1 .
| A．The harm done by single-use plastics. |
| B．The topic for the woman’s composition. |
| C．Environmental issues. |
| D．Some recent hot news. |
| A．The weather. | B．Indoor activities. | C．The woman’s illness. |
3 . Usain Bolt burned about 10kcal of energy to win his gold during the 200 metre spring final at the Olympic Games, which could roughly power an old 60W light bulb for 11 minutes. If you could make use of all the power generated by all the athletes during the Games, you would still be nowhere close to reaching the 29.5 billion Watts consumed overall by the athletes, spectators and organizers over the event. We take sport for granted, but do we ever consider its cost to the planet?
From the water required to maintain the golf course during The Masters tournament to the hundreds of flights it takes to bring football fans to a World Cup, major sports events are not helping much in the fight against global heating. What’s more, there is a lack of recognition within sport of its responsibilities and little discussion about possible solutions.
This is strange, given that the effect works both ways: the climate crisis is not just affected by sports, but it is already having a negative impact on many sports. When ice-climber Will Gadd set out to conquer the world’s glaciers, he didn’t realize it would become a race against climate change. “I thought glaciers are there forever.” When he arrived at the summit, Gadd was shocked: “The ice…wasn’t there. The things I planned to climb were gone.”
Global heating is noticeable in other sports. Amy Steel played professional netball until she suffered from heatstroke after playing in 39℃ conditions and unfortunately, the damage was permanent. Not only that, but extreme weather events made more frequent as a result of global heating mean sporting events are more often delayed or canceled. This has cost sport billions in potential earnings.
Yet sport can be a powerful motivator: it can unite whole nations behind its teams. Could sport have a role to play in driving climate awareness? Will Gadd and Amy Steel are among many athletes who think so? One thing is certain. Sport must put climate change at the top of its agenda and decarbonize at a Usain Bolt-like pace to make a difference.
1. What is the main focus of the first paragraph?| A．Why do sports events consume energy? |
| B．How much power do athletes generate? |
| C．What is the energy impact of sports events? |
| D．How did Bolt contribute to the environment? |
| A．They initiated eco-friendly sports practices. |
| B．They sustained permanent injuries in sports. |
| C．They fell victim to climate-related incidents. |
| D．They achieved record-breaking performances. |
| A．Stricter facility restrictions. | B．Substantial financial losses. |
| C．Higher athlete training standards. | D．Prolonged outdoor sports seasons. |
| A．Sports in the Climate Crisis |
| B．Athletes against Global Heating |
| C．The Impact of Climate Change on Sport |
| D．The Environmental Cost of Outdoor Sports |
| A．From TV. | B．From the newspaper. | C．From the Internet. |
| A．A food shop. | B．A terrible picnic. | C．Tomorrow’s weather. |
6 . If you’re looking for someone to make a realistic, three-dimensional (3D) portrait of your pet cat using felted wool, you’ll have a tough time finding someone better than Wakuneco, a Japanese artist who started creating needle felt art back in 2015. Using different colored wool, this artist creates life-like cat portraits. Just have a look at what she can do with a needle and wool thread.
What does the author mean by saying the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1?
| A．No one can do better than Wakuneco. |
| B．Wakuneco is too busy to be visited or invited. |
| C．It’s hard for you to get along well with Wakuneco. |
| D．You’ll find many other skillful persons like Wakuneco. |
7 . It is late autumn—millions of gardeners across the northern hemisphere, pulled on their thickest sweaters, spent hours clearing large piles of leaves and packed them into plastic bags at the end of driveways.
In the US alone, nearly 10 million tonnes of garden waste go to landfill every year. That is a large amount of effort, not just from an environmental viewpoint but from that of our aching backs, too. So where does this advice come from? Well, it largely comes from the belief that thick fallen leaves can make plants under them unable to breathe, especially shorter grass. They shut down important photosynthesis (光合作用) and get in the way of the growth of the shorter grass. However, this received wisdom has recently been questioned by researchers at Wisconsin University.
The key finding of their new research was that although clearing fallen leaves is one of the most common gardening practices, it makes very little sense. In natural ecosystems, fallen leaves help return nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth to the soil, which greatly improves soil condition. Removing leaves year after year breaks this ecological (生态的) balance. Letting some leaves stick around to cover your garden is a great way to help your grass and the local ecosystem.
They further explained that if up to 50percent of your grass lawn (草坪) is covered by fallen leaves, you might as well go back indoors and put your feet up. The advantages of this light leaf coverage far outweigh the disadvantages—the leaves will quickly break down and help next year’s lawn grow far better than if you had cleared them. Only at over 50 percent coverage do the Wisconsin researchers recommend clearing.
So why not consider leaving the leaves? Save time, carbon and effort, and in exchange get a healthier lawn from this garden waste—that seems like a pretty good deal. And how many plastic bags could be saved by simply not binning fallen leaves every year? In the US alone, about 700 million.
1. What does the author describe in paragraph 1?| A．An amazing autumn game. | B．A common sight in gardens. |
| C．A hot attraction in the north. | D．An extreme weather event. |
| A．Fallen leaves need not be cleared. |
| B．Fallen leaves protect shorter grass. |
| C．Fallen leaves block photosynthesis. |
| D．Fallen leaves are hard to break down. |
| A．it ruins city image | B．it breaks gardening rules |
| C．it affects local economy | D．it causes ecological damage |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Unclear. | D．Worried. |
| A．A food shop. | B．A terrible picnic. | C．Tomorrow’s weather. |
The turtle dove is the UK’s fastest-declining bird species, according to a recent study. The data,
10 . Pets are part of our family so it’s important to factor them in when planning a trip that you’re not taking them with you on. Pet charity Blue Cross advises planning well in advance so you know that your pet will be comfortable.
Family and friends
Leaving your pet in the care of a trusted friend or neighbour will give you peace of mind that it will be well cared for. Your pet will be able to stay with them in their home.
Things to consider if your pet is staying in another house:
· Do they have another dog or pet and will they get on with your pet?
· Do they have a garden? Is the garden secure so your pet can’t escape?
Pet sitter
Pet sitters stay in or visit your home to look after your pet while you’re away for a fee. This is a good option which allows your pet to stay in a familiar environment and you will receive regular updates.
How to find a good pet sitter:
· Ask friends and family for recommendations for pet sitters.
· Pet sitters don’t need a license to work, but reputable ones will be able to show you training and insurance certificates.
· Check reviews online from independent review sites.
Home boarder
Home boarders are people that take pets into their own homes to look after for a fee.
How to find a good home boarder:
· Check their home has no obvious dangers, like exposed wires, toxic substances and unsecured fences.
· Your pet is invited round to get to know the home and meet the family it’ll be staying with.
· You can easily find and view their license to home board pets from the local council as well as their insurance details and training.
Boarding kennels
Kennels are an option, but it depends whether your pet is comfortable being left alone in a kennel environment around other pets.
How to find a boarding kennel:
· Get a personal recommendation, and check the kennel is licensed.
· Ask if you can visit before you book.
· Ask about insurance cover and the procedure for contacting a vet (兽医).
1. If you prefer your pet to stay in a familiar environment, you can leave it with _____.| A．a friend | B．a pet sitter | C．a home boarder | D．a boarding kennel |
| A．Call the insurance company. |
| B．Check the license from the local council. |
| C．Check reviews from independent review sites. |
| D．Invite him over to your home and meet your family. |
| A．A vet who desires to change his job. |
| B．A man who is considering adopting a dog. |
| C．A couple who are planning to rent a house. |
| D．A pet owner who will take a business trip. |
