Goal 13:Tackling(应对)Climate Change
Goal 13 calls for urgent action to fight climate change and its impact.
To address climate change, countries adopted the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Learn more about Goal 13, and for the latest United Nations climate news, visit un. org/climatechange.
Why we need action
Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting(扰乱) national economies.
The greenhouse gas emissions(排放)from human activities are driving climate change and continue to rise.
A race we can win
Affordable, scalable(可攀登的)solutions are now available to enable countries to turn to cleaner, more resilient(有弹性的)economies. The pace of change is quickening as more people are turning to renewable energy.
But climate change is a global challenge that does not respect national borders. Emissions anywhere affect people everywhere. It is an issue that requires solutions that need to be managed at the international level and it requires international cooperation to help developing countries move toward a low-carbon economy.
To address climate change, countries adopted the Paris Agreement on 12 December 2015.
| A．They are now at their highest levels in history. |
| B．These actions can be taken to fight climate change. |
| C．The agreement entered into force less than a year later. |
| D．They are also taking other measures that will reduce emissions. |
| E．The passive attitude we have to the agreement as individuals can be changed. |
| F．It is linked to all 16 of the other Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. |
| G．It is also costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. |
2 . When Ariel rode her bike to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York, last November, she planned to go hiking and bird-watching. A mile into her walk, she
She was certain that the bird needed
Ariel
The staff got the swan back up on her
It’s a disappointing
| A．defended | B．spotted | C．explored | D．admired |
| A．experience | B．attack | C．talent | D．romance |
| A．tended | B．hunted | C．approached | D．amused |
| A．constant | B．medical | C．annual | D．significant |
| A．crossed | B．entered | C．attached | D．struck |
| A．However | B．Besides | C．Thus | D．Instead |
| A．seize | B．feed | C．transport | D．twist |
| A．entry | B．access | C．ticket | D．lift |
| A．congratulated | B．contacted | C．comforted | D．challenged |
| A．determined | B．doubted | C．dismissed | D．desired |
| A．cars | B．hands | C．wings | D．feet |
| A．amazed | B．disappointed | C．injured | D．frightened |
| A．pulled through | B．got through | C．flew away | D．passed away |
| A．explanation | B．attempt | C．ending | D．alternative |
| A．summary | B．performance | C．surprise | D．inspiration |
3 . When thinking about what you can do to help the planet, do you support regenerative agriculture？Do you even know what it means？While it sounds like something that is up to farmers, there are ways that the rest of us can support it；one way is to practice soil-friendly eating.
Eat a variety of foods
A group of different foods can be good for getting a variety of nutrients, and by eating different types of foods, you'll help create demand for a wide variety of agricultural products, which is better for soil.
Embrace the pulses（豆类）
The pulses are cheap and great alternative to meat.
Make sure meat is sustainably produced
Reduce food waste
Reducing food waste has been getting much attention recently. By some accounts, it is one of the most important things we can do to fight the climate crisis.
| A．We generally recommend eating less meat or none at all |
| B．It also helps ease the strain on soil since it reduces its workload. |
| C．Almost everyone mentions the need for regenerative agriculture. |
| D．It turns out that they are also a top choice for soil-friendly eating. |
| E．Here are some steps for how to eat in ways that are harmonious with soil. |
| F．If we don't take care of the soil, the soil will lose its ability to take care of us. |
| G．Food diversity helps with soil fertility when land is used to grow multiple crops. |
4 . By any measure, the last 30 years has been completely extraordinary. In less than one generation, our planet has changed faster than in all human existence. We have transformed from simple inhabitants of this world to the architects of its future. Nowhere is this more obvious than with tropical coral reefs(珊瑚礁).
I ran into coral reefs on the shores of Arabia in 1982 as a 20-year-old. There my life changed forever the moment I dived from hot desert into the Red Sea, discovering myself surrounded by corals, which were richer and more productive than anything I had seen. What drove me then was an exploration to unlock the secret of this enormous richness.
I thought that search would last a lifetime, but over the decades orals began to sicken and die across the world. My journey took a new direction, searching for the cause of their illness and the hunt for a cure. It turns out that, although reefs have thrived(茁壮成长) for millions of years, creating geological structures so monumental that they can be seen from space, they are incredibly sensitive to upset at the hands of people. Global warming, in concert with more local pressures, such as overfishing and pollution, is killing corals.
The core of their vulnerability(脆弱性) lies in a 100-million-year long relationship between the coral animal and a microscopic plant, called zooxanthella, that lives in their tissues. Zooxanthellae gift corals the ability to live like plants, producing 85 to 95 percent of their food by photosynthesis(光合作用). In return, corals give the plants protection, nutrients and carbon dioxide. It's a wonderful relationship and is the secret of corals' ability to build massive reefs, greatly promoting their productivity compared to creatures without zooxanthellae. But the partnership is fragile. When temperatures rise more than a degree or so above normal maxima, the relationship turns from benefit to deadly cost.
Since the late 1990s, across huge areas of the tropics, coral reefs have suffered a catastrophic loss of life and vitality. Can anything be done to save them？The only durable fix will be a rapid reduction in greenhouse emissions to net zero. But even that won't be enough, because carbon dioxide emissions have already overshot the coral comfort zone. We will need to suck some of it back too. That will take time.
In the meantime, we can give reefs a chance through better protection now. Just as a doctor would advise you to reduce stress, take more exercise and eat healthily to prevent sickness, reefs have a better chance of coping if we reduce overfishing, pollution and damage from tourism and development. Coral reefs tell us that we need to change course now if we are to leave a world fit for generations yet to come.
1. The author had a turning point in his life when____________.| A．taking adventures in the great desert |
| B．moving into the field of architecture |
| C．realizing the significance of coral reefs |
| D．experiencing the richness of coral reefs |
| A．People were unconcerned about coral reefs. |
| B．Coral reefs were found in great danger. |
| C．Coral reefs recovered at a slow speed. |
| D．People relied too much on sea food. |
| A．Zooxanthellae have the ability to live like animals in the ocean. |
| B．Corals and zooxanthellae can well adapt to the rising temperature. |
| C．Corals and zooxanthellae depend on each other for their own benefit. |
| D．Zooxanthellae can keep coral reefs at a normal temperature at all times. |
| A．To warn about the consequences of coral reefs’ loss. |
| B．To call for immediate measures to protect coral reefs |
| C．To point out the harm local tourism has done to coral reefs. |
| D．To inform people of coral reefs' powerful self-repairing ability. |
5 . The future of space exploration may depend on an art form from the past: origami (折纸艺术), the ancient art of paper folding.
Researchers from Washington State University (WSU), US, have used origami to possibly solve the problem of storing and moving fuel to rocket engines, a key challenge in space travel, according to Newswise. They’ve developed a foldable plastic fuel “bladder (囊状物)” resistant to super cold temperatures, which could be used to store and pump fuel in spacecrafts of the future. Their findings have recently been published in the journal Cryogenics.
“Folks have been trying to make bags for rocket fuel for a long time,” said Jake Leachman, one of the lead researchers. “We currently don’t do large, long-duration trips because we can’t store fuel long enough in space.”
Meanwhile, NASA is also looking to paper folding to help observe distant planets. The agency is currently developing Starshade, a foldable, sunflower-shaped piece of hardware that would help block starlight and enable telescopes to view distant objects more clearly in space.
“A huge part of my job is looking at something on paper and asking, ‘Can we fly this?’” Manan Arya, a technologist in California, said. “Once I realized this is how you fold spacecraft structures, I became interested in origami. I realized I was good at it and enjoyed it. Now, I fold constantly. ”
Using origami for space purposes isn’t new, however. Solar arrays (太阳能阵列), experimental wings for space shuttle programs and an inflatable (可充气的) satellite were also inspired by origami in both past and present space projects.
“With most origami, the magic comes from the folding,” Robert Salazar, who helped design the Starshade and now works on the Transformers project, said in a statement. “There are so many patterns to still be explored.”
1. How could the “bladder” help in future missions?| A．To protect spacecrafts from extreme weather. |
| B．To be used to store and supply fuel in spacecrafts. |
| C．To help rocket engines cut energy consumption. |
| D．To be used to improve energy efficiency. |
| A．It can be used to get telescopes closer to stars. |
| B．It can enlarge the view of telescopes in space. |
| C．It can absorb a star’s light before it enters telescopes. |
| D．It can help telescopes get clearer pictures of objects in space. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．A digest. |
| C．A science report. | D．An advertisement. |
| A．Folding into space. | B．The art of paper folding. |
| C．Space exploration. | D．The origami-inspired projects. |
6 . Mammals (哺乳动物) tend to get huge when they invade the ocean. Why? Most of the explanations for this trend treat the ocean as a kind of release. The water partly frees mammals from gravity, allowing them to evolve heavy bodies. But to William Gearty from Stanford University, the ocean makes mammals so big not because it relieves them of limits, but because it sets new ones.
"To deal with the constant loss of heat as you get into the water, the easiest way is to get bigger." he explains, "As bodies balloon, volume increases faster than surface area does, so you produce more heat in your body but lose comparatively less of it from your skin."
But there is a limit because larger bodies also demand more fuel, and there's only so much food that an animal can reasonably get. Therefore, the need to stay warm sets a floor for the body size, while the need to eat sets a ceiling. And the gap between them, Gearty found, is surprisingly narrow. "The minimum size of oceanic mammals is thousands of times larger than the minimum for mammals on land, but the maximum size is only 25 times larger," says Gearty.
These trends suggest that the water places strict size limits. Oceanic mammals must be just the right size-big, yes, but not too big and not too small.
And as always in biology, there are exceptions. Whales go way beyond the size limit. Nick Pyenson from the Smithsonian Institution thinks he knows why. Around 3 million years ago, a combination of changes to glaciers (冰川), winds, and currents created a large increase of nutrients in coastal waters, which then fed lots of shrimps and small fish-potential prey (猎物) for whales.
But these bonanzas weren't evenly distributed. Instead, they were concentrated in particular places far apart from each other-all-you-can-eat buffets separated by food deserts. And that Pyenson says, is why the giant whales evolved. They are adapted to hunt down concentrated prey. Their huge size allows them to survive for a long distance without encountering any food. And they evolved a special technique of feeding. The existence of concentrated prey, and the evolution of a technique for capturing them, allowed whales to break the size ceiling. That's why they transformed from big animals into the biggest animals that ever existed.
1. William Gearty's explanation differ from traditional ones because he believes _________.| A．bigness helps mammals to survive in the water |
| B．the ocean puts size limits on oceanic mammals |
| C．oceanic mammals are larger than mammals on land |
| D．gravity prevents mammals from evolving heavy bodies |
| A．the sea mammals have to get as big as they can to hunt for food |
| B．the need to stay warm decides the size ceiling of oceanic mammals |
| C．the maximum size of an oceanic mammal depends on its food supply |
| D．the smallest mammals in the ocean are 25 times as big as those on land |
| A．buffets and deserts | B．shrimps and small fish |
| C．glaciers and currents | D．nutrients and waters |
| A．To emphasize the importance of big size for the whale. |
| B．To introduce how whales evolve to survive in the ocean. |
| C．To explain what influences the sizes of oceanic mammals. |
| D．To appeal for more scientific studies on oceanic mammals. |
7 . From this issue, we explore why the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute hasn't turned up anything since its founding in the 1980s. (See page 30 for more.) We asked our Facebook followers: Do you think that astronomers will find evidence of alien life in your lifetime?
Loran McCormick: 1 think they already have it. Judging by the sudden industrialization, I figure they found something that's probably been here since before humans walked the Earth.
Jens Avery: We may find life, but it may not want anything to do with us. We are not very advanced and can't even get along with each other.
Steven Buhrow: I think the more important question is — will any government ever publicly admit it in our lifetime? I fully believe that we could discover alien life today and the government would simply say the public is not ready for this information.
Jenna Walsh: I think we already see it, but just don't realize what it is. Intelligent alien life probably doesn't want anything to do with the disaster that is Earth at this point, so no doubt they're playing it safe and observing from a safe distance.
Christopher Harvey: By alien life, do you mean intelligent alien life? Then no. It would be extremely hard to find, short of them coming down to Earth. But if you mean unintelligent alien life, like bacteria or single cell, we might.
1. Why did we ask the Facebook followers the question?| A．To question the efficiency of SETI. |
| B．To confirm the appearance of aliens on earth. |
| C．To ensure the existence of aliens. |
| D．To complain about the failure to find aliens. |
| A．Loran McCormick. | B．Steven Buhrow. |
| C．Jenna Walsh. | D．Christopher Harvey. |
| A．An album. | B．A science fiction. |
| C．A magazine. | D．A travel guide. |
8 . Pingvellir National Park was founded by law in 1930. The Act states that "Pingvellir shall be protected national shrine（圣地）for all Icelanders." In 2004 Pingvellir was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Facilities At Pingvellir National Park
The National Park Information Center at Leirar can provide advice on camping, fishing and hiking as well as other general information on the park. There is a small and comfortable cafeteria where drinks and light meals can be obtained.
At Hakio Visitor center is an interactive exhibition where the national park's history and nature comes alive. Guests can also find there souvenir shop and small cafeteria.
Pingvellir National Park Rules
• All nature in the National Park is protected. Don't disturb any natural or man-made feature.
• Do not damage vegetation. Fires are prohibited.
• Do not litter in the National Park.
•Do not drive off-road or park outside a designated（指定的）parking areas.
• Dogs must be kept on a leash（皮带）,and owners must clean up after their pets.
•Note that the Pingvellir area has many rock fissures and cracks. Stay careful.
• Camping is only permitted at designated campsites. Observe quiet between midnight and 8 am.
• Fishing permits are sold at the service center. Note that boats must not be launched from National Park land.
• Park rangers and service center staff will be pleased to provide further information.
• Pingvellir National Park is a haven of peace. Drunkenness is inappropriate here, and disturbs other visitors. The National Park reserves that right to expel drunken visitors.
1. What's this picture?| A．A warning notice. | B．A museum guide. |
| C．A travel leaflet. | D．An advertisement. |
| A．With permission and donation. |
| B．With freedom and pleasure. |
| C．With attention and calmness. |
| D．With caution and respect. |
| A．Ask for advice at Visitor Center. |
| B．Walk pet dogs with dog leashes. |
| C．Fish in the lake without permits. |
| D．Camp only within the given time. |
9 . China's Mars rover, Tianwen-1, will likely attempt to land at a site in northeastern Mars, according to a new paper published just days ahead of the mission's launch. The paper was written by team members of China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission, which aims to send an orbiter and a rover to the Red Planet.
The study reveals new details about Tianwen-1, outlining its intended landing area, science goals and the names of instruments aboard the spacecraft. It also stresses the historic nature of the mission: Not only is Tianwen-1 China's first fully homegrown Mars mission, it's also the first to carry both an orbiter and a rover.
Tianwen-1 means "questions to heaven“ and was taken from the title of a poem by Qu Yuan (340 — 278 BC). The spacecraft will reach Mars in February 2021, at the same time as NASA's Perseverance rover and the United Arab Emirates5 Hope orbiter launched on Sunday (July 19). However, China's rover will remain attached to the orbiter for two to three months before attempting its landing, according to the paper.
The chosen landing area is Utopia Planitia, a huge basin formed by a large impact far back in Mars' history that was also the region where NASA's Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976. China had isolated a part of the vast plain as a landing area, which means there will be more time and atmosphere for the entry spacecraft to slow down and safely land on the surface. The latitude is also suitable for receiving enough sunlight to power the 240 kilograms rover. The relatively smooth surface will also be helpful for roving. The mission also benefits from the engineering heritage of China's Chang'e lunar exploration program, the paper noted.
The Tianwen-1 orbiter will operate in a polar orbit in order to map Mars. The rover will also investigate the surface soil characteristics and water-ice distribution with its own Subsurface Exploration Radar. It will also analyze surface material composition and characteristics of the Martian climate and environment on the surface.
1. What's the purpose of the passage?| A．To lay out key details about Tianwen-1. |
| B．To state how Tianwen-1 was invented. |
| C．To stress the historic meaning of Tianwen-1. |
| D．To analyze characteristics of the Martian climate. |
| A．It was named after Qu Yuan, a famous poet in Chinese history. |
| B．It will reach Mars at the same time as NASA's Viking 2. |
| C．It will remain for 2 or 3 months on Mars. |
| D．It will complete orbiting and roving in a Mars mission. |
| A．The rare air there is suitable for the flight of Tianwen. |
| B．The area can protect Tianwen-1 from too much sunlight. |
| C．It has relatively smooth surface, which is helpful for roving. |
| D．There is no spacecraft successfully landing there in history. |
| A．Tianwen-1's historic contributions | B．Tianwen-1's new radar instruments |
| C．Tianwen-1's academic advantages | D．Tianwen-1's scientific goals |
10 . The sixth mass extinction (灭绝) is not a worry for the future. It’s happening now, much faster than expected before, and it’s entirely our fault, according to a study published Monday.
Humans have already wiped out hundreds of species (物种) and pushed many more to the edge (边缘) of extinction through wildlife trade, pollution and habitat loss.
Gerardo Ceballos Gonzalez, a professor of ecology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said approximately 173 species died out between 2001 and 2014, which is 25 times more extinct species than you would expect under the normal, background, extinction speed.
The past events were caused by terrible changes of the environment The sixth mass extinction - the one happening now - is different: it’s caused by humans.
When one species in the ecosystem disappears, it destroys the entire ecosystem and pushes other species toward destruction.
Hundreds of species of frogs are suffering population decrease and extinctions because of the chytrid fungus (真菌) disease, which is sometimes spread into new areas by humans. Climate change is likely making it worse.
The researchers said this data highlights the urgency (紧急) with which the world needs to act. Later this year, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is expected to set new global goals to fight the ongoing biodiversity (生物多样性) problem in the coming decades.
| A．Mass extinctions are just as serious as their name suggests. |
| B．This interdependency (相互依存) of different species is bad news for humans, too. |
| C．But the speed at which species are dying out has quickened up in recent decades. |
| D．We humans are destroying the biodiversity of the world we evolved into. |
| E．Life on Earth has recovered after each of these events. |
| F．The researchers use amphibians (两栖动物) as an example of this phenomena. |
| G．Many species have evolved to deal with climate changes. |
