1 . Every tropical (热带的) forest looks different, particularly in the eyes of an ecologist, and Peter Ellis has been lucky enough to visit a fair few. One in particular holds a special place in his heart: the rain forests of Gabon. He first visited as a Peace Corps volunteer. “It completely changed the way I think about conservation and our relationship with nature,” he says.

These days, Ellis is the global director of natural climate solutions science at the US-based conservation organization — The Nature Conservancy, where he’s presently investigating the role that logging (cutting down trees) can play in tropical forests. Logging for forest conservation may sound contradictory, and it often is. But logging in a tropical forest looks different to the practices we might expect to see. “We might imagine it as a wasteland of stumps (树桩) after a clear cut,” says Ellis. Instead, only a few trees are actually removed. A sustainably logged forest is the one that remains a breathing, rich, tropical rain forest full of trees and wildlife, thus helping keep a large part of the biodiversity while ensuring that more damaging industries don’t take its place. It can also provide a means of basic livelihood for the local people.

The two years that Ellis spent in the Gabon rain forests opened his eyes to a different method of land management. “The locals took me out into the forest and taught me the names, usages and spiritual significance of all the trees and other plants in the forest,” he says. “Science is about exact, designed experiments, but it’s also about asking the right questions. And the people who live in those places and protect the ecosystem are more likely to help us learn what the right questions to ask are.”

Tropical forests are essential to our planet’s future as they support high levels of biodiversity and act as crucial carbon sinks (碳储存器). “We need to honour, and protect them so that they can do their job to help save us all” says Ellis.

1. What does Peter Ellis think of his first visit to the rain forests of Gabon?

A．It was poorly arranged.	B．It made little difference to his life.
C．It brought him far-reaching influence.	D．It was physically challenging for him.

2. What does Peter Ellis realize after his investigation in tropical rain forests?

A．Logging balances the rain forests.

B．Logging means a complete clear-out.

C．Logging brings huge profits to the locals.

D．Logging encourages the local damaging industries.

3. What does Ellis suggest scientists do in protecting the rain forests?

A．Conduct many experiments.	B．Consult experienced local people.
C．Get involved in designing procedures.	D．Spread more knowledge about wildlife.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To stress the importance of biodiversity.

B．To introduce Ellis’s ideas about the future.

C．To provide further information about Ellis.

D．To call on people to preserve tropical rain forests.

2 . Overuse of land and warming temperatures are putting insect diversity in danger in some parts of the world, scientists reported Wednesday.

The study, published in the journal Nature, confirmed for the first time a clear and alarming link between warming temperatures and large-scale agriculture and showed that where there are more farmlands, there is a greater decrease in insects.

“These findings lead to huge concerns,” said Charlotte Outhwaite, the lead author of the study and researcher at the University College London, adding that losing insects could threaten human health and food supply.

“Three quarters of our crops depend on insect pollinators(授粉),” Dave Goulson, a professor of biology at the University of Sussex in the UK, previously told CNN. “Without insects, crops will die. We won’t have things like strawberries. We can’t feed 8 billion people.”

Outhwaite said their findings “may only show the tip of the iceberg(冰山一角),"because of the limited amount of evidence in some areas. “But I think there are also a lot of results that we probably don’t really know because there are so many different kinds of insects.” Outhwaite told CNN.

Scientists say, overuse of land has a link with warming temperatures. Destroying natural habitats for agriculture can make the temperature rise sharply. Researchers found great decreases in insect populations in areas of the world that are much warmer. They concluded that in areas with small-scale agriculture, less temperature warming, and more natural habitats, insects only dropped by 7%, compared to the 63% decrease in areas with large-scale agriculture, more temperature warming and less natural habitats. So what can we do to help prevent this?

1. What did the study find?

A．More farmlands lead to a greater decrease in insects.

B．Three quarters of our crops depend on insect pollinators.

C．Overuse of land is threatening insect diversity all over the world.

D．There is little link between warming temperatures and large-scale agriculture.

2. Why does the author quote Dave Goulson’s words?

A．To suggest solutions to people’s concerns.	B．To explain the process of insect pollinators.
C．To prove the importance of insects to humans.	D．To provide evidence for the decrease in insects.

3. Which one is NOT the factor of the decreases in insect populations?

A．Insect pollinators	B．Overuse of land
C．Warming temperatures	D．Less natural habitats

4. What might the author continue talking about?

A．His opinions of the study.	B．Studies of natural habitat.
C．The ways to stop the decrease.	D．The causes of warming temperatures.

3 . The Chinese people have developed the habit of ordering more dishes than they can eat when inviting guests for dinner in a restaurant, because if all the plates are empty at the end of the dinner, it would be considered a matter of shame to the host. Surveys show that as much as 35 million tons of food is wasted in China every year.

To solve this problem, the “Clean Your Plate” campaign was launched in 2013 and got a positive response from restaurant owners, the public, and governments at different levels. More and more waiters are now reminding diners to stop ordering more if they have ordered enough to make them full. Also, most restaurant owners nowadays provide free boxes with which the diners can carry the leftovers (剩菜) home.

The “Clean Your Plate” campaign has become popular along with the “save water” and “go green” activities. However, since it takes generations for people to change their bad habits, it’s too early to celebrate its success. Instead, more attention should be paid to preventing food waste at home.

Almost every Chinese family has a “waste bin”. Unfortunately, I happen to be the “waste bin” of my family. I used to enjoy eating leftovers until I heard an expert on TV saying that it causes cancer. Many doctors say the same thing. But later, I saw other experts doing experiments and concluding that food cooked hours ago or even a day ago shows no obvious increase in carcinogenic particles(致癌颗粒) if stored properly. Their disagreement has left me confused. I have no idea who is right, but I am clear that if all the leftovers are thrown away as suggested by some experts, it would be a big waste of food.

1. Why was the “Clean Your Plate” campaign launched?

A．To invite guests for dinner.	B．To save people’s face.
C．To reduce food waste.	D．To stop unbalanced diet.

2. What is the effect of this campaign on people?

A．Waiters are reminded to stop ordering more.

B．Free boxes are provided by most restaurant owners.

C．People are eager to change their bad habits earlier.

D．People pay more attention to preventing food waste at home.

3. What does the author think of the leftovers?

A．Eating leftovers causes cancer.

B．Leftovers should be thrown into the waste bin.

C．Throwing all the leftovers would be a big waste of food.

D．Properly stored leftovers won’t cause damage to health.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．An introduction to a campaign.	B．The ways to deal with leftovers.
C．An explanation of food waste.	D．The eating habits of Chinese.

4 . As the carbon countdown clock ticks on, cities must be more imaginative and cooperative, a lively round table hosted in Newham by a non-profit organization Friends of the Earth said.

“Net zero is around the corner,” said Mike Wake, Director of Friends of the Earth. “The UK has cut greenhouse gas emission (排放) by 40% to date mostly through the growth of large renewable generation on the grid (输电网), but further cuts will be needed as London tries to find new ways of using energy.

“While Newham has lower greenhouse gas emission per head than the UK, it has high levels of fuel poverty, poor air quality and leaky homes. Vastly improved energy efficiency, especially on older and leakier homes, along with more efficient forms of heating and an expansion of low carbon heat networks, will help,” said Wake.

“But the future requires a shift to a more communal solution,” the representatives said. District heating, which pipes hot water from a central source to connected homes or businesses, is often a cheaper and lower-carbon method of heating highly populated areas. “It’s the lowest cost and low carbon solution for the future,” Wake added.

“There are new technologies to use wasted heat,” Wake said. “We worked with businesses to decarbonise (使环保) energy supply. Rather than wasting, spare heat generated by manufacturing and other activities can be captured and used to heat nearby properties. Friends of the Earth has already helped save Newham thousands of tonnes of emissions through district heating plans, solar PV and more energy efficient measures in the homes.”

But the challenges are substantial. Newham has London’s second-highest rate of fuel poverty. “Anyway, I’m confident and hopeful about the collective challenge,” said Wake. “But for Newham to be at the forefront of a green economy, to solve fuel poverty and deal with structural equalities, we must spare no effort.”

1. What does Wake think of cutting greenhouse gas emission in the UK?

A．It doesn’t work at all.	B．It ended a short time ago.
C．It is very difficult to continue.	D．It still needs to be improved.

2. What does the underlined word “communal” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Expensive.

B．Peaceful.

C．Public.

D．Complex.

3. How did Friends of the Earth help protect the environment?

A．By releasing wasted heat.

B．By starting up many businesses.

C．By making national heating plans.

D．By solving the issues about energy.

4. What is Wake’s attitude to the challenges of Newham?

A．Worried.

B．Positive.

C．Uncaring.

D．Critical.

5 . In the heart of Texas, “Bee Czar” Walter Schumacher is saving the world—one hive (蜂群) at a time. And he does it without wearing a protective bee suit. What is his technique? He “communicates” with the bees to avoid being bitten. Walter and his team at the American Honey Bee Protection Agency rescue hives from places that are unwanted—inside the walls of a house or 30 feet up in a neighborhood tree, and relocate the hives where the bees can grow and pollinate (授粉) in peace.

According to Walter, every third bite of food we eat was pollinated by bees; without them, life would cease existing. But saving bees costs money, so they have got to sell honey to make money.

Walter’s business once was booming with $200,000 in yearly sales. But after losing everything in the past three years, Walter wants to rebuild his honey business so that he can afford to rescue unwanted hives. With his oldest son Will and a small but dedicated team, Walter has a plan to transform their old family farm into their new headquarters, to save more bees and sell more honey.

Saving bees is a big affair. Will runs the business, trying to keep his dad organized; Walter teaches his younger sons Bodhi and Odin the skills of keeping bees, and Will’s wife Meredith is experiencing her first bee rescue. Walter also invites bee technician Jonathan who seeks inner calm by rescuing bees and scaffolding (脚手架) pro Sandy, who can reach angry bees in places ladders can’t and dreams of talking to bees herself. Walter brings audiences into the hive when he trains beekeepers to safely handle millions of bees Will plans to sign big contracts selling honey to businesses like restaurants and supermarkets, meanwhile undertaking dangerous hive rescues.

1. Which of the following can best describe Walter’s work of rescuing bees?

A．Interesting.

B．Tough.

C．Tiring.

D．Simple.

2. What does Walter think of bees?

A．They are important to us.	B．They are not in danger.
C．They can’t grow in peace.	D．They can bite many people.

3. What is Walter’s present plan?

A．To find more hives.	B．To expand his team.
C．To rebuild his business.	D．To train more bee raisers.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Why Walter started the big affair.

B．What Walter’s family do to save bees.

C．Whether Walter sticks to his business.

D．How Walter teaches his sons to keep bees.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What might the speaker be?

A．A resident.

B．A fire fighter.

C．A news reporter.

2. Where did the fire start?

A．From a store.

B．From a park.

C．From an apartment building.

3. When did the fire happen?

A．Early last night.

B．Late last night.

C．An hour ago.

4. How did the people of Battery Park sound?

A．Surprised.

B．Calm.

C．Frightened.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Coca-Cola is the world’s     1     (large) soft drink company. It has set     2     excellent goal to help solve the problem of packaging (包装) waste in the United States and around the world. It plans to recycle all of     3     (it) bottles and cans by 2030. The company wants to make a     4     (contribute) to saving our environment.

Coca-Cola has announced an activity     5     (call) “World Without Waste”. It says that food and drink companies are responsible     6     much of the waste on streets and beaches. Besides, the company says that it wants to increase the amount of material     7     can be recycled in its products. It also intends     8     (advise) users on how to recycle products best. And Coca-Cola plans to work together with local governments     9     environmental groups.

Greenpeace, one of the most important environmental organizations, has welcomed the move. But it points out the company should especially pay attention to reducing the amount of plastic that is being produced. Plastic is a major problem because plastic does not break down     10     (rapid) and it is often eaten by animals and fish and ends up in our food chain.

8 . Peppered moth caterpillars (桦尺蠖毛虫)live north of the equator. But if you’ve never seen one, don’t feel bad: They’re experts at blending in (融为一体). Each caterpillar looks like the branch it stays on, straightening its body into a stick-like shape. It also changes its color to match the branch’s color, whether white, green or brown.

According to a paper published in Communications Biology, the caterpillars sense the color of their surroundings not only with their eyes but also with their skin.

Ilik Saccheri, an author of the paper, normally studies the adult moth. This requires keeping a lot of caterpillars around. Years of observation awakened his curiosity about their color-changing abilities. Each caterpillar hatches tiny and black, and in its early days is blown around by the wind. Once it falls on a plant, it must disguise itself to avoid being spotted by birds.

“I was a bit disbelieving that they could change that only using their eyes,” Dr. Saccheri said.

Amy Eacock, a graduate student in Dr. Saccheri’s lab decided to investigate. First, she tested the caterpillars’ eyes for light-sensitive proteins called opsins (视蛋白). “We did the skin as kind of a negative control,” said Dr. Eacock. “But then we found they were expressed in the skin as highly as they were in the head.”

That’s when she suggested blindfolding the caterpillars. The researchers could cover their eyes, place them on different-colored dowels (木钉) , and see if they still changed to match.

“I thought it was kind of a crazy idea,” Dr. Saccheri said. The blindfolding itself was a difficult task, involving black paint, a tiny paintbrush, a microscope and lots of patience, Dr. Eacock said. Caterpillars molt (蜕皮) several times over their lives, which required that they be blindfolded again frequently.

But Dr. Eacock persisted, eventually testing more than 300 caterpillars. Over and over again, the blindfolded caterpillars successfully changed color to blend in.

Many questions remain, but the behavior alone impressed the researchers. Dr. Eacock said, “I remember turning to Ilik one day and saying, ‘You know what? The caterpillars are cooler than the moths.’” “Yes. They’re pretty amazing,” Dr. Saccheri agreed.

1. What can we learn about peppered moth caterpillars?

A．They feed on fresh tree branches.

B．They can be found easily across the world.

C．They can adapt to different environments.

D．They change their body color to match living conditions.

2. Which of the following inspired Dr. Eacock to cover the caterpillars’ eyes?

A．Caterpillars have a fear of height.

B．There are opsins in caterpillars’ skin.

C．Caterpillars molt several times in their life.

D．There is something strange in caterpillars’ eyes.

3. What did Dr. Saccheri think of Dr. Eacock’s study?

A．It was hard to operate.

B．It was well designed.

C．It was inspiring but the evidence was unreliable.

D．It was a failure but the methods deserved praise.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this text?

A．To solve a mystery.	B．To introduce a new species.
C．To present a scientific study.	D．To awaken readers’ curiosity.

9 . 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.

2. What does Mr. Handy say about his farm?

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.

3. What’s the purpose of Mr. Gribb’s words in paragraph 5?

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.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

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.

10 . Buying furniture is easier than ever. You can even order a new table and chairs online without ever leaving home. But did you ever think about how furniture is made? The process begins with trees but now researchers have found a better way: growing it in a lab instead of a forest. Instead of cutting down trees and adding to deforestation, Velasquez-Garcia said, “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table.”

The research group found a way to actually grow plant tissue (组织) — wood and fiber — in a lab that is similar to the way cultured meat is grown. While there is still a long way to go to actually grow a table, the team was able to grow structures from cells from zinnia leaves.

Making furniture and other items from biomaterials could eliminate cutting down trees in forests. “The way we get these materials hasn’t changed in centuries and is very inefficient,” said Velasquez-Garcia. “This is a real chance to avoid all that inefficiency.”

There are other benefits to using lab wood too. Lab grown wood can be handled to take on any shape — like 3 D printing — so it may be possible to build a table without glue or screwing parts together.

Beckwith, a mechanical engineering PhD student, was inspired by a visit to a farm to try to make land-use more efficient and environmentally sound. “That got me thinking: Can we be more strategic (战略上的) about what we’re getting out of our process? Can we get more yield for our inputs?” she told MIT News. “I wanted to find a more efficient way to use land and resources so that we could let more farmlands remain wild, or to remain lower production but allow for greater biodiversity.”

Today, the two largest uses of trees are to make wood products and paper. When new biomaterials become readily available, forests will lose their economic value and will be preserved for their environmental, health, and recreational value. These researchers, like Velasquez-Garcia, are speaking for the trees.

1. What does the author think of growing furniture according to Paragraph 1?

A．It turns out to be convenient.

B．It’ll cut down daily expense.

C．It might have a bright future.

D．It’s as important as making furniture.

2. What does the underlined word “eliminate” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Risk.

B．Fancy.

C．Remove.

D．Delay.

3. What is the purpose of Beckwith’s growing furniture?

A．To make large profits.

B．To keep biodiversity.

C．To increase production.

D．To use wild resources.

4. What’s the key to protecting forests?

A．Wide use of new biomaterials.

B．Less use of wood products and paper.

C．Making effective forest laws.

D．Caring more for the environment.