A.Plant ecology. | B.The study of insects. |
C.Marine biology. | D.The food chain. |
A.The threat of scientific progress. | B.The danger of chemicals pesticides(杀虫剂). |
C.The possible causes of cancer. | D.The natural history of the sea. |
A.It led to a nationwide ban on the use of pesticides in US. |
B.It received positive feedback as soon as it was published. |
C.It accused chemical industry of spreading disinformation. |
D.It laid the foundation for modern agricultural ecosystem. |
2 . City air is in a sorry state. It is dirty and hot. Outdoor pollution kills 4.2m people a year, according to the World Health Organization. Concrete and tarmac, meanwhile, absorb the sun’s rays rather than reflecting them back into space, and also
A possible answer to the twin problems of pollution and heat is trees. Their leaves may destroy at least some chemical pollutants and they certainly
To cool an area effectively, trees must be planted in quantity. Two years ago, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that American cities need 40% tree
One group of botanists believe they have at least a partial
Dr Miyawaki’s insight was to deconstruct and rebuild the process of ecological succession, by which
Dr Miyawaki has
If your goal is to better your
A.thrive | B.nourish | C.displace | D.raise |
A.assessment | B.maintenance | C.spread | D.replacement |
A.release | B.trap | C.reflect | D.dissolve |
A.attraction | B.shadow | C.interaction | D.shade |
A.consumption | B.coverage | C.interval | D.conservation |
A.blessed | B.lined | C.piled | D.fascinated |
A.treatment | B.obstacle | C.warning | D.solution |
A.unnoticed | B.unpromising | C.untested | D.unfading |
A.criticism | B.favor | C.sponsor | D.anxiety |
A.bare | B.graceful | C.faint | D.mysterious |
A.highlights | B.skips | C.improves | D.pushes |
A.accessed | B.spotted | C.supervised | D.ranked |
A.disturbing | B.balancing | C.following | D.reducing |
A.for example | B.in essence | C.on the other hand | D.after all |
A.suburban | B.leisure | C.scenic | D.immediate |
3 . Wildlife populations around the world are facing dramatic declines, according to new figures that have led environmental campaigners to call for urgent action to rescue the natural world. The 2022 Living Planet Index (LPI), produced by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), reveals that studied populations of mammals, birds, reptiles (爬行动物) and fish have seen an average decline of 69 per cent since 1970, faster than previous predictions. The LPI tracked global biodiversity between 1970 and 2018, based on the monitoring of 31,821 populations of 5230 vertebrate (脊椎动物) species. Mark Wright of WWF says the degree of decline is destructive and continues to worsen. “We are not seeing any really positive signs that we are beginning to bend the curve of nature,” he says.
Freshwater vertebrates have been among the hardest-hit populations, with monitored populations showing an average decline of 83 per cent since 1970. The Amazon pink river dolphin, for example, has experienced a 65 per cent decline in its population between 1994 and 2016. Meanwhile, some of the most biodiverse regions of the world are seeing the steepest falls in wildlife, with the Caribbean and central and south America seeing average wildlife population declined by 94 per cent since 1970. Habitat loss and reduction is the largest driver of wildlife loss in all regions around the world, followed by species overexploitation by hunting, fishing or poaching (偷猎).
In December, governments from around the world will gather in Montreal, Canada, for the COP15 Biodiversity Framework, a much-delayed summit that aims to agree on a set of new targets intended to prevent the loss of animals, plants and habitats globally by 2030. “This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity that’s coming up,” says Robin Freeman of ZSL. He says it is vital that governments use the summit to agree on “meaningful, well measurable targets and goals”. “We need governments to take action to ensure that those goals deal with the complicated combined threats of climate change and biodiversity, in order for us to see a meaningful action,” says Freeman. But some researchers are critical of the LPI’s use of a headline figure of decline, warning it is easy to be misunderstood.
The findings don’t mean all species or populations worldwide are in decline. In fact, approximately half the populations show a stable or increasing trend, and half show a declining trend. “I think a more appropriate and useful way to look at it is to focus on specific species or populations,” says Hannah Ritchie at Our World in Data. But Wright says the LPI is a useful tool that reflects the findings of other biodiversity indicators. “All of those show they all scream there is something going really very badly wrong,” says Wright.
1. What does the underlined phrase in the first paragraph mean?A.Loving and protecting nature. | B.Preserving the diversity of nature. |
C.Underestimating the benefits of nature. | D.Destroying and changing nature. |
A.the number of Amazon dolphins is on the rise |
B.freshwater vertebrates are at risk of extinction |
C.there are no positive measures to protect nature |
D.some of the world’s wild animals are in decline |
A.It makes sense to focus on a particular species. |
B.Preventing the loss of habitats by 2030 is certain to happen. |
C.New agreement on the prevention of habitat loss will be in vain. |
D.The Caribbean wildlife has been well protected in recent decades. |
A.The COP15 Biodiversity Framework |
B.Wildlife Population Declining Sharply |
C.Urgent Action to Save the Earth |
D.Correct Interpretation of LPI |
4 . At Cleveland Bridge, in Bath, a long line of traffic is building up. Although the Georgian structure was praised for its handsome Greek Revival style by Nikolaus Pevsner, an architectural master, it was built for horses, not cars. Repairs will close the bridge for several months, causing bigger jams and more pollution in a city where air quality is already a cause of concern.
Bath is an extreme example of a tradeoff faced by much of the country. Britain has the oldest housing stock in Europe, with one in five homes more than 100 years old. Period features are prized and often protected by law. Yet as efforts to cut carbon emissions intensify, they are clashing with attempts to preserve heritage. It is a “delicate balance” says Wera Hobhouse, Bath’s MP “What is the public benefit of dealing with the climate emergency, versus protecting a heritage asset?”
Two years ago, Bath was among the first British cities to declare a “climate emergency” when it also promised to go carbon-neutral by 2030. Yet Bath also wants-and is legally required to preserve its heritage. With Roman remains and Georgian streets that spread across the Avon Valley in shades of honey and butter, the city is designated a world heritage site by UNESCO. About 60% of it is further protected by the government as a conservation area, more than 5.000 of Bath’s buildings-nearly 10% of the total-are listed as being of special architectural or historical interest, making it a criminal offence to alter them without permission.
Many of the features that make Bath’s Georgian buildings so delicate also make them leaky. Buildings of traditional construction make up 30% of Bath’s housing stock but account for 40% of domestic carbon emissions, according to the Centre for Sustainable Energy, a charity. British homes are rated for energy efficiency on a scale from A to G; most traditional buildings in the city are an F or G.
Transport is another area where climate and heritage clash. Bath’s 17t-century streets lack room for bike lanes. Joanna Wright was recently booted out of her role as Bath’s climate chief after proposing that North Road, which leads to the university, should be closed to traffic. In two years she was unable to install any on-street electric-vehicle charging points, partly because of the “nightmare" of getting permission to dig up old pavements.
All this means going carbon neutral by 2030 looks hard, but the city is at least beginning to make compromises. In March it launched the first “clean-air zone” outside London, charging drivers to enter central Bath. A trial has made 160 electric motoreycles available to hire. And local opinion seems to be shifting in favour of sustainability. “The discussion has moved dramatically towards considering the climate emergency,” says Ms. Hobhouse.
1. What problem does Bath face?A.It is getting more and more crowded due to the repairs that are under way. |
B.Its historical significance makes it hard to reform it into an eco-friendly city. |
C.It refuses to admit that the climate emergency is already a cause of concern. |
D.Its promise to go carbon-neutral by 2030 wins no support from the city residents. |
A.question the validity of the A-G scale |
B.highlight the long history of Bath’s buildings |
C.emphasize the buildings are not energy efficient |
D.illustrate the features that Bath’s buildings share |
A.failed to perform her duties well |
B.managed to dig up some old pavements |
C.succeeded in building bike lanes in Bath |
D.removed charging points from Bath’s streets |
A.Wera Hobhouse doesn’t care much about the public benefit. |
B.Traditional buildings in Bath are not accessible to tourists now. |
C.Local people in Bath used to favour heritage over sustainability. |
D.Bath has been leading the way in constructing a carbon-neutral city. |
5 . In the presence of animals
A professor of public health at UCLA says that pet ownership might provide a new form of health care. As far back as the1790s, the elderly at a senior citizens’ home in England
Scientists think that animal companionship is beneficial
Not only do people seem
Research confirms that the findings concerning senior citizens can be applied to restless children. They are more easy-going when there are animals around, with
6 . Farmers in southern Italy are cultivating tropical fruits like avocados and mangos. Tropical creatures such as the rabbitfish are
Italy and France have long been proud of their cuisines. Both countries jealously
Roquefort, that most
But climate change could
If this pattern continues and spreads
So should we worry about the future of spaghetti? Gabriele Cola, a researcher at Milan University, is
Increased irrigation(灌溉) can
A.taking over | B.turning up | C.getting off | D.holding back |
A.unnoticeable | B.respectable | C.unthinkable | D.believable |
A.switch | B.cultivate | C.trade | D.supply |
A.revise | B.bend | C.break | D.guard |
A.celebrated | B.publicized | C.introduced | D.favored |
A.yield | B.quality | C.origin | D.price |
A.revise | B.activate | C.upset | D.achieve |
A.backwards | B.outwards | C.northwards | D.downwards |
A.plentifully | B.especially | C.frequently | D.specifically |
A.concerned | B.optimistic | C.disappointed | D.romantic |
A.harvested | B.qualified | C.achieved | D.informed |
A.generate | B.sustain | C.reverse | D.maintain |
A.in this respect | B.in the long run | C.in an instant | D.in other words |
A.invade | B.survive | C.represent | D.engage |
A.adapt | B.invest | C.resist | D.imitate |
7 . Do animals have feelings?
People often assign feelings to animals. That zoo polar bear’s vacant stare must mean he’s sad. The uh-oh expression a dog flashes after knocking over the garbage indicates shame. But scientists haven’t determined whether these human-like expressions really mean anything. After all, it’s very difficult to read a dog’s mind.
Scientists believe that certain brain cells in humans called spindle cells (棱形细胞) are responsible for human social behavior and the interplay between thoughts and feelings. Studies have revealed that chimpanzee, dolphin and whale brains also possess spindle cells.
Even animals that don’t have spindle cells, such as dogs, have shown behaviors that can suggest a human-like social sense.
Observations of apes have also revealed behavior that appears to represent various human-like desires. In some tests, chimpanzees demonstrate what looks like altruism (利他主义) helping their own kind and even other species without the expectation of a reward.
A.Although these are all animals that can act people-like, the presence of these cells does not mean that the animals have feelings. |
B.Anyone who claims to know what animals feel doesn’t have science on their side. |
C.In recent experiments, dogs have shown that they know to follow a human’s pointed finger to find a food treat. |
D.Many people think that empathy is a special emotion only humans show. |
E.Other experiments have cast doubt that animal behavior can reliably signify an underlying feeling. |
F.This illustrates the difficulty in accurately interpreting animal behavior as a marker of human-like feelings. |
Should we be rewilding more land?
Every day in the US, 6,000 acres of open land are cleared for various purposes such as farming, housing, roads, and others. This has led to concerns among scientists
Despite the potential risks, rewilding can help slow down climate change by restoring forests that absorb harmful gases like carbon dioxide. It can also prevent species from
9 . Greening the blue
Is there a “natural” way to enhance the potential of the oceans to lock away climate-warming CO2? Planting more trees on land can help draw down more CO2 from the atmosphere—the basis of many plans for carbon credits that companies buy to offset their emissions (抵消其排放).
Some regard the potential for this “blue carbon” as huge, although as yet there is no mechanism for integrating it into carbon offsetting plans. John Virdin of Duke University in North Carolina says, “
A.Using the oceans as a solution to climate change is hardly a new idea. |
B.There is still some doubt about how big the marine offsetting effect might be. |
C.It’s really hard to turn blue carbon conservation and restoration into carbon credits that you can sell. |
D.Something similar might work in the oceans, by stimulating the growth of marine and coastal ecosystems. |
E.And conserving them is important given how much fishing and other activities have degraded them. |
F.The big objection to all these plans is the possibility of negative environmental side effects. |
Meet the Islands
Located 86 km north-east of Bougainville in the South Pacific, the Carteret Islands of Papua New Guinea are composed of low-lying islands
The Carteret Islands are believed
Now, as the land
The Carteret islanders are labelled as the world’s first official climate-change refugees, as they are forced to abandon their homelands
The Carteret Islanders’ story illustrates how small island states and coastal communities fall victim