2 . A proposal by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to kill more than 470,000 barred owls (横斑林鸮) to protect the spotted owl (西点林鸮) has conservationists and animal welfare advocates debating the moral issue of killing one species to protect another.

The proposal gained attention recently after dozens of wildlife protection and animal welfare organizations signed a letter opposing the plan. They urged Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to scrap what it calls a thoughtless plan. But the USFWS says if no action is taken to control the barred owl population, the northern spotted owl will face extinction. The proposed action will also help prevent declines in the California spotted owls, another species facing competition from barred owls.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Human Economy, has called the plan “unworkable”. He says it’s doubtful that the government’s plan can be successfully carried out. However, Cameron Barrows, a retired researcher at the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of California-Riverside, says that without a barred owl management strategy, spotted owls will disappear. Conservation experts who support the proposal say it’s a difficult but necessary plan to help solve a problem that humans helped create.

In 1990, the northern spotted owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act after environmentalists fought to protect the bird’s habitat from the logging industry. The threatened label also means the Fish and Wildlife Service is legally required to protect the northern spotted owl. But around the same time, the barred owl, originally native to the Eastern U. S., emerged as another threat as it moved west, encroaching (蚕食) on spotted owl territory. Human-driven habitat destruction forced the barred owls to expand across the country, said Claire Catania, the executive director of Birds Connect Seattle. Their move west has since crowded their smaller, less aggressive (好斗的) cousins out, the spotted owl, according to Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The spotted owl’s habitat—old-growth forests—has become “very patchy (零散的)” due to tree cutting and is accessible to the more adaptable barred owl, says Barrows, the UC Riverside conservation researcher.

1. What does the underlined word “scrap” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Submit.

B．Select.

C．Abandon.

D．Assess.

2. What is Cameron Barrows’s attitude to the proposal in paragraph 3?

A．Favorable.

B．Unclear.

C．Doubtful.

D．Critical.

3. According to Catania, why did barred owls move west?

A．Their habitats became patchy because of pollution.

B．Their habitats were destroyed due to human activities.

C．They had a preference for the territory of spotted owls.

D．They were facing great competition from spotted owls.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Shooting 470,000 barred owls was agreed on.

B．Barred owls pose a serious threat to spotted owls.

C．A proposal to kill owls to save owls starts a debate.

D．Importance should be attached to saving spotted owls.

3 . At the Port of Los Angeles, a long gray ship is doing its part to fight against climate change. On the ship, which belongs to Captura, a Los Angeles-based company, is a system of pipes, pumps, and containers that pumps seawater and removes CO₂, which can be used to make plastics and fuels or buried. Then the treated seawater is returned to the ocean, where it absorbs more CO₂ from the atmosphere, in an effort to battle the rise of the greenhouse gas.

Capturing (捕获) CO₂ from the ocean should be easier and cheaper than a seemingly more direct approach: capturing it directly from the air. Direct air capture, which relies on fans to sweep air past chemicals that can absorb CO₂, currently costs between $600 to $1000 per ton of CO₂ removed, largely because atmospheric CO₂ only makes up less than 0.05% of the air by volume. Earth’s oceans, in contrast, hold the gas at a concentration nearly 150 times higher, and absorb roughly 30% of all emitted (排放) CO₂ each year.

Besides, ocean capture is developing faster than other ocean CO₂ removal approaches. That’s partly because the systems can usually be attached to desalination (脱盐) plants, wastewater treatment equipment, and other large water-processing systems.

However, one challenge for the approach is determining exactly how much CO₂ the treated water absorbs and at what rate. Still, the absorption rates will vary based on where the water is released and how easily it mixes with surrounding water. That makes site selection a really important part of this process.

Even if the technology takes off, it will have to be promoted widely to make a difference in offsetting global emissions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by 2050 engineered carbon removal efforts will need to remove some 5 billion tons of CO₂ every year to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C. At present, the ocean capture companies are removing only thousands of tons.

1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about?

A．The re use of removed CO₂.	B．The basic information about Captura.
C．The working process of ocean capture.	D．An unusual phenomenon in Los Angeles.

2. Why does ocean capture cost less than direct air capture?

A．Because the system is used more widely.

B．Because the ocean absorbs CO₂ more directly.

C．Because capturing CO₂ from the ocean is faster.

D．Because the concentration of CO₂ in seawater is higher.

3. What does the underlined word “offsetting” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Sending out.

B．Canceling out.

C．Figuring out.

D．Giving out.

4. What does the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change want to convey?

A．The ocean capture companies still have a long way to go.

B．The ocean capture companies have removed enough CO₂.

C．More CO₂ will be emitted into the atmosphere in the future.

D．Limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5℃is the final goal.

6 . Supermarkets, conservationists and farming groups have shown their concerns about pollution of the Wye, one of the UK’s longest rivers. “The pollution pressures upon the Wye are unacceptable and there was strong enthusiasm for cooperative action to resolve the problem.” said Craig Bennett, head of the Wildlife Trusts.

The pollution referred largely to runoff of the nutrient-rich waste matter produced by the 20 million-plus chickens near the river.

Bennett said: “We discussed how, if the Wye were a school or a hospital, we would be calling for it to be placed into ‘special measures’. We agreed the same level of urgency must be applied.”

Increasing concern led the local government to hold a discussion in May, when they promised to publish a plan for the Wye by the autumn. However, the local government’s push on the river was marred in June when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published a Wye video showing sea otters (海獺) rather than the river’s local European otters. The pollution of the Wye was not mentioned at all.

In July Bennett hosted a Wye round table in Powys, Wales, bringing together local groups, the Environment Agency, the chicken produce Avara Foodsr, regional branches of the National Farmers Union and local authorities. They agreed on a plan that included cutting the nutrient pollution “through a reduction in animal numbers” and other measures.

Bennett also wrote to Julie James, the Welsh Climate Change Minister, who said, “I share your concern for the health of the River Wye and other Welsh rivers.”

A supermarket chain said they are committed to protecting the river and engaging with their chicken suppliers to tackle water pollution. They have detailed management plans to make sure their suppliers are farming with care for the environment. A government spokesman said: “We are offering a wide range of support to farmers to speed up their transition to more sustainable practices and help protect this important site.”

1. Why does Bennett compare the Wye with a school or a hospital?

A．To call for urgent measures.	B．To stress the impacts of the river.
C．To show the importance of the river.	D．To urge people to protect the environment.

2. What is the probable meaning of the underlined word “marred” in Paragraph 4?

A．Destroyed.

B．Boosted

C．Perfected.

D．Emphasized.

3. What is agreed on at the round table?

A．Making a careful plan.	B．Reducing animal numbers.
C．Arousing people’s awareness.	D．Asking the government for money.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Sea Otters Are under Attack for Possible Pollution

B．Cooperated Efforts Are Made to Protect the Wye

C．People Are Having More Environmental Awareness

D．More Measures Should Be Taken to Prevent Air Pollution

8 . Students at the Calhoun School in New York City have much more than a roof over their heads. They have a rooftop garden, with lush grass, colorful flowers and fragrant herbs. “Green roofs” are sprouting up all over, from schools to city skyscrapers. And roofs aren’t the only things going green. Architects are finding all sorts of new ways to build buildings that are easier on the environment. These schools, homes, and offices are called “green buildings”.

Normally it takes a lot of energy to run appliances. Too often, that energy comes from burning fossil fuels. So green buildings are designed to do all these things with much less energy. An energy-smart building starts with thick walls. A layer of insulation (隔热材料) traps air to stop heat from passing through. That keeps heat inside in the winter, and keeps heat outside in the summer. This saves energy for heating and cooling.

Heat pumps are another power-saving way to stay comfortable. A ground heat pump moves heat through pipes that run through the ground next to the building. A few feet under the ground, the temperature stays around 10℃ all year round. Water flowing around the pipes helps heat the building in winter and cool it in summer.

Another way to build green is to use recycled materials. That saves the cost and pollution of manufacturing something new. In the Chicago Center for Green Technology, the ceiling tiles (瓷砖) are made of pressed newspaper. The bathroom floors are tiled with recycled glass, and the stall walls are recycled plastic. Builders have found many creative ways to re-use old materials.

As more people become concerned about climate change, more buildings are going green. Green buildings produce less of the gases that warm the planet. City planners like green buildings because they save money. And they are healthier for the people who work and live inside. But you don’t need to build a whole new building. Simple changes like shading windows and planting trees can make any home greener — and a better Earth home for us all.

1. How are green buildings designed to keep warm in the winter?

A．By-burning fossil fuels.	B．By using thick walls with insulators.
C．By running heating devices.	D．By equipping buildings with appliances.

2. According to the passage, the advantages of green buildings include the following EXCEPT________.

A．saving water	B．using recycled materials
C．using less energy	D．reducing greenhouse gas emissions

3. In which section of a magazine can we read the text?

A．Education.

B．Culture.

C．Economy.

D．Technology.

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．Recycling: to make a better earth for us all

B．Heat Pumps: a new approach to saving energy

C．Green Roofs: more than a roof over our heads

D．Building Green: to hug the earth more kindly

9 . The opening of California’s commercial crab season, which normally starts in November, is delayed once again to protect whales searching for their prey (猎物) along the coast.

California has been affected by a marine heat wave since May. The Blob, as this mass of warm water has become known, is squeezing cooler water preferred by whales and their prey close to shore, where fishermen set their traps. This crowding can lead to tangle (缠结) between whales and fishing equipment, endangering the animals’ lives and requiring rescue missions.

In a new study, scientists say they can now use global temperature models, commonly used in climate science, to predict up to a year in advance when hot ocean temperatures raise the risk of tangles between whales and fishing equipment.The tool analyzed in the new study, called the Habitat Compression Index, works by feeding sea-surface temperature measurements into an equation (方程式) that estimates the likelihood of whale habitat shrinking closer to shore.Regulators and fishermen agree that the new forecasting research could help them walk the tightrope between protecting whales and protecting local livelihoods (生计).

Mr Ogg, a commercial fishing boat captain, describes himself as a conservationist who doesn’t want to see whales harmed.“Fishermen have a big motivation to protect the natural environment,” he said, “because that’s where they make their living.” Previously, the challenge was adapting to changing conditions and fishing regulations on short notice, especially for smaller business owners and their crews.“One of the biggest problems we had was the unpredictability,” Mr Ogg said, “We were living from week to week then.”

Though scientists have shown the Habitat Compression Index can now forecast months in advance, state officials would probably wait to see conditions in real time before making decisions about the crab fishery, said Ryan Bartling, an environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

1. What do the whales come to shore for according to the first two paragraphs?

A．Safety.

B．Shelter.

C．Leisure.

D．Food.

2. What does the underlined phrase “walk the tightrope” probably mean?

A．To take a risk.	B．To join in an act.
C．To strike a balance.	D．To walk on a rope.

3. What’s the state officials’ attitude towards the tool in the study?

A．Supportive.

B．Indifferent.

C．Cautious.

D．Pessimistic.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．How climate data gives whales room to swim

B．What causes the decrease in whale population

C．Why global temperature models are in great need

D．Whether to protect whales or the local livelihoods

10 . Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element.

Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet.

A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject (注入) concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used.

California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium (镁) , which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete.

Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product.

The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction.

Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used.

1. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production?

A．The high demand for energy.	B．The processing of waste materials.
C．The mass release of carbon dioxide.	D．The use of non-renewable resources.

2. How does CarbonCure deal with the environmental impact of concrete production?

A．By using silicate rock as the basis.	B．By putting carbon dioxide into concrete.
C．By replacing sand with coffee grounds.	D．By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium.

3. According to Smedley, what is the major challenge facing these solutions?

A．Difficulty in making profits.	B．Convincing the public of the convenience.
C．Lack of funding for research.	D．Removing the industry members’ safety concerns.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To promote an alternative to concrete.	B．To advocate environmental protection.
C．To introduce new ways to produce concrete.	D．To emphasize the significance of creativity.