1 . An impressive invention made by a 17-year-old teenager, called Anna Du, is helping to clean up small pieces of plastic from the ocean.
While walking along her local beaches in Massachusetts, the young student began collecting waste plastic bags and bottles. But what she noticed was a large number of tiny pieces of plastic or microplastics that were impossible to pick up. At just 12 years old, Du set out to solve the problem. After testing a few prototypes(原型)in her backyard, she invented a remotely operated vehicle that uses the infrared camera(红外摄像机)to detect microplastics on the ocean floor. More recently, Du has also created a simulation(模拟)model that uses artificial intelligence to predict where microplastics are located.
Du’s robot invention has earned her awards at top science fairs in the US, and she’s now a nationally recognized advocate for microplastic awareness and pollution prevention. “When I first started doing science fairs, I had no idea that a young girl without lots of money and just a little advanced engineering knowledge could make a difference in the world. I’ve learned that I truly love working on a problem that’s so much larger than me,” Du said.
Du has also released a new book to help spread the word not only about the dangers of microplastics but also about the ways to relieve the problem. Titled Microplastics &Me, the book follows Du’s own story of how she went from worrying about the environment to designing award-winning solutions. Writing for kids her own age, the young girl alerts her readers to the threat of microplastic pollution and urges them to care about the environment. The book hopes to encourage young students to get into science, technology, engineering and math(STEM)subjects and to inspire a new generation of inventors and engineers. What’s more, Du has even raised more than $7,000 to distribute the book free to kids and libraries in high-need communities.
1. What inspired Du to make the invention?| A．There was too much rubbish along the beaches. | B．The plastics were too small to collect by hand. |
| C．The sea was polluted seriously. | D．She was interested in AI. |
| A．She has a spirit of challenge. | B．She is too poor to make a difference. |
| C．She doesn’t study hard in engineering. | D．She wins international recognition. |
| A．Innovation. | B．Voice. | C．Culture. | D．Art. |
| A．To inspire readers to share their stories. |
| B．To raise the awareness of microplastics pollution. |
| C．To encourage high schools to offer STEM subjects. |
| D．To collect money for kids in high-need communities. |
2 . Washing machines are one of the greatest inventions of the last few centuries.They have made life easier. Unfortunately, washing machines also contribute to the environmental issues of energy use and micro-plastics flowing into the oceans. That is why the washing machine manufacturer (制造商), Samsung, and the outdoor-wear company, Patagonia, are working together to make a change.
For Patagonia, the issue of micro-plastics has been on its mind for years — its woolen jackets release many microfibers. As for Samsung, new requirements throughout the world have forced many producers to start thinking about ways to help reduce the number of micro-plastics. There are currently more than 14 million tons of micro-plastics floating in the oceans. Though people previously think of things such as plastic bottles and fishing lines when it comes to plastics in the ocean, thousands of micro-plastics are released into seas with every wash.
The issue is a sort of catch-22. In order to reduce energy costs, manufacturers try to make their machines more efficient. These machines use hotter water and are designed to create more friction (摩擦) between the clothing in the machine. However, both of these things lead to the release of more micro-plastics. So, using Patagonia clothes as test cases, Samsung came up with a two-fold solution: One is a technology called Eco-bubbles, which creates more bubbles to make the detergent (洗涤剂) more powerful, and the other is a water purifier that can filter (过滤) out more micro-plastics.
The cooperation between the two companies is proof of how complicated protecting the environment can be. On the one hand, clothing that is well-constructed and durable is a weapon in the fight against fast fashion. On the other hand, the material used to make those clothes and the way they are washed can also add pollutants to the environment.The same goes for washing machines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The fight against climate change requires creative thinking and learning how to attack a problem from many angles. This will certainly lead to even more strange and fruitful cooperation between the environmentally conscious companies.
1. What is Samsung’s purpose in partnering the outdoor clothing company?| A．To limit the use of micro-plastics. |
| B．To solve the issue of energy waste. |
| C．To find a solution to micro-plastic pollution. |
| D．To produce high-efficiency washing machines. |
| A．A tricky situation. | B．A questionable fact. |
| C．A possible dream. | D．A practical method. |
| A．Using hotter water. |
| B．Creating more friction. |
| C．Using powerful detergents. |
| D．Adding a water purifier to washing machines. |
| A．The difficulty in fighting against fast fashion. |
| B．The complexity of environment conservation. |
| C．The influence of humans’ active action. |
| D．The importance of creative thinking. |
3 . Johannes Fritz, an Austrian biologist, needed to come up with a plan again if he was going to prevent his rare and beloved birds from going extinct.
To survive the European winter, the northern bald ibis needs to migrate south for the winter over the Alps. But shifting climate patterns have delayed when the birds begin to migrate and they are now reaching the mountains too late to make it over the peaks, locking them in an icy death trap. Determined to save them, he decided to teach the birds a new, safer migration route by guiding them himself in a tiny aircraft. He was confident that he could succeed in this daring, unconventional plan.
Some 400 years ago, the Europeans hunted these birds without stopping and devoured the last in the wild, causing the birds to disappear entirely from the wild. When Mr. Fritz was born 56 years ago, the northern bald ibis could be found in Europe only in captivity (圈养).
Mr.Fritz has spent his career reintroducing the birds into the wild. Through years of trial and error, he learned to fly like a bird. He modified (改装) a lightweight aircraft so it would fly at speeds slow enough for the birds to keep up. In 2004, he led the first flock from Austria to Italy, and has since led more migrations. But the route he originally taught the ibises does not work successfully. With climate change warming the area where the birds summer, they now start their migration at the end of October instead of the end of September. The trip is expected to take about six weeks, “Still, we’re optimistic that it’ll work,” said Mr. Fritz.
His family and colleagues witnessed the risks he was taking. “But the unavoidable risks are necessary,” Mr. Fritz said. “It’s not so much a job, but my life’s purpose.”
1. What was Johannes Fritz’s plan?| A．To shorten bald ibises’ migration route. |
| B．To lead bald ibises to migrate on a new route. |
| C．To better the climate patterns for bald ibises. |
| D．To find out a safer destination for bald ibises. |
| A．Destroyed. | B．Abused. | C．Released. | D．Raised. |
| A．Owing to the long time it consumes. |
| B．For the slow speed of his modified aircraft. |
| C．Because of the toughness along the first route. |
| D．Due to higher temperatures in the summer habitat. |
| A．Honest. | B．Innovative. | C．Straightforward. | D．Demanding. |
4 . People flood into cities for understandable reasons: more job opportunities, more cultural diversity and larger communities. Yet living in a concrete-walled, green-poor, urban environment takes away from our-very essence our fundamental need to be close to nature. We can’t quite break the link with our evolutionary (进化的) past and part ways with our origins. Surrounding ourselves with walls and ‘screens, we tend to pay a price, often with our health and quality of life.
In Japan, a populous country with vast expanses of green forests, an ancient tradition, known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, tries to balance out the pressure from urban living. It’s the practice of spending prolonged periods of time with trees to gain from their many health benefits. In a book hitting shelves this month, Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness, Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, introduces readers to the valuable practice of forest bathing. The book features more than 100 color photographs of forests around the world. One may reject this kind of book as yet less convincing, but the point is that Li has not just practiced forest bathing, but has also studied its impact on people’s health through numerous scientific studies. He has data to support his claims, collected in a long list of expert-reviewed articles at the end of the book.
The book lists studies that consistently show-a substantial, reduction of stress hormones (应激激素). Essential tree oils found in forest air increase energy levels by more than 30 percent and improve a general state of well-being, including improvement in sleep.
Scientific results apart, the, concept of forest bathing shouldn’t be so surprising. Who hasn’t felt an inner sense of well-being when walking along a quiet forest path? Stepping into a forest, away from the artificial sounds and smells of urban life, does feel like pushing a life reset button, reestablishing a connection with our deepest needs.
To celebrate this wonderful book and. what seems to be a rediscovery of forest bathing in our life, I’m going to go now—to take: my forest bath.
1. What is stressed in paragraph 1?| A．The harm of electronics. |
| B．The downside of city life. |
| C．The consequences of lack of workout. |
| D．The reasons for pursuit of urban living. |
| A．Promoting a lifestyle. |
| B．Presenting research results. |
| C．Stating the significance of walks. |
| D．Appealing for forest conservation. |
| A．One-sided. | B．Sharply worded. |
| C．Evidence-based. | D．Widely recognized. |
| A．Through clinical cases. |
| B．Through practical experience. |
| C．Through official statistics. |
| D．Through Japanese experts’ studies. |
5 . The Australian sand octopus (章鱼) was discovered in 1990 and is the only octopus species known to bury itself deep in the sand to hide from enemies. A team of researchers are studying the venom (毒液) of this kind of octopus. They have discovered that the venom may greatly slow cancer growth. And it can also help fight drug resistance in patients with a BRAF-changed skin cancer. BRAF is involved in managing cell growth. A change in it results in abnormal cell growth. These BRAF changes are seen in half of all cases of skin cancers.
“We and other groups have previously discovered that other animals-snakes, spiders, bees-have anticancer properties,” said Dr. Maria, the study’s lead author. “However, in my current knowledge, the anticancer properties of an octopus species have never been studied or confirmed before.”
Current treatments face a few challenges including low response rates, poisoning and side effects, as well as drug resistance. The octopus venom slows the growth of BRAF-changed skin cancer. More importantly, it is safe to be used in large quantities — it is not poisonous. Therefore, in combination with other drugs, the treatments could potentially achieve better and safer patient outcomes.
It is very unlikely that the octopus has specifically developed its venom to contain an anticancer substance. According to the researching team, the octopus venom contains over 1,000 unique substances with several functions such as reducing pain and anticancer.
“In this study, we have shown that the octopus venom specifically targets BRAF-changed skin cancer. The next step is to examine whether similar promising results are applicable for other BRAF-changed cancers.” said Dr. Maria. “Before it can be used on patients, the team will need to perform several rounds of lab testing and clinical trials to understand how it works and its full potential as a drug against skin cancer.”
1. What can we know about BRAF?| A．It is a change in cells. | B．It controls cell growth. |
| C．It can cause a deadly illness. | D．It helps to cure a skin cancer. |
| A．A medicine to cure cancers. | B．A substance contained in animals. |
| C．The medical value of octopus species. | D．The anticancer effect of an octopus venom. |
| A．It is of large quantity. | B．It has no side effects. |
| C．It is less expensive. | D．It has lower risks. |
| A．Its application requires further work. |
| B．It helps treat BRAF-changed cancers. |
| C．Its safety needs more clinical testings. |
| D．It has already been put into wide use. |
6 . A kindhearted family put themselves in a risky situation to rescue an aggressive owl that had become trapped in a soccer net. One morning, the Larsons discovered a trapped owl on the football field. They immediately wanted to rescue the poor owl, but they found that the owl was very aggressive. Fearful of the owl’s sharp claws and beak, Dave Larson approached with caution when he discovered the bird in his family’s soccer goal in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
In the dramatic footage, the distressed owl can be seen tangled in the netting while Dave slowly but surely attempts to cut the bird free. During the proceedings, Dave’s wife, Sue, filmed the rescue, which saw the startled bird snap at Dave on numerous occasions, stretching out its claws every time he got close. Fortunately, the family was able to free the distressed bird, with their son Travis sharing the clip online where they were showered with praise for assisting the animal on September 27.
Sue said: “We were very nervous knowing how strong and sharp his beak was, which he kept snapping to scare us. He also kept stretching his claws out every time we got close to him. We were able to feel a little more at ease when the owl eventually realized we weren’t trying to hurt him, and he seemed to relax and let us cut him free. As soon as he flew away, there was instant relief of the situation. But it was more happiness at knowing he was alright and being able to see him fly and move without injury.”
This beautiful story warms people’s hearts and also tells us that man and nature need to coexist in harmony. When we take care to protect Nature, Nature rewards us generously; when we exploit Nature ruthlessly, it punishes us without mercy. We need to have deep reverence for Nature, respect Nature, follow Nature’s laws and protect Nature, so as to build a homeland of harmonious coexistence between man and Nature.
1. Who uploaded the video of freeing the owl online ?| A．Dave Larson. | B．Travis Larson. | C．Sue Larson. | D．Kyle Larson. |
| A．Mean and unfeeling. | B．Objective and impartial. |
| C．Enthusiastic and impractical. | D．Kind and friendly. |
| A．The owl realized they were trying to help him instead of hurting him. |
| B．The owl was severely injured and couldn’t move anymore. |
| C．The owl called the traffic police and the insurance company. |
| D．The owl didn’t sleep well yesterday morning and was tired. |
| A．Protecting the Environment Right Now | B．Keeping Up with the Larsons |
| C．Kindhearted Couple Free Aggressive Owl | D．A Natural Art Museum In the Larsons’ House |
7 . Mobile Bay in Alabama is home to a strange and unique occurrence. During the summer months, hundreds of fish and crustaceans (甲壳纲动物) from the deep waters of the bay move to the shallow waters. The free seafood is so plentiful and easy to catch with nets or bare hands that locals gather to fill their buckets with it. This natural phenomenon has existed for centuries.
Sarah Van Winkle, a student at the Alabama School of Math & Science, is no stranger to the scene. Growing up there, the rich plants and animals never stop to amaze her.
As the world’s oceans face numerous issues such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction, she intended to figure out whether Mobile Bay was experiencing similar environmental threats in her most recent science project. Sarah studied the environment of Mobile Bay and she even extended the range of the research to the Mobile Tensaw-Delta, and the canals of a living district in Fairhope, Alabama. She analyzed key nutrient and metal levels in the ocean ecosystem.
Through the project, Sarah found that turbidity, an important indicator of water quality, increased sharply. This result showed, clearly that the area is filled with tiny pieces of matter, making the water there quite opaque.
For the project. Sarah was chosen as one of this year’s 24 Society for Science & the Public Community Innovation Award winners. “To me, this honor symbolizes that the ten months of late night readings, weekend field trips, and after-school sessions in the laboratory have truly come to fruition and impacted lives,” Sarah noted.
“Our local ocean ecosystem is in danger of chemical pollution from a variety of sources,” Sarah explained in an interview. “The bay plays a vital role in our community and every local should value what the bay offers. It’s our responsibility to work together to preserve it.”
1. What’s the unusual scene in Mobile Bay in summer months?| A．The water’s becoming shallow and clear. | B．The decline of the natural environment. |
| C．The flood of seafood into shallow waters. | D．The locals’ growing interest in fishing with buckets. |
| A．Fresh. | B．Cloudy. | C．Clear. | D．Shallow. |
| A．Hard work pays off. | B．Time waits for no man. |
| C．Practice makes perfect. | D．Failure is the mother of success. |
| A．The focus of her future work. | B．Her concern for the local people. |
| C．The complexity of the local ocean system. | D．Her expectation of protecting the bay. |
Swim Buddies
I leaned (倚靠) over the side of the beat and stared at the clear blue water. This was my last chance, I thought. “I hope you find a green turtle (乌龟) today, Alexa, and realize your dream of swimming with it.” Dad said, as if reading my thought. “Me, too,” my brother, Jonah, said. “I want to see one, too!”
I lifted my head up, turned toward Jonah, and glared. Why, why, why did he always insist on following me everywhere, doing everything I did? Make your own friends. I wanted to scream at him. Find your own green sea turtle! But I said nothing. Ever since Jonah was a little kid and they discovered he acted so differently because he had autism (自闭症), I had been trained to show understanding for him. Trained to put up with a lot, including his shouts at the top of his lungs.
“We’ll stop here, and if we are lucky enough to see turtles.” Father said, “remember not to get too close, or they will be scared away. Do the ‘dead man’s float’ and wait. If they’re curious enough, they’ll cheek you out.”
Jonah said — too loudly, of course, so everyone on the boat could hear him —“That turtle sounds just like me. It wants to be friends but doesn’t know how, like me. I really, really, really want to see one, Dad.”
Putting the mouthpiece into my mouth, I dived into the water. I swam in a different direction and searched the seafloor. Suddenly, I saw a huge green turtle chewing on the seaweed. Excited as I was, I did the dead man’s float, lying as still as possible. “Come on, buddy (伙伴).” I said to myself, “Come swim with me!”
As I watched than lonely turtle, I couldn’t help bust think of Jonah’s words about friends — Jonah didn’t have friends. He functioned well enough to be in a regular class, but he was still strange enough that the other kids stayed away from him. This turtle might be the only one we could find today. And I knew that Jonah had got his heart set on seeing one, just like I did. Even though Jonah made my life really hard. I understood how he felt. I swam to Jonah.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Together, we swam back toward my turtle.
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Emerging from the water, Jonah shouted, “The turtle is our friend now!”
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9 . In 1978, Avril and Christopher Rowlands paid £6 for a fir (冷杉), brought it to their new home in the pretty village of Inkberry. After
The tree is so
Avril and Christopher’s fir now attracts thousands of people who
“The tree is really
| A．consuming | B．enjoying | C．perceiving | D．planning |
| A．defend | B．support | C．expose | D．mark |
| A．initially | B．steadily | C．tightly | D．severely |
| A．runs | B．stands | C．swings | D．stretches |
| A．strangers | B．passers-by | C．villagers | D．travelers |
| A．tall | B．attractive | C．unique | D．bright |
| A．in spite of | B．by means of | C．in case of | D．on account of |
| A．spot | B．view | C．decorate | D．water |
| A．tree | B．light | C．gift | D．garden |
| A．struggle | B．crowd | C．march | D．parade |
| A．appetite | B．fashion | C．tradition | D．trend |
| A．inspired | B．persuaded | C．allowed | D．convinced |
| A．difference | B．decision | C．donation | D．fortune |
| A．rare | B．slight | C．secure | D．special |
| A．hope | B．kindness | C．success | D．pride |
The green grass and bar e rock of Macquarie Island’s landscape contrast dramatically, giving it a wild and natural beauty.
But the island’s more recent history tells
Meanwhile, rabbits were introduced to the island
In 2014, Macquarie Island was declared pest-free and the island’s eco logy is finally on the road to
