1 . The Art of Spreading New Plants from Cuttings
In the world of gardening, there’s a magical journey where you use the power of cuttings to create new life. Spreading plants from cuttings is a satisfying and sustainable (可持续的) practice. This increases your green treasures.
Selecting and Preparing Cuttings
Not all plants respond equally to the spreading process.
Choose healthy, disease-free stems (茎). Using clean, sharp knives, take your cuttings in the morning when the plant’s water levels are best. Once you have your cuttings, remove leaves from the lower part of the stem to reduce water loss.
Developing Your Cuttings to Plants
Sustainable Gardening Practice
Spreading plants through cuttings is not just about expanding your garden. It’s a sustainable practice.
Creating new plants from cuttings is a fascinating journey that will change your garden into a pleasant plant-filled garden.
A.It also starts a deeper connection with nature. |
B.This technique can not be easily learned. |
C.So, it’s important to choose the right plants. |
D.The reason is that it creates new plants without using seeds. |
E.Growing plants from cuttings is a lesson in patience. |
F.Getting an independent plant from just a tiny cutting is a fortune in itself. |
G.As you start on this journey, each cutting holds the possibility for a new beginning. |
2 . People have long watched moths (飞蛾) and other flying insects flock to streetlamps, lights and flames. These insects appear attracted by the light. But a new study suggests they may just lose track of which way is up.
Previous theories say light probably blinds flying insects so that they get trapped by the light, or maybe they interpret light at night as a place to fly for a quick escape. Now the new study suggests flying insects instead turn their backs to the sky’s light to keep their feet pointing toward the ground. Insects naturally turn their backs toward light. But when that light is from an artificial source, it may affect their sense of direction, leading to them flying in circles or diving toward the ground.
At a field station in Costa Rica, Samuel Fabian, an entomologist from Imperial College London in England and his teammates set up hanging and standing lights, and then used high-speed cameras to track wild, flying insects including moths and flies. Some circled the lights endlessly, and others flew sharply upward, losing speed until they couldn’t fly any higher. When the light source pointed up, some insects turned around and headed for the ground. During the flight, the insects always kept the lights at their back even if they’d end up crashing. Crash landings were common when the team lit up a white sheet on the floor. But not when a white sheet — stretched into a height above the floor—was bathed in diffuse (漫射) light, much as the sky would be, insects flew through the area without getting trapped by the light.
The team also observed some species in a lab. Moths and dragonflies generally behaved like the wild insects, and they kept the light at their backs. However, in the lab, fruit flies, like oleander hawk moths — which can fly in the dark — could fly over LED lights without being thrown off course. In the wild, though, the moths still crashed. Maybe this is because, Fabian says, the insects can sometimes control their response to light, or over time, they might learn to avoid artificial light.
1. Why do insects naturally turn their backs toward light?A.To get close to the light. | B.To escape being caught quickly. |
C.To protect their feet better. | D.To track where the ground is. |
A.Artificial light at night could put insects on a crash course. |
B.Artificial light signaled an escape route for the insects. |
C.The insects had a better sense of direction. |
D.The insects were flying toward the light. |
A.To stress the importance of the study. | B.To prove the previous theory. |
C.To tell the existence of the exception. | D.To explain the flight pattern. |
A.Artificial Light Makes Insects More Adaptable | B.Insects May Lose Track near Artificial Light |
C.The Ways to Get Rid of Light Pollution | D.Insects Learn to Fly for a Quick Escape |
2. 简单评论;
3. 你的建议。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Green Travel
There are many ways we can choose from to travel to and from school.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . “There’s a little black woman walking, spraying (喷洒) stuff on the sidewalks and trees on Elizabeth and Florence...” he told the police. Her neighbor saw her spraying something on the sidewalks and trees and this made him worried. In the call to 911, he described the child as “a little black woman”.
Well, the “little black woman” was actually 9-year-old Bobbi Wilson, a young scientist. The fourth-grader had created her own insecticide (杀虫剂) to fight spotted lanternflies (斑衣蜡蝉). She came across the recipe on TikTok and had recently learned that the harmful species damages trees because they feed on their sap (树液). Bobbi was simply testing out her invention in her neighborhood when the police call was made.
“That’s her thing,” her mother Monique Joseph said. “She’s going to kill the lanternflies, especially if they’re on a tree. That’s what she’s going to do.” Bobbi’s 13-year-old sister, Hayden Wilson, also defended her, noting that Bobbi “was not only doing something amazing for our environment, but she was also doing something that made her feel like a hero”. Luckily, what happened didn’t influence Bobbi’s spirit and has led to some positive experiences for her.
She has since been recognized by several organizations for her environmental efforts. She has also been invited on special tours. One took place at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Another was given by the United States Department of Agriculture of New Jersey at a plant where they discussed lanternflies. But that’s not where her recognition ends! The Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) honored Bobbi with their Sustainability Award for her work to save trees and fight lanternflies.
“We were excited that she was doing that,” Ann Marchioni of the ANJEC said. Ann added that the organization praises volunteers for being “hands-on” in their community. In addition to the award, she and her family got to visit with a group of black female scientists at Yale University. They showed her various labs and even invited her to donate lanternfly specimens (标本) for the university’s work.
1. What made the neighbor call the police?A.A girl climbing trees. | B.A girl spraying something. |
C.A girl littering the sidewalks. | D.A girl testing something dangerous. |
A.Ashamed. | B.Proud. | C.Shocked. | D.Relieved. |
A.Those whose donations help ANJEC. |
B.Those who can do something creative in their university. |
C.Those whose environmental awareness is quite impressive. |
D.Those who can do something practical in their community. |
A.Creative and determined. | B.Watchful and serious. |
C.Friendly and generous. | D.Talkative and strict. |
5 . “Leave no track” is popular among many campers who are concerned about our environment and favor sustainable (可持续的) travel. Its goal is simple; to minimize human-created impacts on the natural world.
Reject plastic and paper. First and foremost, one of the easiest ways to reduce the impact of camping on the planet is to go plastic and paper-free. Instead of single-use plastics and paper plates, choose bamboo or other recyclable camping dinnerware and food packages.
Rent or buy a used tent. Instead of brand-new equipment, consider renting camping equipment instead. Outdoor retail (零售) brands like REI offer a wide variety of camping products to rent, including tents.
Only camp in designated (指定的) camping areas.
A.Pack with the planet in mind. |
B.Sort out what you really need when camping. |
C.They even carry other outdoor essentials for rent. |
D.Learn how to sustainably upgrade the summer camping here. |
E.Campers can also buy reusable paper towels in order to genuinely leave no track. |
F.Eco-friendly campers can learn how to update their skills with these simple tips. |
G.Although backpacking off the beaten path sounds fascinating, it may not be eco-friendly. |
6 . A four-year-old dog named Kob became a hero in its neighborhood by discovering a possibly life-threatening gas leak (泄漏) in its owner’s front yard.
This dog’s actions not only
The story began when Kob,
After
Finding gas coming out of the hole, Bell
“If it wasn’t found, the
During the repairs, workers
Throughout the repairs, the workers
A.matched | B.beautified | C.saved | D.explored |
A.admitted | B.owned | C.trained | D.cured |
A.behavior | B.effort | C.appearance | D.responsibility |
A.disappointed | B.encouraged | C.confident | D.concerned |
A.fearing | B.avoiding | C.recording | D.experiencing |
A.bought | B.repaired | C.shared | D.researched |
A.decorate | B.mark | C.fill | D.examine |
A.secretly | B.obviously | C.immediately | D.regularly |
A.oil | B.gas | C.air | D.water |
A.serious | B.extra | C.special | D.similar |
A.injury | B.trouble | C.death | D.failure |
A.looking into | B.turning on | C.fixing up | D.breaking down |
A.missed | B.changed | C.doubted | D.discovered |
A.services | B.design | C.equipment | D.places |
A.praised | B.inspired | C.held | D.protected |
7 . A new study suggests that the climate change diet might not be good for polar bears. With Arctic (北极) sea ice reducing, many polar bears have to go to land for their diets during parts of the summer.
A study looking at Hudson Bay polar bears tried to figure out if the creatures can keep their healthy weight levels on such a diet. Researchers found that the majority of the creatures are losing weight no matter what they do to try to increase it.
Some bears find a lot of food — berries, eggs, sea birds and so on. But to get such foods takes a lot of effort. The bears use so many calories trying to eat that they end up losing weight and burning more energy than they take in. Other bears go into a time of semi-hibernation (半冬眠). But they also lose weight. So either way — eating different foods or sleeping a lot — does not work.
Researchers found that 19 of the 20 bears studied dropped an average of 21 kilograms over three weeks of being studied. The research observed their calorie intake, energy use and breathing in the wild. The bears lost about 7 percent of their body mass on average in just 21 days.
Polar bears try to keep up their weight in the summer after a spring when they eat a lot and gain weight. In the area of the Hudson Bay where researchers studied, lack of sea ice has meant polar bears are on land three weeks longer than in the 1980s.
Last September, when Arctic sea ice hit its yearly low, there was about 2.6 million square kilometers less sea ice than the same time in 1979. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service lists the polar bear as a threatened species due to the loss of its sea ice habitat.
Overall, the research shows that it is unlikely that polar bears can adapt to living on land.
1. Why do polar bears lose weight even if they find much food?A.They live a rather inactive life. |
B.They use more energy than they take in. |
C.They no longer have enough sea ice to rest on. |
D.They have a hard time in keeping their body temperature. |
A.They find no sea ice in summer. | B.They have to live on land longer. |
C.They lose too much weight in spring. | D.They compete with other land animals. |
A.Its living environment. | B.Human activity. |
C.The changing temperature of sea water. | D.A drop in sea animals’ population. |
A.Polar Bears Becoming Smaller and Smaller |
B.Polar Bears Having to Adapt to Living on Land |
C.The Arctic Ocean Losing Ice Faster than Ever |
D.Climate Change Diet Not Good for Polar Bears |
8 . The good news is that more people bought electric vehicles (EVs) in 2020. The bad news is that sport utility (多用途的) vehicles (SUVs) continued to grow in popularity, too. “The fall in oil consumption due to the first trend was completely canceled out by the second,” said Laura Cozzi, an officer at the International Energy Agency (JEA).
Between 2010 and 2020, global carbon dioxide emissions (排放) from conventional cars fell by nearly 35 billion tons, due to reasons such as fuel efficiency improvements as well as the switch to electric cars. Emissions from SUVs rose by more than 50 billion tons. “While the growth in EVs is encouraging, the boom in SUVs is heart-breaking,” says Peters at the Cicero Climate Research Centre in Norway.
There are many reasons for the growing popularity of SUVs. For example, rising economic boom in many countries means more people are able to afford them. Some people see them as status symbols. Also, SUVs are heavily advertised by car-makers, whose profit is higher on these vehicles. Some countries, including France, have introduced plans under which more taxes are paid on heavier cars. But Peters thinks that people who are rich enough to afford SUVs won’t be deterred by slightly higher taxes. “There are now some electric SUVs available, but I hope one day you will see more electric vehicles brought to the SUV market,” says Peters.
Even if it happens, switching to electric SUVs isn’t a good solution. Due to their size and bigger batteries, it takes more resources to build electric SUVs, and they consume around 15 percent more electricity. That means higher emissions unless the electricity comes entirely from renewable sources, and higher electricity demand makes it harder to green the electricity supply.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?A.Scientists should devote themselves to improving fuel efficiency. |
B.The popularity of SUVs destroys some efforts to protect the environment. |
C.Electric vehicles will certainly take the place of sport utility vehicles. |
D.The emission of carbon dioxide of motor vehicles has hit a new low. |
A.Encouraged. | B.Removed. |
C.Discouraged | D.Connected. |
A.SUVs are discounted heavily. |
B.SUVs consume fewer resources than other vehicles. |
C.SUVs are often advertised by car producers. |
D.SUVs are taxed at a lower rate in some countries. |
A.More electric SUVs don’t necessarily mean “environment-friendly” . |
B.The electric SUVs are a good guarantee for less pollution. |
C.The electric SUVs should be made smaller and lighter. |
D.Future electric SUVs will be powered with completely green energy. |
9 . International ShakeOut Day This Year
This year’s International ShakeOut Day is October 17, when millions of people worldwide will take part in earthquake drills (演习) at work, school, or home! It is a great way for your family or organization to become better prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes.
At 10:17 am (local time) on 10/17, you can join millions of people across the world in practicing earthquake safety. While we encourage everyone to take part, you can sign up for your ShakeOut drill for any day of the year, and drill at a time of your choice. You can also include people in different locations through videos.
FIND YOUR REGION· Most participants (参与者) are in one of the official ShakeOut Regions listed below the page (with current sign-up totals). People and organizations in other countries can also sign up.
· All regions take part in it on October 17, 2024, unless specified.
(As of Today) | Global Totals | US Totals |
Oct.17, 2024 Drills | Over 270,000 | Over 260,000 |
All 2024 Drills | Over 1.10 million | Over 950,000 |
All 2023 Drills | Over 57.3 million | Over 19.3 million |
ShakeOut began in California and has also been organized in many other states and countries. Official ShakeOut Regions require special local or regional cooperation, typically by an emergency (紧急情况) management agency or a union of many organizations. If you are interested in establishing ShakeOut for your region, please contact us at https://www.shakeout.org. If your state, province, or country is not yet taking part, you can sign up for yourself or your organization as part of the global participation total.
1. What is the purpose of the activity?A.To raise people’s safety awareness. |
B.To stress the challenges of earthquakes. |
C.To help people get ready for an earthquake. |
D.To warn people of the danger of earthquakes. |
A.Over 270,000. | B.Over 950,000. |
C.Over 57.3 million. | D.Over 19.3 million. |
A.A website. | B.A book review. |
C.A guidebook. | D.A diary entry. |
10 . Low-effort things you can do to live sustainably
You might think you need to change a lot of your daily habits to live sustainably but, in fact, becoming more eco-friendly is much easier than it might seem. Below are some easy steps towards becoming more sustainable.
Shop at farmer markets.
Getting your daily fruit and vegetables from a local farmer market is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint while eating healthily. It cuts out lengthy stays of the products in refrigerated storage and up to thousands of miles of fossil-fueled transportation.
Practice meatless Mondays.
Global meat production is a big contributor to greenhouse gasses.
Dispose of unused medications properly.
Flushing (冲) unused medications down the drain (下水道) can pollute water supplies affecting everything downstream. You shouldn’t throw medications away either as they can be dangerous for others to find.
It is easy to understand that buying something used is more environmentally friendly than buying something new and clothes are no exception.
A.Shop second-hand. |
B.Think twice before shopping. |
C.A meatless diet can help prevent disease. |
D.The best option is to take them to a collection site. |
E.It is not practical to expect everyone to go vegetarian, |
F.Additionally, less plastic in packaging reduces plastic waste. |
G.The fast-fashion industry consumes considerable resources each year. |