1 . During the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, there was a lot of talk about the environmental efforts taken. Athletes slept on beds made from recycled cardboard. The medals were produced out of old appliances such as smartphones and laptops. Over 90% of Japanese cities, towns and villages participated in the two-year effort to collect recycled materials to produce 5000 medals. Eighty tons of small electrical devices were collected to make this project successful.

With the 2024 Olympics Games underway in Paris, new environmental efforts are coming into play. Observers will sit on chairs made of plastic recycled from local bins. This decision was made due to a lack of unused raw materials to make new seats, so the eco-construction firm Le Pave turned to make the seats out of waste. Around 11,000 seats will be made from recycled materials.

The plastic collection for Paris 2024 has been carried out in the region’s schools, and over five million coloured bottle caps have been recovered. Moreover, 80% of the 100 tons of recycled plastic needed to make the seats come from the yellow bins collections. This is all part of the Paris 2024 “zero waste” strategy to limit single-use plastic usage and encourage a circular economy.

The Olympic Games organizers are planning to make the Paris 2024 Games the greenest Olympic Games yet. They intend to employ a carbon-neutral approach that will lessen the climate impact of the Games by predicting, avoiding, reducing and balancing emissions and encouraging others to get involved. The Summer Games have emitted 3.6 million tons of carbon emissions in previous years. The Paris 2024 Games has set a carbon budget of 1.5 million tons which includes the emissions from construction, transportation and operations of the Games.

These plans are ambitious but are achievable. If Paris 2024 successfully reduces emissions and promotes a circular economy, it might set the standard for future Olympic and Paralympic Games, regardless of where they are held.

1. What were the 2020 Olympics medals made from?

A．Raw metal.	B．Recycled cardboard.
C．Reused plastic.	D．Used electronic devices.

2. What is the purpose of the Paris 2024 “zero waste” strategy?

A．To stop carbon emissions.	B．To make seats for athletes.
C．To collect coloured bottle caps.	D．To restrict single-use plastic usage.

3. What do the underlined words “carbon neutral approach” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Limitation to single-use plastics.	B．Reduction of carbon emissions.
C．Promotion of recycling in school.	D．Encouragement of a circular economy.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the plans for the Paris 2024 Games?

A．Favorable.

B．Intolerant.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

2 . Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element.

Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet.

A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject (注入) concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used.

California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium (镁) , which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete.

Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product.

The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction.

Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used.

1. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production?

A．The high demand for energy.	B．The processing of waste materials.
C．The mass release of carbon dioxide.	D．The use of non-renewable resources.

2. How does CarbonCure deal with the environmental impact of concrete production?

A．By using silicate rock as the basis.	B．By putting carbon dioxide into concrete.
C．By replacing sand with coffee grounds.	D．By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium.

3. According to Smedley, what is the major challenge facing these solutions?

A．Difficulty in making profits.	B．Convincing the public of the convenience.
C．Lack of funding for research.	D．Removing the industry members’ safety concerns.

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

A．To promote an alternative to concrete.	B．To advocate environmental protection.
C．To introduce new ways to produce concrete.	D．To emphasize the significance of creativity.

3 . A new UK-based study on the effects of artificial light on local insect populations found that light pollution from street lamps disturbs insect behavior, leading to an overall loss of insects.

“We found that street lighting strongly reduced moth (飞蛾) population compared with unlit sites... and affected moth development,” the study stated.

The study’s results apply to a localized level and cannot be used to determine whether national-level populations are declining due to light pollution. However, it adds further weight to existing research on how light pollution affects ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots and highlights the need to shift to alternatives in artificial light that would tone down these effects.

The effects on insect populations are wide-ranging. More specifically, artificial light affects how moths lay their eggs and puts them at a higher risk of being spotted by predators (捕食性动物). It also affects moths’ feeding behavior, which subsequently leads to declines in their population too. Light pollution thus joins a host of factors, such as climate change and deforestation, as one of the determinants of insect population decline.

While previous studies examined the effects of lighting on bats and other vertebrates, this study focused on their prey—creatures lower down in the food chain—and, as a result, complementing (补充) previous studies. Therefore, the study is concerning because it suggests an alarming loss of insects caused by artificial light, which will have far-reaching consequences for all the wildlife and ecosystems that depend on them.

Moreover, white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were found to have the worst impact on local insects and ecosystem processes. The researchers thus call for shifting away from white LEDs or employing processes such as motion sensors to make the lights less bright and changing colors and filters to avoid the negative impacts. If the findings of the study are anything to go by, local insect ecosystems will suffer considerable consequences- which will, in turn, affect the wildlife that depends on them and, ultimately, could perhaps even upset agricultural balances.

1. What can we learn about the new study?

A．It is conducted on a local basis.

B．It highlights the value of artificial light.

C．It focuses on the preservation of insects.

D．It matters more than the existing research.

2. What effect does artificial light have on moths?

A．It may put them in danger.

B．It prevents them from feeding.

C．It may lead to their extinction.

D．It disables them from laying eggs.

3. What do the researchers advise us to do with the LEDs?

A．To shift to green alternatives.

B．To adopt brighter colors and filters.

C．To avoid adopting white-light LEDs.

D．To replace them with motion sensors.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Artificial Light and Wildlife Protection

B．Light Pollution and the Endangered Species

C．Artificial Light Has Negative Effects on Agriculture

D．Light Pollution from Street Lights Could Drive Insect Loss

5 . Few would have expected that viewers at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics would include animals. And yet, coverage of the event featured several sightings of wildlife, particularly leopard cats apparently seeking to get in on the action.

On Jan 31, on the alpine ski slopes (高山滑雪坡) in Yanqing district, 90 kilometers northwest of Beijing, a leopard cat was spotted wandering through an award-ceremony rehearsal. The event caught the attention of volunteers and staff, with many snapping photos. Three days later, a Chinese photographer captured another leopard cat in the woods near the Olympic ski slopes. The creature ran past him, jumped over a fence and looked back.

Leopard cats are wild felids, slightly larger than house cats, and they mostly keep clear of human activity. However, according to Luo Shujin, a passionate skier and a conservation biologist at Peking University, the frequent appearance of the animals close to the ski runs indicates that the species has persisted in this human-dominated landscape, which is relatively close to Beijing, Strangely, their calm manner suggests they are not frightened by human activity.

In the absence of any research data, it is too early to draw any conclusions that the creation of the Olympic skiing venue has not affected the surrounding forests and wildlife. However, it’s possible that the wild cats have to some extent already adapted to coexistence with humans, likely because people at the venue have not shown an aggressive attitude toward the animals since its construction.

According to Luo, wild cats are rarely seen so close to big cities, especially metropolitan cities. “I think this is a little-known side of Beijing, ”says Luo, who is proud that such wildlife can be found so close to the capital city. “Such an event causes me to hope that we can try our best to ensure continued coexistence between wilderness and human settlements. ”

1. Which of the following best describes the presence of leopard cats around the venue?

A．Embarrassing.	B．Common.
C．Alarming.	D．Unexpected.

2. What is the natural characteristic of a leopard cat?

A．Friendly to humans.

B．Sensitive to camera light.

C．Enthusiastic about sports.

D．Afraid of human activity.

3. Which of the following may Professor Luo agree with?

A．Wildlife should not be disturbed by humans.

B．Wildlife need to be kept away from big cities.

C．Humans should live in harmony with wildlife.

D．Humans need to adapt to the lifestyles of wildlife.

4. What is the text type of the passage?

A．A news report.	B．A sport review.
C．An official announcement.	D．An animal encyclopedia.

6 . Heat waves are becoming more common in parts of the United States — and that means more people running their air conditioners for longer. But those air conditioners can make the problem worse, giving off greenhouse gases as they work that contribute heavily to climate change.

SkyCool Systems is trying to break that cycle, using technology that promises to offer buildings an alternative means to cool down in a similar way to how the planet cools itself. “Our planet naturally cools itself by sending heat out in the form of infrared light (红外线) or radiation,” said Eli Goldstein, SkyCool’s cofounder and CEO. “We do this through rooftop panels, which look like solar panels but actually do the opposite, reflecting 97% of the sunlight that hits them and cooling the surface below,” said Goldstein.

SkyCool’s model involves fixing a network of pipes below those panels. These pipes are filled with water, which is kept cool by the panels and then flows into an air conditioning system. This process is designed to take pressure off the system’s cooling mechanism. And because the panels cool naturally and don’t need external power to function, it helps the entire system use less electricity.

A Grocery Outlet store in California, which has been using SkyCool’s system since last year, says it saw a marked drop in its electrical bills. Jesus Valenzuela, the store manager, estimates that the panels have saved his store roughly $3,000 a month.

But perhaps the biggest barrier to making the technology ubiquitous (无处不在的) is its relatively high cost. Increasing production could help bring the cost down, Goldstein said, particularly for developing countries in Asia and Africa where SkyCool hopes to eventually expand. For now, the company is focused on commercial applications of the technology, though it hopes to start setting up panels on the roofs of individual homes. “We’re just excited to be able to use this new technology for good,” Goldstein said.

1. How did Goldstein explain the way their rooftop panels work?

A．By citing an expert’s words.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By analyzing cause and effect.	D．By describing the process in detail.

2. What is the function of the pipes in SkyCool’s model?

A．To store cold water to help cool the panels.

B．To help ease the water pressure of the air conditioning.

C．To power the panels by making use of flowing water.

D．To feed cold water into the air conditioning system.

3. How might Jesus Valenzuela view SkyCool’s system?

A．It’s pretty effective.	B．It has increased sales for his store.
C．It will go out of style quickly.	D．It will cost too much to set up.

4. What does SkyCool expect of its system?

A．It’ll bring in a good profit for the company.	B．It’ll gain popularity in developed countries.
C．It’ll take the place of air conditioners.	D．It’ll be accessible to common households.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I was doing homework with my friend Ollie at his home when he randomly started scribbling (乱画) a fish. But not just any fish. This fish was riding a skateboard and blowing a bubble that said “I’d rather be skating!”I laughed and drew a sea star saying “Quit fooling around and get to work!”

Just then, Ollie’s grandma Abuela and her friend Mr. Goldberg came into the kitchen. Mr. Goldberg was in charge of the local animal shelter. Abuela poured their tea and inquired about how things were going at the animal shelter. Mr. Goldberg sighed, shaking his head. He explained that not enough people were adopting pets, resulting in too many animals without homes.

Overhearing the conversation, Ollie offered to adopt some excitedly. But Abuela said that one noisy parrot was plenty for this house.

“Blue isn’t noisy,” defended Ollie. “He’s just musical.”

“I’d have a whole farm full of animals if I could,” I said. “But my parents say two cats and a hamster (仓鼠) are enough.”

Mr. Goldberg said he kept trying to attract people to adopt animals, but found it hard to get people’s attention these days. Ollie drew a sad whale, and I wrote the words “Please adopt me” in the shape of a whale spout (喷水). Mr. Goldberg took a look at our drawings and made favorable comments on them, saying that these clever talking animals just might grab people’s attention. And he asked us if we were willing to design a poster for his animal shelter, a proposal we happily accepted. We decided to draw some ideas on our own and meet up again the next afternoon.

That night, when I was sitting in the living room brainstorming ideas for the poster, my little brother brought in our hamster, Mr. Nibbles, to give him a little run-around time. He made a hamster playground out of couch pillows and Mr. Nibbles began to run around merrily.

Suddenly, an idea formed in my mind.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We decided to make both Mr. Nibbles and Blue the stars of the poster.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________