada to Mexico,where the spend the winter. One of the main points of this migration route is Point Pelee National Park in Ontario. Head there just before sunset or early in the morning for the best views
1. Which species is unique to Canada?| A．Spirit bears. | B．Beluga whales. |
| C．Moose. | D．Monarch butterflies. |
| A．At dusk in the winter. |
| B．At dawn in the spring. |
| C．At midday in the autumn. |
| D．After sunset in the summer. |
| A．Churchill, Manitoba, |
| B．Algonquin Provincial Park,Ontario. |
| C．Point Pelee National Park,Ontario. |
| D．The Great Bear Rainforest,British Columbia. |
9 . The environmental practices of big businesses are shaped by a fundamental fact that offends our sense of justice. A business may maximize the amount of money it makes by damaging the environment and hurting people. When government regulation is effective, and the public is environmentally aware, environmentally clean big businesses may out-compete dirty ones, but the reverse is likely to be true if government regulation is ineffective and the public doesn’t care.
It is easy to blame a business for helping itself by hurting other people. But blaming alone is unlikely to produce change. It ignores the fact that businesses are not charities but profit-making companies, and they are under obligation to maximize profits for shareholders by legal means.
Our blaming of businesses also ignores the ultimate responsibility of the public for creating the conditions that let a business profit through destructive environmental policies. In the long run, it is the public, either directly or through its politicians, that has the power to make such destructive policies unprofitable and illegal, and to make sustainable environmental policies profitable.
The public can do that by accusing businesses of harming them. The public may also make their opinion felt by choosing to buy sustainably harvested products; by preferring their governments to award valuable contracts to businesses with a good environmental track record; and by pressing their governments to pass and enforce laws and regulations requiring good environmental practices.
In turn, big businesses can exert powerful pressure on any suppliers that might ignore public or government pressure. For instance, after the US public became concerned about the spread of a disease, transmitted to humans through infected meat, the US government introduced rules demanding that the meat industry abandon practices associated with the risk of the disease spreading. But the meat packers refused to follow these, claiming that they would be too expensive to obey. However, when a fast-food company made the same demands after customer purchases of its hamburgers dropped, the meat industry followed immediately. The public’s task is therefore to identify which links in the supply chain are sensitive to public pressure.
Some readers may be disappointed or outraged that I place the ultimate responsibility for business practices harming the public on the public itself. I also believe that the public must accept the necessity for higher prices for products to cover the added costs of sound environmental practices. My views may seem to ignore the belief that businesses should act in accordance with moral principles even if this leads to a reduction in their profits. But I think we have to recognize that, throughout human history, government regulation has arisen precisely because it was found that not only did moral principles need to be made explicit, they also needed to be enforced.
My conclusion is not a moralistic one about who is right or wrong, admirable or selfish. I believe that changes in public attitudes are essential for changes in businesses’ environmental practices.
1. The main idea of Paragraph 3 is that environmental damage__________.| A．is the result of ignorance of the public |
| B．requires political action if it is to be stopped |
| C．can be prevented by the action of ordinary people |
| D．can only be stopped by educating business leaders |
| A．reduce their own individual impact on the environment |
| B．learn more about the impact of business on the environment |
| C．raise awareness of the effects of specific environmental disasters |
| D．influence the environmental policies of businesses and governments |
| A．Meat packers stopped supplying hamburgers to fast-food chains. |
| B．Meat packers persuaded the government to reduce their expenses. |
| C．A fast-food company forced their meat suppliers to follow the law. |
| D．A fast-food company encouraged the government to introduce regulations. |
| A．Will the world survive the threat caused by big businesses? |
| B．How can big businesses be encouraged to be less driven by profit? |
| C．What environmental dangers are caused by the greed of businesses? |
| D．Are big businesses to blame for the damage they cause to the environment? |
It is
In September, China set new goals
