1. What happened yesterday near Santa Barbara?
| A．There was another storm. | B．There was a traffic jam. | C．There was a fire. |
| A．On Tuesday. | B．On Wednesday. | C．On Thursday. |
| A．It will be more powerful. |
| B．It will move more quickly. |
| C．It will bring more rain and snow. |
2 . Canadians are blessed with an abundance of natural wonders with enough lakes, mountains and rivers to explore for a lifetime. We’ve also got some of the most amazing waterfalls on Earth.
Horseshoe Falls Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls are the most famous waterfalls in Canada — and understandably so. Actually they are made up of three different falls, and the fittingly named Horseshoe Falls is the only one located on the Canadian side, which is the most powerful in North America. Multiple viewing options are available including tourist ships and sightseeing buses.
Nailicho (Nirginia Falls) Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories
Coming in at twice the height of Niagara Falls, this massive waterfall is located on the South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories. The remote location means it receives only about 1,000 visitors per year who must make their way by either boat or floatplane.
Takakkaw Falls — Yoho National Park, British Columbia
Takakkaw translated from Cree loosely means “the magnificent (壮丽的)”, and it’s a suitable word for the second-highest waterfall in Canada. After a steep drive up a winding road, Takakkaw Falls is only a short distance from the parking lot along a wheelchair accessible path.
Bridal Veil Falls — Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia
Pretty and delicate, Bridal Veil Falls is located just east of Chilliwack, British Columbia, and really does look like its name, with water gently pouring over smooth rock. An easy 15-minute walk to the waterfall takes you through rich leaves. Tables are available to have a meal outdoors, and there are lots of opportunities for viewing wildlife along the way.
1. What do we know about Horseshoe Falls?| A．It is easily accessible. |
| B．It consists of three falls. |
| C．It limits tourist numbers. |
| D．It crosses North America. |
| A．By tourist ship. | B．By cable car. |
| C．By floatplane. | D．By car. |
| A．Swim. | B．Camp. | C．Picnic. | D．Hunt. |
3 . Roads and railways have made it easy for people to travel around the UK, but have had the precisely opposite effect for insects. Alongside housing developments, transport infrastructure (基础设施) has separated insect habitats, leaving many pollinators (传粉昆虫) stuck on decreasing islands of biodiversity.
A new conservation project aims to address that by creating a network of wildflower superhighways across the UK. The B-Lines network aims to join the dots between meadow habitats, enabling pollinators and other wildlife to move freely between them. Ten years in the making, the B-Lines initiative was launched by the insect charity Buglife on Tuesday and has already generated interest from unexpected quarters. “After the launch, some house builders rang up asking how they could include the network into house building, so it could have a really positive effect,” said Buglife’s Paul Hetherington.
Buglife has spent the last decade mapping potential routes for the insect superhighway. Hetherington said the proposed highway could give the UK’s weak insects a boost and a route out of habitats that become too hot due to the climate crisis and it can make a huge difference in easing declines. “The things that have really hammered pollinators are habitat loss, loss of connectivity of habitat, climate change and pesticides—this deals with everything except pesticides,” said Hetherington.
The B-lines network is not just a concept. Pilot sections have already been completed, including the South Wales B-Lines near Cardiff. “Since that was done, there have been recordings of one of our rarest bees in Cardiff town centre, which shows this connectivity can work,” said Hetherington. And in Norwich, Buglife has been working with Network Rail to plant wildflowers along the track. Anyone living along the proposed route can get involved in the project. All they need to do is let their lawns grow, or even just create a small herb garden, which Hetherington likened to creating a “motorway service station for bees”.
1. What can we learn about the B-Lines network from paragraph 2?| A．It will separate insect habitats. | B．It can help insects to pollinate. |
| C．It is still being planned now. | D．It hasn’t caused any attention. |
| A．The last decade. | B．The superhighway. | C．The climate crisis. | D．The decline. |
| A．By recording the tracks of bees. | B．By cooperating with Network Rail. |
| C．By planting herbs in their own gardens. | D．By creating a motorway service station. |
| A．Roads and railways have caused bad effect on insects. |
| B．Transport infrastructure prevents housing developments. |
| C．Pollinators are stuck on decreasing islands of biodiversity. |
| D．Conservationists are creating “superhighways” for insects. |
4 . The African penguin lives on St. Croix island off the east coast of South Africa. A new study has found that they are leaving their natural environment to escape noisy ship refueling (补给燃料) activities.
The African penguins once mainly raised babies on this island. But the population has dropped sharply since South Africa started permitting ships in the area to refuel at sea six years ago, the study found.
Lorien Pichegru is acting director of the Coastal and Marine Research Institute at Nelson Mandela University, which led the study. She said the organization had found that noise levels in the area had doubled since the refueling activities began. Scientists say high noise levels affect the ability of penguins to find and catch other animals for food. Noise also makes it more difficult for them to communicate with each other and map travel paths. “This year we are at 1,200 breeding pairs at St Croix from 8,500 pairs in 2016,” Pichegru said.
The study recently appeared in the publication Science of the Total Environment. The researchers said the study is the first to explore the effects of ocean traffic noise pollution on a seabird.
Nelson Mandela University’s study collected some data to estimate underwater noise from passing ships. Oil-covered penguins were found in 2019 in Algoa Bay after an oil spill from ship-to-ship refueling. Environmental groups have called for the activities to be banned in the bay.
Pichegru said penguins in the area were already struggling to survive because of a series of issues, including industrial fishing activities. She added that the refueling activities did not kill all the penguins. However, “It was just the thing that made the whole ecology tip over and then the penguins couldn’t cope with that,” she said.
1. What has the new study found about penguins?| A．They have difficulty in raising babies. | B．They can get used to noisy ships easily. |
| C．Their population is on the increase. | D．They are forced to leave the natural environment. |
| A．The value of Lorien Pichegru’s job. | B．The importance of ship refueling activities. |
| C．The ability of Penguins to find food. | D．Bad effects of noises on Penguins. |
| A．The penguins should be put in control. |
| B．Fishing activities should be greatly encouraged. |
| C．Refueling activities should be strictly managed. |
| D．The penguins should develop their survival abilities. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook. | C．A textbook. | D．A magazine. |
5 . Scientists visiting tiny Henderson Island in the South Pacific recently made an alarming discovery. Although it is one of the most remote places on the earth and previously untouched by humans, the island was covered in plastic waste. They calculated there were 38 million pieces of plastic, weighing almost 18 tons, with thousands of new pieces washing up each day. “No country has a free pass-we found plastic from everywhere,” said one scientist. “We all have a responsibility, and we have to sit up and pay attention. This is not an issue to ignore. We need to do something now to protect the sea.”
Plastic waste in the sea has long been known about, but only now are we discovering the true extent of the problem. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, so all the plastic ever produced still exists somewhere. Around 95% of plastics made are not recycled, and large amounts enter the sea. Currents collect this waste in large circular systems called “gyres”. One of the largest is in the Pacific Ocean, an area now known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”.
The problem gets worse as plastic breaks down into very small pieces, or “micro plastic”. This is eaten by fish and leads to massive species loss. Humans also eat these fish, and micro plastic has even been found in tap water around the world. The problem has spread too far to ignore. The plastic on Henderson Island accounts for just 2 seconds’ worth of global annual plastic production. That production will more than triple by 2050. Then there will be the same weight of plastic in the sea as fish.
However, there are some young minds working to clean up and protect the sea for future generations. While diving in Greece, young Boyan Slat noticed there was more plastic waste than fish. He decided right then to dedicate his life to solving this problem. Previously the problem was considered too big to solve; collecting the plastic with boats and nets would be expensive, would harm sea life, and would take thousands of years! But, Boyan thought, why move through the sea when the sea can move through you? To work with the currents and gyres would help collect the waste. So he started The Ocean Cleanup project, which places very long floating barriers in the Pacific. Currents then concentrate the waste naturally so it can be collected and recycled. He hopes to reduce the patch by 50% in just five years.
“Many problems today are side effects of things people didn’t think about in the past”, he says. Sea plastic is a symbol of the negative effects of our lifestyle and technology. Our aim should be to create a new lifestyle for this century. Protecting the sea from plastic is a good place to start.
1. What alarming discovery did the scientists make?| A．They discovered a tiny island in the South Pacific Ocean. |
| B．They discovered there was plastic everywhere on Henderson Island. |
| C．They discovered that there was no human beings on Henderson Island. |
| D．They discovered Henderson Island was the most remote place in the world. |
| A．Micro plastic is merely harmful to the fish in the sea. |
| B．Not all the countries have to face the problem of plastic trash. |
| C．Nowadays there is the same weight of plastic in the sea as fish. |
| D．Most plastics made are not recycled, and large amounts enter the sea. |
| A．How the Ocean Cleanup project works. |
| B．The problem of plastic cleanup is too big to tackle. |
| C．Let the sea itself decompose the plastic waste naturally. |
| D．Collecting plastic with boats and nets would be a good way. |
| A．Considerate and straightforward. | B．Intelligent and responsible. |
| C．Knowledgeable and sensitive. | D．Devoted and courageous. |
6 . Laundry day isn’t exactly fun for most people, but it can be quite unpleasant for the Earth. Washing clothes can release microplastics that are accumulating in the world’s waterways at alarming rates.
·Choose efficient machines
The machines you use have a significant effect on the amount of energy and water you save or waste.
·
Avoid small loads, but don’t crowd a machine, which can make it work harder. And take a look at the amount of detergent(洗涤剂)you’re using. The extra detergent will be harder to clean out, extending washing and drying times.
·Read up on green products
Companies large and small have met consumer demand for products with no harsh chemicals.
| A．Wash clothes by hand |
| B．Rethink your laundry habits |
| C．They use less energy than standard models |
| D．Older appliances can waste many resources |
| E．But not all products are what they claim to be |
| F．Two to three tablespoons for detergents are enough |
| G．Luckily it’s getting easier to clean your clothes while staying green |
7 . Leaf peeping, the practice of traveling to watch nature display the fall colors, is a beloved annual activity, especially in New England. Typically, by the end of September, leaves take on warmer colors throughout the U.S. But this year, many areas haven’t even shaken off the green shades of summer. In Maine, forest rangers reported less than 70% color change and modest leaf drop.
It’s commonly believed that trees, like people, must prepare for winter. When fall arrives, and day length and temperature drop, trees respond by ending green substance production and absorbing remaining nutrients, causing leaves to lose the original color. Greens give way to yellows, reds and oranges that make for dramatic autumn displays.
Warm fall temperatures can make the fall colors appear later. Worse, dry summers can cause leaves to miss the fall color turn altogether. Delay of the start of the fall colors, which has been moving later into the fall, could continue. “My observations in the last decade have had more years that were later than what we consider historical averages. It can be a trend as the planet warms,” said the expert Jim Salge.
It’s not just the plants that suffer. “Turning leaves offer an irresistible mass of color — which, by estimate, brings in as much as billions of dollars a year in tourism in New England,” said Andy Finton, a forest ecologist. That’s another good reason to focus on preserving forests. Leaf peeping can stay part of the area’s feature if forests are given enough protection. “If we can keep them unharmed, they’ll provide things we’ve depended on, as well as fall inspiration,” said Finton.
1. What is special about the leaves in Maine this year?| A．They take on warm colors. | B．They drop earlier than normal. |
| C．They stay green longer. | D．They totally miss the fall color turn. |
| A．Ways of trees surviving winter. | B．Explanation of leaves changing color. |
| C．Functions of the green substance. | D．Effect of climate change on fall leaves. |
| A．The earth gets drier. | B．The temperature gets higher. |
| C．The earth gets warmer. | D．The leaves delay color change. |
| A．To introduce leaf peeping. | B．To report the right time for leaf peeping. |
| C．To call on people to admire fall leaves. | D．To warn people to take care of forests. |
8 . A record surge in the creation of marine protected areas has taken the international community close to its goal of creating nature refuges on 17% of the world’s land and 10% of seas by 2020, according to a new UN report. Protected region snow cover more than five times the territory of the US, but the authors said this good news was often undermined by poor enforcement. Some reserves are little more than “paper parks” with little value to nature conservation. Atleast one has been turned into an industrial zone. More than 27m square kilometres of seas (7% of the total) and 20m sq km of land (15% of the total) now have protected status, according to the Protected Planet report, which was released on Sunday at the UN biodiversity conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Almost all of the growth has been in marine regions, most notably with the creation last year of the world’s biggest protected area: the 2m sq km Ross Sea reserve, one-fifth of which is in the Antarctic. The no-fishing zone will be managed by New Zealand and the US.
“We have seen an enormous expansion in the past two years. There is now more marine protected area than terrestrial, which nobody would have predicted,” said Kathy McKinnon of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. “I think we’ll continue to see a substantial increase, I’d guess, to at least 10% in the near future.”
The UN convention on biological diversity says it has received national commitments for an additional 4.5m sq km of land and 16m sq km of oceans to be given protected status in the next two years. This would put it on course to achieve one of the key aims of the 2010 Aichi biodiversity targets.
“This is the target with the most progress. In an ocean of bad news about biodiversity loss and eco-destruction, it is important to highlight that progress, though we still have a lot more to do to ensure not just the quantitive target but the effectiveness of the management,” said CristianaPașca Palmer, the head of UN Biodiversity.
The creation of protected areas has not been enough to halt a collapse of species and ecosystems that threatens civilisation. Since 1970 humanity has wiped out 60% of mammal, bird, fish and reptile populations, with a dangerous knock-on impact on food production, fisheries and climate stability.
Protected areas are important refuges from this wave of extinctions but many are underfunded and poorly policed. Only one in five have provided management assessments to the UN, which has raised questions about the viability of the rest.
Naomi Kingston, of UN environment world conservation monitoring centre, said: “There is a race to deliver on Aichi target 11. It is fantastic that countries are coming with more ambition, but not if it is just a number without substance.
“Some areas that have been reported to us as protected areas have been completely built over. We need datasets to define which areas are paper parks and which are real.”
Developing nations have better reporting standards because many are obliged to provide regular assessments in order to qualify for funds from the Global Environment Fund. By contrast, many wealthier nations devote few resources to monitoring.
Discussions will focus on a new, more flexible category for community land that is used by locals for both agricultural production and wildlife conservation. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, this is a model that has often helped improve biodiversity because residents — often from indigenous communities — live closely with nature and have an interest in protecting it.
1. What promotes the achievement of the goals of marine nature reserves?| A．Poor management of marine protected areas. |
| B．Loss of biodiversity and ecological destruction. |
| C．Rapid growth in the number of marine protected areas. |
| D．Commitments in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. |
| A．They have promoted the expansion of marine protected areas. |
| B．They have little value for nature conservation. |
| C．They all turn into industrial zones. |
| D．They will slow down the collapse of ecosystems. |
| A．NewZealand and the United States regulate fishing-ban zones. |
| B．In the near future, the number of marine refuges will increase by at least 10%. |
| C．The quantity and management quality of marine refuges are equally important. |
| D．Many countries have ambitions to achieve Aichi 11. |
| A．A recorded surge in the creation of marine protected areas. |
| B．Developing countries may receive funding from the Global Environment Facility. |
| C．The Increase of marine refuges and the views of relevant personnel. |
| D．Achieving Aichi 11 Goal. |
Mountaineering
Mountaineering is the sport of climbing mountains — it’s all about challenge and perseverance, putting hands and feet on rocks, ice, and snow, and finally reaching a summit. There, high above the world of cities and civilization, the climber can pause and look out over a world ruled by nature and its raw beauty.
There are three separate phases (阶段) of mountain climbing: hiking, rock climbing, and snow and ice technique. Each phase requires a different set of skills. Hiking is the essential element of all climbing. Mountain climbers must be able to walk long distances without tiring. Some of the most difficult hours of a climb are those spent hiking on the trails of a mountain’s lower slopes. Rock climbers must know how to use equipment to help them move up and down the rocks. Most importantly, rock climbers must know how to use their hands and feet to make a successful climb. Hands are used for balance, and feet are used for support. Good mountaineers must also be familiar with the dangers of ice and snow conditions. They must be able to tell hidden crevasses and also be aware of when and where avalanches might occur.
Mountain climbing is a risky activity where you may encounter various dangers. Don’t take lightly no matter how easy your chosen peak might seem. Looks can be deceiving. The mountains are filled with danger and drama. Thunderstorms quickly form and drench (湿透) you with rain and snow. Rockfall and avalanches sweep down mountain faces. Difficulties can slow you, forcing you to camp in the open. You or your climbing partners can have an accident, causing all kinds of problems.
Yet, despite all this, the mountains draw climbers who love the natural world and possess an adventurous spirit. To reach the top of a mountain peak is not always easy, but climbers do enjoy the joy of the climbing most. It’s at those precious mountain moments that you will remember Helen Keller’s words: “A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.”
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10 . John “Charlie” Veron-widely known as “the Godfather of Coral Reef (珊瑚礁)”-is a celebrated expert who has personally discovered nearly a quarter of the world’s coral species and has spent the past 45 years diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. But now the 73-year-old is raising the alarm about its future. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders, is 2, 300 kilometers long and is the only living organism that can be seen from space. It is considered a World Treasure Site due to its biodiversity (生物多样性)with 30 species of whales, dolphins and sharks. Within the reef itself, there are also a number of tiny organisms and fishes.
However, its health is threatened. After the recent mass bleaching (白化)events, Veron dived in many areas of the Great Barrier Reef to see the damage for himself. “I was seeing and feeling it and it was absolutely shocking, ” he says.
Veron says the mass bleaching events in the past few years-and the possibility of losing one of nature’s greatest treasures-were a wake-up call for the world in the wider battle against climate change, which, together with the rising sea temperature, is considered the greatest threats to the reef.
Fortunately, earlier this year, the Australian government announced nearly 400 million dollars in new funding towards scientific projects designed to help the reef.
There has been criticism in Australia about the slow process for the funding. “It won’t be wasted, though,”Veron says. “As scientists will be able to create a sort of seed bank to protect the species until the climate is good enough to rebuild the reef. What the scientists hope to do is to help nature along a bit after the big carbon dioxide increase is over and it starts to come down.”
1. Why is the Great Barrier Reef considered a treasure site?| A．It is a natural wonder. |
| B．It can be seen from space. |
| C．It has a rich variety of species. |
| D．It is home to a great many fishes. |
| A．Climate change is threatening biodiversity. |
| B．The Great Barrier Reef is in danger of extinction. |
| C．Scientists have found major factors in the reef’s blenching. |
| D．Veron has made great contributions to environmental protection. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Positive. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A research plan. | D．A journal entry. |
