1 . The beautiful blue whale is the largest animal in the sea and can weigh as much as 200 tons. Blue whales, like so many of the species, have been considered seriously endangered but a new Antarctic survey shows an obvious increase in numbers. This is certainly something to celebrate.
The 21-day 2020 survey led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), shows that blue whales and other whale species are making a comeback in the cold Antarctic waters. The survey marked the end of a three-year wild water project off South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic.
The survey included 40 researchers from nine countries. It took place in the most heavily hunted waters in the world where 176,000 whales were caught in around 60 years of hunting operations from shore stations on the island and from factory whaling ships. The researchers have spotted 55 whales in 36 sightings already in 2020 in a location where only one whale was spotted in 2018. The scientists were able to recognize the whales acoustically (声学上) through their songs — blue whales are also the loudest animals on Earth.
The new survey is extremely important because South Georgia’s waters are a major krill (磷虾) feeding area for different whale species. In all, BAS estimated that 2000 whales of different species now spend the summer in South Georgia before heading north to breed. “After three years of surveys, we are excited to see so many whales visiting South Georgia to feed again,” whale project leader Jennifer Jackson said.
With increased awareness and protection efforts, species on land and in the sea can be preserved and their numbers can increase. We may not be able to restore all of the biodiversity (生物多样性) that once existed, but we can preserve what remains.
1. What is the good news according to paragraph 1?| A．People realize the serious situation of blue whales. |
| B．The number of blue whales has increased greatly. |
| C．Blue whales have become the largest animals in the world. |
| D．Scientists have found many special species of blue whales. |
| A．The end of studying whales. | B．The end of a wild water project. |
| C．The success of protecting whales. | D．The success of fighting against hunting. |
| A．By their loud voice. | B．By their large size. |
| C．By their special smell. | D．By their beautiful color. |
| A．There is little water pollution in the research area. |
| B．The waters studied are the main food source for whales. |
| C．The study raises people’s awareness of protecting blue whales. |
| D．The survey provides a lot of detailed information about whales. |
2 . In 2011, organizations in England called on the citizens to reduce the amount of meat eaten on Fridays. 28% of people adjusted their dietary habits in various ways. Some gave up meat on Fridays, while others reduced it.
A new study from the University of Cambridge aimed to look at the consequences of behavioral change from people within a society and how these consequences bring in potentially large environmental benefits over time has assessed the impact of this shift, estimating that over the past decade, 55,000 tonnes of annual carbon emissions were saved.
The 28% of people said they changed their habits; of these, 55% reduced meat consumption on Fridays, and 41% stopped eating meat on Fridays. The 72% of people who did not change dietary habits attributed it to preferring to choose their own foods.
Using further data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), researchers could tell that people in the UK eat an average of 100 grams of meat daily, and the average high-protein, non-meat-eater (who eats fish and cheese) contributes one third of the greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram that a meat-eater does.
Thus, making a conservative assumption that citizens who adapted their diet switched to high protein non-meat meals on Fridays, the researchers estimated that this equated to approximately 875,000 fewer meat meals a week, which saved 1,070 tonnes of carbon, or 55,000 tonnes over a year.
There are some concerns about the implementation(实施) of meatless Fridays leading to further reduction of fish stocks, as fish is a common substitute for red meat. The researchers say, however, that this need not be a concern; there was no increase in fish consumption over the past decade, nor did meat consumption go up on other days to make up for its absence on Fridays. Furthermore, there are many more meat substitutes available now than in the past, offering more options.
1. Which of the following can best describe the shift?| A．Costly. | B．Meaningless. |
| C．Well-known. | D．Environmentally friendly. |
| A．The experimental process. |
| B．The changes in people’s lifestyle. |
| C．The people’s response to the appeal. |
| D．The people’s care of carbon emissions. |
| A．To support the findings of the study. |
| B．To introduce the application of the study. |
| C．To show a different opinion about the study. |
| D．To call on more people to participate in the study. |
| A．Curious. | B．Optimistic. | C．Doubtful. | D．Shocked. |
3 . Tolstoy, one of east Africa’s few remaining Super Tusker elephants, wandered the grasslands around Mount Kilimanjaro for more than five decades. That was until last year, when he died after being speared by a farmer seeking to protect his crops.
“This is happening more and more,” said ranger Daudi Ninaai from Kenya’s Amboseli ecosystem reserve. The ranger fears other elephants will meet the same fate, as the increasingly frequent conflicts between humans and wildlife are worsened by the increase of new commercial farms. Incidents of elephants’ crop robbing more than doubled from 156 in 2020 to 363 last year.
“It’s skyrocketing because the space is shrinking,” said Samuel Tokore, a senior official at Kenya Wildlife Service. The fenced farms have considerably reduced elephants’ ability to travel. Tall barriers have been thrown up across their ancient migration routes.
The problem begins partly from a state-led move to divide 1.35mn acres in Amboseli used by generations of native Maasai people into private lands. After the public land was divided up, some chose to sell them on to commercial farmers.
“The destruction of wildlife buffer zones (缓冲区) and corridors for industrial farming is at a tipping poinit,” WildlifeDirect’s Kahumbu said. Michael Kairu set up his farming business in Amboseli five years ago only to find out later about the threat it posed to wildlife. His 500-acre farm is located in what was once an elephant breeding ground. “Government agencies and communities should make it clear where you can farm,” said Kairu, whose customers include leading UK supermarkets. “I don’t want to be in the wrong place,” he said.
1. What do we know about Tolstoy?| A．He died of old age. |
| B．He was killed by a gun. |
| C．He lived in Mount Kilimanjaro for decades. |
| D．He fed on farmland crops sometimes. |
| A．The carelessness of rangers. | B．The rise of commercial farms. |
| C．The financial trouble of government. | D．The unnatural deaths of elephants. |
| A．Misleading. | B．Suffering. | C．Multiplying. | D．Reducing. |
| A．He would expand the UK market. |
| B．He would raise money for wildlife. |
| C．He would close his farm in Amboseli. |
| D．He would set up more reserves in Amboseli. |
4 . As climate change causes ocean temperatures to rise, one of Greenland’s previously most stable glaciers is now reducing at an unheard-of rate, according to a new study.
The study was led by researchers at The Ohio State University. The team found the truth. Between 2018 and 2021, Steenstrup Glacier in Greenland reduced about 5 miles, thinned by about 20% and doubled in the amount of ice that went into the ocean. According to the study, such a rapid change is so extraordinary among Greenland’s ice formations that it now places Steenstrup Glacier in the top 10% of glaciers that contribute to the entire region’s total ice discharge.
Steenstrup Glacier is part of the Greenland Ice Sheet, a body of ice that covers nearly 80% of the world’s largest island, which is also the single largest contributor to the global sea rise from the cryosphere (冰冻圈), the portion of Earth’s ecosystem that includes all of its frozen water. While the region plays a crucial part in balancing the global climate system, the area is steadily reducing as it loses hundreds of billions of tons of ice each year because of global warming.
As far as scientists knew, Steenstrup Glacier had been stable for decades. It was hardly influenced by the rising temperatures that had influenced so many other regional glaciers, likely because of its special position in shallow water. It wasn’t until Thomas Chudley, lead author of the study, and his colleagues collected observational and modeling data from previous remote sensing analyses on the glacier that the team realized Steenstrup Glacier was likely experiencing melting due to anomalies (反常现象) in deeper Atlantic water.
According to Chudley, the current situation in Greenland serves as an early warning sign for possible future events in West Antarctica within the next few centuries. He also expressed the importance of conducting direct observations in the fjord to understand the reasons behind the changes observed in Steenstrup Glacier.
1. Why does the author mention the figures in paragraph 2?| A．To count the number of global glaciers. |
| B．To show the severity of melting glaciers. |
| C．To tell people the percentage of glacier water. |
| D．To stress the consequence of global warming. |
| A．Its location. | B．Its content. | C．Its sort. | D．Its big coverage. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Concerned. | C．Disappointed. | D．Confident. |
| A．A once-stable glacier in Greenland is now rapidly disappearing. |
| B．The Steenstrup Glacier is the largest contributor to the global sea rise. |
| C．Researchers try to enter Greenland to observe how it has changed. |
| D．Glaciers play a crucial part in balancing the global climate system. |
5 . The world’s longest and most demanding competition is underway as competitors adventure 36,000 miles around the planet on sailboats. The race is intense-but it’s not just about winning and glory. The sailors are also part-time citizen scientists competing on boats outfitted with tools that gather data on how climate change is impacting the world’ s oceans.
The sailing competition, called The Ocean Race, started in January. Those competing started in Spain, then raced down the coast of Africa before cutting across the Indian and Southern oceans to reach Brazil. They then headed up the eastern coast of the Americas before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to get to Denmark. This week, the teams will leave Denmark on the final two legs of the race, which ends in late June in Italy.
Each team is working to track how climate change is impacting the oceans, which are rapidly warming from absorbing 90% of the excess (过量的) heat created by planet warming greenhouse gas emissions (排放). Oceans provide about 50% of the oxygen humans breathe, making their health critical to human health.
The boats, which serve as high-speed laboratories, measure everything from sea surface temperatures to oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The scientists onboard have also detected microplastics in nearly every sample they’ve taken so far. The data they collect is distributed worldwide.
The racers send all the data they collect to a satellite in real time, sharing 25 .000 data points per day. The boats also go where few scientific missions travel, making the data they collect especially valuable. The third leg of the race was a 38-day sail through the Antarctic Ocean.
“I truly think the data is invaluable because it’ s collecting information from parts of the ocean that we rarely have an opportunity to collect data from,” said Jon Hare, a scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
1. What does the underlined word “outfitted” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Equipped. | B．Supplied. | C．Presented. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．In Spain. | B．In India. | C．In Brazil. | D．In Italy. |
| A．It is related to endangered species. | B．It covers some from remote areas. |
| C．It is analyzed in high-speed labs. | D．It is mainly collected by satellites. |
| A．Training part-time citizen scientists at sea. | B．An exploration of the habitats of sea life. |
| C．Collecting climate data around the world. | D．A sailing competition around the Antarctic. |
6 . Wetlands, making up about 6% of Earth’s land surface, are found on every continent except for Antarctica.
Protecting against floods. Wetlands play a crucial role in protecting against floods. The plants and soil in wetlands act as natural sponges (海绵), storing excess water during heavy rainfall or storms.
Purifying (净化) water. Wetlands have exceptional abilities to purify water. Acting as natural filters, the plants, soil and micro creatures in wetlands remove sediments, excess nutrients and pollutants from water sources.
Fighting climate change. Aside from these vital functions, wetlands also play a significant role in fighting climate change.
However, the world’s wetlands are being lost at an alarming rate. Restoration and conservation projects offer hope that these ecosystems can be saved.
| A．Supporting life |
| B．Protecting birds |
| C．This process helps to improve water quality |
| D．The water stored in wetlands can be drunk |
| E．Wetlands play an important role despite their small coverage |
| F．Wetland plants have remarkable carbon storage capabilities |
| G．Thus, wetlands can reduce the risk of flooding in surrounding areas |
7 . “The trees are precious to us,” says Priscilla Hunter. “We believe our ancestors’ spirits are there.”
Hunter is a member of the Pomo Indians in Norther California. She’s also a founder and chairwoman of the Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council (ISWC).
In 1997 the council acquired 3,844 acres of the Sinkyone wilderness, about 200 miles along California’s Lost Coast. It’s “lost” because scenic Highway 1 avoids it, cutting inland to escape the rough coastal terrain (地形). One could also say it’s lost because less than 2 percent of the original old-growth redwoods there survived logging decades ago. Now the 10 tribes that formed the union are working to protect and preserve their sacred land. David Brindley, the interim editor of National Geographic, asked Hunter how they were accomplishing that. “We’re just letting it heal. It takes a long time to heal an area that has been cut and cut,“ ”she told him, “People are saying: ‘What are you guys doing with it?’’ Letting it heal.’”
Their efforts have gained attention. Last December the Save the Redwoods League(SRL), an established nonprofit organization, gave the council 523 acres of California coastal forest. The forest, named as Tcíh-Léh-Dûñ-meaning “fish run place” in the Sinkyone language, includes nearly 200 acres of old-growth redwoods. “We were really pleased to have a place that still has some of the ancient trees. So the critters will have a place to be safe-the fish and birds and all that,” said Hunter.
The Sinkyone council is just one example of how indigenous peoples, in communities across the United States and Canada, are taking control of their land, laws, and fate.
Basing on the above, Brindley wrote this month’s cover story “We Are Here”. It explored how native nations are reclaiming their sovereignty and rebuilding their cultures.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．Hunter is in charge of the ten tribes. |
| B．Tcíh-Léh-Dûñ has become a heaven for wildlife. |
| C．The redwoods represent value and spirit. |
| D．The redwoods heal better with the intervention of humans. |
| A．It has given way to Highway 1. |
| B．It has never been reported by the press. |
| C．It has become unnoticed with the fading of Indian culture. |
| D．It has been seriously damaged for much cutting. |
| A．Rule. |
| B．Reform. |
| C．Trees. |
| D．Creatures. |
| A．Finding a Cover Story |
| B．Uniting the Two Organizations |
| C．Protecting the Sacred Land |
| D．Exploring the Loss of Lost Coast |
Machu Picchu is an ancient city in Peru, South America. It
Machu Picchu is high up in the Andes Mountains of Peru. There are 3,000 stone steps
Millions of people visit every year to see the stone city. The development of nearby towns and damage
Peru is taking
9 . Tree-planting, intended to help draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, has become a synonym (同义词) for climate action. In our constant focus on trees, we’ve developed a fixed understanding: Trees absorb carbon dioxide, end of story. The reality is that trees don’t grow well alone. They exist within complex communities, helped along by each other as well as the animals they coexist with. The woodland isn’t nature’s only carbon sink: Grasslands and oceans also help reduce the carbon level and rely on a healthy amount of biodiversity.
That’s what the paper, published in Nature, wants to get across. Co-author Oswald J. Schmitz, a professor of ecology at Yale University, said trees might not be able to do their carbon-uptake job efficiently without the right animals in their ecosystem. That’s because animals animate the carbon cycle through their behavior and roles in the ecosystem. He added that the very presence of wild animals could cause feedback effects that change the ecosystem’s capacity to absorb, release, or transport carbon.
In Serengeti, for instance, the sharp decline in wildebeest (角马) population s during the mid-20th century allowed grass to grow wildly, eventually promoting wildfires that consumed 80 percent of the ecosystem annually and led to a net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When disease management and bans on illegal hunting helped animal populations recover, a greater share of the carbon stored in plants was consumed by wildebeest and released as waste, keeping it in the system and restoring the grassland as a carbon sink.
Researchers rarely consider wildlife conservation as a strategy to increase an ecosystem’s carbon storage capacity, said Schmitz. “They think that animals either aren’t important enough or that you can’t take up carbon and conserve animals at the same time,” he said. “Our message is that you can and should. It can be a win-win for both biodiversity conservation and carbon uptake.” We need a full picture-with both trees and animals-to explore nature’s full potential.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Actions are needed to reduce carbon dioxide. | B．Trees are a quick solution to the climate crisis. |
| C．People are not thinking through trees properly. | D．Grasslands and oceans help maintain biodiversity. |
| A．Activate. | B．Restart. | C．Disturb. | D．Break. |
| A．The conservation of animals is still a serious issue. |
| B．Animals can swing the ecosystem’s capacity to store carbon. |
| C．Human impacts bring about the reduction in wildlife populations. |
| D．The increase in animal species causes a decrease in carbon uptake. |
| A．Animals Adjust Themselves to Climate Change |
| B．Woodland Isn’t the Only Carbon Sink on the Earth |
| C．The Serengeti Ecosystem Needs Urgent Improvement |
| D．Trees May Fail to Fulfil Their Duties without Animals |
10 . Earth Day falls on April 22 each year to inform people about environmental problems and inspire them to act. It first came into being in 1970, followed in 1972 by World Environment Day. It has been celebrated ever since, slowly but surely picking up steam. Interestingly, it remained a grassroots affair for 20 years before spreading out to 140 countries in 1990. Now, it is celebrated around the world. Humans still face many challenges, such as climate change and plastic pollution. But we can all make a difference.
When Claire was in the seventh grade, she learned about plans to expand and modernize her middle school. As a follower of Earth Day, she wanted to help. Claire asked the school board to add solar panels to the project because, she explained, clean energy would contribute to a truly modern school, and help her school pursue sustainable development.
The board liked the idea but said it could contribute just $25,000, one-fifth of the cost. So Clarie turned to the community, looking for a solution. Her friends and neighbors shared her enthusiasm. Soon Claire organized a group of kids and adults, who set to work raising the rest. They wrote grant (拨款) requests, put on a talent show and asked for donations, even going door-to-door for them at Halloween. And they appealed to charitable foundations too. One donated more than half the cost!
After two years of hard work, the group paid for the solar panels, which now supply one-fourth of the school’s electricity needs, saving the district thousands of dollars. “My favorite part about this project was that one person could start something small and then the project could grow and have a big impact on the community,” Claire said “There are always going to be barriers and hard parts. When there’s a challenge presented to you, use it as a learning moment and an opportunity to overcome it.”
You can be a hero for the environment, so find out what can be recycled where you live.
1. What can we learn about Earth Day from the first paragraph?| A．It was first celebrated on April 22, 1972. | B．It gained instant popularity worldwide. |
| C．It aims to raise environmental awareness. | D．It promotes solutions to human challenges. |
| A．To sell the solar panels. | B．To make her school greener. |
| C．To improve academic grades. | D．To beautify the school campus. |
| A．The vital role of charities. | B．Difficulties in raising money. |
| C．Constant efforts on the project. | D．Financial support from the public. |
| A．Responsible and determined. | B．Generous and creative. |
| C．Energetic and reliable. | D．Curious and adventurous. |
