1 . In 2018, Pakistan promised to plant ten billion trees in an effort to slow climate change and to save a land that has been destroyed.

That program, whose name is 10 Billion Trees Tsunami, has been taking effect slowly for the past two years, but it recently has received unexpected help from the coronavirus(新冠病毒). Many Pakistanis are suddenly unemployed, so the government has given them jobs as tree-planters. Unemployed day laborers have been turned into "jungle workers", planting trees for 500 rupees a day($3). It's not much, but it can help the unemployed get by.

As the coronavirus struck Pakistan, the 10 Billion Trees campaign was halted as part of social distancing orders put in place to slow the spread of the virus. But earlier this month, the government allowed the forestry agency to restart the program and create more than 63, 600 jobs.

The program is employing three times the number of planters as it normally does, and the planting season has been extended from May(its usual end)throughout June, in order to keep workers employed. All workers are being told to wear masks and keep two meters of distance from others.

Shahid Rashid Awan, project director for Punjab province, said the project hopes to reach 50 million trees this year. “We can absorb all the unemployed laborers and workers who have fled the cities and returned to their villages in the past few weeks.”

A study declared tree planting to be an effective way to store carbon, and if planted in large quantities around the globe, a powerful solution to climate change. While it won’t fix every climate-related problem we have, it can go a long way if done widely, which is exactly what Pakistan is trying to do with such impressive determination.

And the workers will benefit greatly, too. Not only are they able to earn money and support their families at a difficult time, but they’re outside in the fresh air, away from the potential health risks from more tightly-packed urban environments. It’s a brilliant idea that all country leaders should consider copying.

1. How does the coronavirus influence Pakistan?

A．A lot of animals are starving.

B．Many people are out of work.

C．Much land is left unmanaged.

D．The government has lost power.

2. Which of the following best explains "halted" underlined in Paragraph 3?

A．Agreed.	B．Discussed.
C．Stopped.	D．Doubted.

3. Why is the project environmentally-friendly?

A．Financial support has been gained because of it.

B．It has persuaded people to plant trees in big cities.

C．Many laborers produce much less carbon dioxide.

D．It can contribute to fighting against climate change.

4. What does the author think of Pakistan's move?

A．It serves as a good example.

B．It is not fit for other countries.

C．It is a waste of time and money.

D．It brings many economic benefits.

2 . Though plastic shopping bags are cheap and useful, they cause widespread pollution. Now, we may have an unlikely helper to help clean up our garbage — a small wax worm.

The worm’s hidden skills were discovered by accident. About two years ago, Federica Bertocchini, a developmental biologist at the Spanish National Research Council and an amateur beekeeper, was cleaning out bees’ nest that had been filled with worms. She removed the worms and put them in a plastic bag while doing the cleaning. After finishing, she went back to the room where she had left the worms, and found they had escaped from the bag. When she checked, she saw that the bag was full of holes.

Realizing she may have made an important discovery, Bertocchini teamed up with other researchers to conduct further research. They began by placing 100 worms on some plastic bags and discovered that over a 24-hour period, the worms managed to chew through 92 milligrams of plastic. The researchers make an appropriate judgment that at this rate, the group of worms could   degrade (降解) an average-sized 5.5-gram plastic bag within a month. To rule out the possibility that chewing was causing the degradation, the researchers spread the soft wet substance inside the body of some recently dead worms on a sheet of plastic. Sure enough, even the liquid was able to eat through the material, confirming that the worms have plastic-digesting enzymes (酶).

While the news is certainly encouraging, not everyone is convinced. The Michigan State University’s Ramani Narayan believes the tiny pieces of microplastics released by the plastic-eating worms would pick up harmful substances and transport them up the food chain, causing, even more, harm to the environment and human health. Susan Selke, director of Michigan State University School of Packaging, is concerned that the worms will not be able to survive in an oxygen-free landfills where large amounts of waste material are buried under the earth.

However, Bertocchini is not planning to transport worm armies to landfills. Instead, the researcher wants to identify the enzyme that helps degrade the plastic. The researcher says, maybe we can find the molecule (分子) and produce it on an industrial level, rather than using a million worms in a plastic bag.

1. What did the experiment of using dead worms find out?

A．Worms’ chewing may cause the degradation.

B．A plastic-eating chemical exists in wax worms.

C．Dead worms are effective in dealing with plastic.

D．It takes a long time for worms to degrade plastic.

2. What is Ramani Naravan's attitude to Bertocchini's finding?

A．Objective

B．Convinced

C．Questioning.

D．Optimistic.

3. What might Bertocchini focus her later research on?

A．The structure of plastic-degrading enzymes.

B．The use of other worms in disposing plastic.

C．Wax worms’ adaptability to the landfill environment.

D．The chance of producing wax worms on a large scale.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Can wax worms save the environment?

B．Wax worms have an appetite for plastic.

C．Why do wax worms have plastic-eating skills?

D．Hungry worms join the fight against plastic pollution

3 . A new study recently found that elephants in central African forests can encourage the growth of slow-growing trees and increase the ability of the forest to store carbon.

“As a tree, there’s a trade-off you can’t have it all,” explained Fabio Berzaghi, who led the study. “You either invest in growing fast, or in building a lot of structure with carbon to be more resistant.” Elephants prefer to eat fast-growing trees in more open spaces. As they feed and walk, they cause damage to these species, knocking over trees or breaking off branches, which results in an ecosystem that favors large, slow-growing hardwood trees. “As the elephants thin the forest, they increase the number of slow-growing trees and the forest is capable of storing more carbon, ” said Stephen Blake, one of the paper’s authors.

Scientists collected field measurements in the Congo Basin and used a computer model to predict how elephants would affect forest structure, and carbon storage potential in the long term. The data confirmed that when elephants are present, the forest contains larger trees and higher abundances of species with high wood density. Conversely (相反地)，should forest elephants go extinct, leaving those slow-growing trees struggling to compete with fast-growing species, it would result in a 7 percent loss of above-ground biomass (生物总量). As a result, central African forests could lose up to three billion tons of carbon, potentially accelerating climate change.

The sad reality is that humans are doing their best to rid the planet of elephants. “This study comes at a time when forest elephants are threatened as never before,” said Iain Douglas Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants. “It is shocking that just as we are beginning to understand how elephants might have a key role in Africa in storing carbon, they are under real threat of extinction.” One limitation of the study, Mr. Berzaghi said, is that we do not know how much carbon has already been lost because of the elephants’ decline. But it does seem certain, he added, that putting a stop to illegal hunting and restoring forest elephant populations would bring climate benefits.

1. What can we infer about slow-growing trees in Paragraph 2?

A．They are elephants’ favorite food.	B．They are easily hurt by elephants.
C．They can help forests store carbon.	D．They may reduce elephant populations.

2. What would happen without elephants living in central African forests?

A．Climate change would possibly be sped up.

B．The forest structure would remain unchanged.

C．The forests would lose more fast-growing trees.

D．Larger trees would defeat fast-growing species.

3. What did Mr. Berzaghi suggest people do?

A．Lead a low-carbon life.	B．Evaluate the carbon loss.
C．Stop destroying forests.	D．Protect forest elephants.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Humans and Nature Live in Harmony

B．Elephants Disappear in Parts of Africa

C．Climate Change Affects Forest Structure

D．Elephants Defend Against Climate Change

4 . Jadav Payeng, an Indian, has been planting a tree every day since he was just 16 years old. Now, almost 40 years later, he has created a ______ of 1,360 acres on what was once a _____ land.

Growing up on Majuli, the world’s largest river island, he once ______ hundreds of animals dying from drought among the ______ greenery on the island, so he was ______ to plant one tree every day.

After almost four ______ of growth, his forest is now home to hundreds of elephants, tigers, deer and birds. Payeng says he has lost ______ of how many trees he has planted—but he ____ there are now thousands of trees providing ______ to the wildlife.

“It’s not as if I did it ______,” Payeng said. “You plant one or two trees, and they have to seed. And once they seed, the wind knows how to plant them, the birds here know how to ____ them, cows know, elephants ______, and even the river knows. The entire ______ knows.”

Island locals used to call Payeng “crazy” for his ______, but since he was accidentally ___ by a wandering wildlife journalist in 2007, the “Forest Man of India” has been ______ as a role model for protecting the environment.

Payeng doesn’t plan on ______ any time soon—he wants to continue planting trees “until his last ______”. He hopes to one day ______ the entire island with 5,000 acres of trees. “Nature is everything. It ______ me. It gives me power…As long as it survives, I survive.”

1.

A．lake

B．forest

C．park

D．hole

2.

A．big

B．fertile

C．poor

D．flat

3.

A．witnessed

B．imagined

C．reported

D．rescued

4.

A．remote

B．amazing

C．fresh

D．decreasing

5.

A．delighted

B．moved

C．determined

D．convinced

6.

A．decades

B．years

C．months

D．weeks

7.

A．interest

B．count

C．control

D．sight

8.

A．argues

B．dreams

C．hopes

D．believes

9.

A．food

B．care

C．water

D．shelter

10.

A．by accident

B．by myself

C．by mistake

D．by all means

11.

A．eat

B．pass

C．repair

D．sow

12.

A．know

B．work

C．rest

D．run

13.

A．village

B．ecosystem

C．planet

D．desert

14.

A．confidence

B．position

C．ambition

D．experiment

15.

A．discovered

B．connected

C．decided

D．regarded

16.

A．ordered

B．observed

C．praised

D．studied

17.

A．stopping

B．returning

C．hiding

D．waiting

18.

A．purpose

B．view

C．breath

D．picture

19.

A．tighten

B．restart

C．arrange

D．save

20.

A．improves

B．inspires

C．changes

D．forbids

5 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your choice of sport might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses(高尔夫球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortages in some local areas.

In fact, there are many environment friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a pair of good shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk can regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and control your weight better.

Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms". They are better replacements(代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it's free.

1. What do we know about golf from the passage?

A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain.

B．It needs water and energy to keep its courses green

C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and waste.

D．It causes water shortages around the world.

2. The author uses power walking as example mainly because        .

A．it uses fewer resources

B．it improves our health

C．it is an outdoor sport

D．it is recommended by experts

3. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

A．Playing basketball in a gym.

B．Motor racing in the desert.

C．Cycling around a lake.

D．Swimming in a sports center.

4. What’s the purpose of the author writing the passage?

A．To show us the function of major sports.

B．To encourage us to go in for green sports.

C．To discuss the major influence of popular sports.

D．To introduce different types of environment friendly spors.

6 . There was a time when a trip to the supermarket in the United States often ended with a seemingly simple question from the cashier, "Paper or plastic？"Well, which type of bag would you choose？

While both types of bags have some influence on the environment, it has long been supposed that paper bags are kinder. They are made from a renewable source, are broken down easily, burn without giving off thick smoke and can be recycled. However, the producing process behind paper bags uses more energy than that of plastic ones. How can this be true？

Studies show that paper bag production requires four times as much energy as plastic bag production.

And the amount of water used to make them is twenty times higher. Besides, the influence on forests is very serious. It takes about fourteen million trees to produce ten billion paper bags, which happen to be the number of bags used in the United States yearly. In terms of recycling, the idea that paper bags are more environment friendly than plastic ones can be quickly discarded. Research shows it requires about 98% less energy to recycle plastic than it does to recycle paper.

Even though paper bags might be more harmful than plastic ones, plastic still seems to be considered as the more harmful of the two by governments. In Ireland, for example, a tax has been introduced to discourage the use of plastic bags. People have to pay 22 cents for every plastic bag, and as a result, their use has dropped quickly.

There’s no doubt that it makes more sense to reuse these bags. However, we don’t seem to be doing that at present. That may be because they fall apart quickly. If so, cloth bags are a better choice, but still, their production also has a bad influence on the environment. So what to do? How should we answer the question of “Paper or plastic?” It seems that we first need to ask ourselves one more general question: “What can I do to help the environment?”

1. The question at the end of Paragraph 1 is used to ________.

A．introduce points for discussion

B．tell readers how to save money

C．express the author's doubts

D．show the kindness of the cashier

2. Compared with plastic bags, paper bags ________.

A．take more time to break down

B．require less energy to recycle

C．need more water to produce

D．have less influence on forests

3. The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 3 probably means "________".

A．share	B．put forward
C．discuss	D．give up

4. Which question does the author probably hope the cashier ask?

A．Paper or cloth?

B．A new bag or your own one?

C．A small bag or big one?

D．Paper or plastic？

7 . In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The _______ is that countries around the world have growing mountains of _______ because people are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.

How did we _______ a throwaway society? First of all, it is now easier to _______ an object than to spend time and money to repair it. _______ modern manufacturing (制造业)and technology, companies are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products are plentiful and _______.

Another cause is our _______of disposable (一次性的) products. As _______ people, we are always looking for _______ to save time and make our lives easier. Companies ________ thousands of different kinds of disposable products: paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.

Our appetite for new products also ________ to the problem. We are ________ buying new things. Advertisements persuade us that ________ is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we ________ useful possessions to make room for new ones.

All around the world, we can see the ________ of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish just keep getting bigger. To ________ the amount of rubbish and to protect the ________, more governments are requiring people to recycle materials. ________, this is not enough to solve (解决) our problem.

Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions ________ throwing them away. We also need to rethink our attitudes about ________. Repairing our possessions and changing our spending habits may be the best way to reduce the amount of rubbish and take care of our environment.

1.

A．key

B．reason

C．project

D．problem

2.

A．gifts

B．rubbish

C．debt

D．products

3.

A．face

B．become

C．observe

D．change

4.

A．hide

B．control

C．replace

D．withdraw

5.

A．Thanks to

B．As to

C．Except for

D．Regardless of

6.

A．safe

B．funny

C．cheap

D．powerful

7.

A．love

B．lack

C．prevention

D．division

8.

A．sensitive

B．kind

C．brave

D．busy

9.

A．ways

B．places

C．jobs

D．friends

10.

A．donate

B．receive

C．produce

D．preserve

11.

A．adapts

B．returns

C．responds

D．contributes

12.

A．tired of

B．addicted to

C．worried about

D．ashamed for

13.

A．newer

B．stronger

C．higher

D．larger

14.

A．pick up

B．pay for

C．hold onto

D．throw away

15.

A．advantages

B．purposes

C．functions

D．consequences

16.

A．show

B．record

C．decrease

D．measure

17.

A．technology

B．environment

C．consumers

D．brands

18.

A．However

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Meanwhile

19.

A．by

B．in favour of

C．after

D．instead of

20.

A．spending

B．collecting

C．repairing

D．advertising

8 . Are you facing a situation that looks impossible to fix?

In 1969,the pollution was terrible along the Cuyahoga River Cleveland, Ohio. It    1    (be) unimaginable that it could ever be cleaned up. The river was so polluted that it    2    (actual) caught fire and burned. Now, years later, this river is one of    3    most outstanding（杰出的）examples of environmental cleanup.

But the river wasn’t changed in a few days    4    even a few months. It took years of work     5    (reduce) the industrial pollution and clean the water. Finally, that hard work paid off and now the water in the river is    6    (clean) than ever.

Maybe you are facing an impossible situation. Maybe you have a habit    7    is driving your family crazy. Possibly you drink too much or don’t know how to control your credit card use. When you face such an impossible situation, don’t you want a quick fix and something to change immediately?

While there are    8    (amaze) stories of instant transformation, for most of us the    9    (change) are gradual and require a lot of effort and work, like cleaning up a polluted river. Just be     10    (patience).