1 . Lakes that are called seas
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea is an island lake that lies to the north of Uzbekistan and to the south of Kazakhstan. Its name literally means “the sea of islands” in the Turkic languages. Although the Aral Sea occupied a vast area of about 68,000 square km for a long period of time, it has been constantly shrinking (缩小) over the past two centuries and today, it’s believed to be less than 10% of its original size.
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is located between Israel and Jordan in the Jordan Rift Valley. As a popular tourist destination, the Dead Sea is famous for many reasons. It is actually a salt lake and one of the world’s most saline water bodies. The elevation of the Dead Sea’s shores is the lowest on land and it also enjoys the title of being the world’s deepest hyperhaline (高盐的) lake. The hypersalinity of the Dead Sea means it does not support life, hence the name.
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake with “sea” in its name. It occupies an area of 166.7 square km in Israel. The lake has a maximum depth of 141 ft. It is the second-lowest lake in the world after the Dead Sea with the surface elevation ranging from 705 ft to 686 ft below sea level. The Jordan River is the primary source of water for the Sea of Galilee. Underground springs also feed water to the lake.
Erhai Lake
Erhai in Yunnan Province, China, at 1.972 meters above sea level, which covers an area of 250 square kilometers, is one of the seven biggest freshwater lakes in China. It means “sea shaped like an ear” in Chinese, implying that the lake is ear-shaped and as large as a sea. Hence it was so named. With crystal clear water and the charming landscape, Erhai is reputed as “Pearl of Plateau”.
1. Which of the following is the lowest lake in the world?| A．Aral Sea. | B．Dead Sea. |
| C．Sea of Galilee. | D．Erhai Lake. |
| A．Erhai Lake is the biggest freshwater lake in China. |
| B．The Aral Sea is believed to be more than 10% of its original size. |
| C．The Jordan River is not the only source of water for the Sea of Galilee. |
| D．The Dead Sea is actually a salt lake and the world’s most saline water body. |
| A．A magazine. | B．An autobiography (自传). |
| C．A news report. | D．A book review. |
2 . Grasses and short trees are growing and expanding around Mount Qomolangma and across the Hi ma lay an region as the area continued to experience the consequences of global warming, researchers have found. Using satellite data from 1993 to 2018, scientists measured “small but significant” increased between 4,150 and 6,000 meters above sea level. “There are now more areas that are covered in plants than there were in 1993,” said Anderson, a scientist who led the research.
While it is still too early to tell what impact this new growth could have on the region, “urgent research” on the potential effects is needed. “We don't know what the impact is — it might be the plants that cause the snow to melt more quickly,” Anderson added.
1.4 billion people depend on water collected in the region. Changes to water supplies could have great impacts on communities in different countries. “We know that plants and the water cycle are coupled,” Anderson explained. “Wherever you have plants growing, it changes the way the water cycle behaved in those areas. This is particularly important in the Himalayas because glaciers are reducing. We know from lots of scientific research that this is already having an impact on water supplies in this region and it will continue to do so as li-mate change continued.”
Climate change is already having an impact on Himalayan communities, A 2019 study found that Hi ma lay an glaciers have been losing almost half a meter of ice each year since the start of this century. This has already resulted in local communities being flooded — and could ultimately result in drought. Last year, a researcher from the International Centre found that at least a third of the ice in the region, which is home to Mount Qomolangma, could melt by the end of the century.
1. What changes happened to Mount Qomolangma from 1993 to 2018?| A．Sea levels rose quickly. | B．More plants grew there. |
| C．Grasses died out there. | D．Temperatures declined. |
| A．To explain the causes of climate change. | B．To prove the effects of glaciers melting. |
| C．To present the reasons for plants growing. | D．To show the necessity of the urgent research. |
| A．The way of the water cycle. | B．The varieties of plants. |
| C．The large population. | D．The increasing glaciers. |
| A．It seldom snows there. | B．They have great floods these years. |
| C．The glaciers would disappear. | D．More plants will grow there. |
3 . When hydrogen(氢气) burns, the only by-product is water—which is why hydrogen has been an attractive zero-carbon energy source for decades. Yet the traditional process for producing hydrogen, in which fossil fuels are exposed to steam, is not even remotely zero-carbon. Hydrogen produced this way is called gray hydrogen; if the CO2 is captured and sequestered (封存), it is called blue hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is different. It is produced through electrolysis (电解), in which machines split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with no other by-products. Historically, electrolysis required so much electricity that it made little sense to produce hydrogen that way. The situation is changing for two reasons. First, significant amounts of excess renewable electricity have become available at grid(输电网)scale; rather than storing excess electricity in arrays of batteries, the extra electricity can be used to drive the electrolysis of water, “storing” the electricity in the form of hydrogen. Second, electrolyzers are getting more efficient.
Current renewable technologies such as solar and wind can decarbonize (脱碳) the energy sector by as much as 85 percent by replacing gas and coal with clean electricity. Other parts of the economy, such as shipping and producing, are harder to electrify because they often require fuel that is high in energy density (密度) or heat at high temperatures. Green hydrogen has potential in these sectors. The Energy Transitions Commission, an industry group, says green hydrogen is one of four technologies necessary for meeting The Paris Agreement goal of decreasing more than 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide a year from the most challenging industrial sectors, among them mining, construction and chemicals.
Although green hydrogen is still on the early stage of its development, countries—especially those with cheap renewable energy—are investing in the technology. Australia wants to export hydrogen that it would produce using its plentiful solar and wind power, Chile has plans for hydrogen in the country’s dry north, where solar electricity is abundant. China aims to put one million hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the road by 2030. All of which is why, earlier this year, Goldman predicted that green hydrogen will become a $ 12-tilion market by 2050.
1. What do we know about green hydrogen?| A．It can be made from fossil fuels. |
| B．It can be extracted from blue hydrogen. |
| C．It consumes little electricity when produced. |
| D．It releases nothing except water when burning. |
| A．Enough electricity and efficient device |
| B．The extending life and capacity of batteries |
| C．The lower cost of different clean energies |
| D．Financial support from all sectors of society |
| A．The potential of current green energy |
| B．The necessity of reducing carbon dioxide |
| C．The advantages of green hydrogen |
| D．The results of using wind and solar power |
| A．worried | B．optimistic | C．doubtful | D．pessimistic |
Traditionally, livestreamers(主播)sell delicious snacks or local goodies. But a recent livestream event in Tibet autonomous region did something different. Waste plastic bottles,
According to the Sohu website, in 2019, about 40 million tourists visited Tibet, which
Over the past few years, more than 5,000 volunteers of different ages and from all walks of life
The livestream has successfully involved more people in the anti-white pollution campaign. People can scan QR code and donate money to encourage more people to collect bottles. It's really a meaningful event and helps to make
5 . Wales is home to some of the UK's most beautiful drives.Narrow lanes criss-cross the land. meaning travel can be slow-but there's no need to rush.
The Coastal WayThis route(路线）covers the entire length of Cardigan Bay, and spoils travelers with its remote beaches and charming seaside towns.
Comb the sand for fossils,shells at Aberdaron Beach,and then hit the road,heading cast toward Porthmadog. Here you can hop on a heritage steam train, a relic of the region's mining history,to give Snowdonia's skyline your undivided attention.
The Cambrian WayThe Cambrian Way, which cuts north to south through the heart of Wales, is a fantastic place, thanks to its patchwork fields, dense forests and rolling, sheep-dotted hills.
The route becomes increasingly wild and rough as it weaves north into Powys. Spend the night in Rhayader, and you'll need plenty of energy for hiking or mountain biking along the trails.
The North Wales WaySpanning Wales' short but scenic north coast, this route offers road trippers a chance to encounter Welsh history, language and culture in a splendid setting.
Head west through the uncrowded Clwydian Hills until you reach Ruthin, a little town brimming with history,where you can see its restored castle, century-spanning museum and Victorian Ruthin Gaol. Border Country
Tracing the dotted line that separates England and Wales on a map,this border-hugging route will take you to some of Wales' most underrated sites slowly, if you stick to the narrow back roads.
Starting in the border town of Chepstow in Southeast Wales,make your way northward.You can top to admire the roofless ruins of Tintern Abbey and lesser known castes Skenfrith and Grosmont
1. Which route best suits people who enjoy mountain scenery?| A．The Coastal Way. |
| B．The Cambrian Way. |
| C．The North Wales Way |
| D．Border Country. |
| A．It enables travelers to visit a castle. |
| B．It is an area of scenic beauty. |
| C．It offers a glimpse into Welsh culture. |
| D．It is a crowd-free escape from big cities. |
| A．To introduce road trips in Wales. |
| B．To introduce the Welsh landscape. |
| C．To tell about Wales' history. |
| D．To advertise Wales 'tourism industry. |
1. What are younger British people expected to do?
| A．Work in farming industry. |
| B．Improve their income. |
| C．Improve grain production. |
| A．To remove old farming methods. |
| B．To reduce the cost. |
| C．To protect the environment. |
| A．40. | B．59. | C．65. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Doubtful. |
1. What is the most important advantage of paper bottles?
| A．Low in price. | B．Easy to recycle. | C．Convenient to move around. |
| A．Shaping them perfectly. |
| B．Stopping them from leaking. |
| C．Making them lighter than plastic. |
| A．More forests will be lost. | B．More testing will be done. | C．More money will be wasted. |
| A．To save most of the forests in the world. |
| B．To make paper bottles cheaper than before. |
| C．To replace glass and plastic bottles with paper ones. |
8 . Masks that helped save lives during the Covid-19 pandemic （疫情）are proving a deadly risk for wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in many facial coverings in animal habitats.
Single-use masks have been found on the ground, waterways and beaches worldwide since countries required （heir use in public places to slow the pandemic's spread. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to break down. "Face masks aren't going away any time soon-but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals who share our planet," Ashley from anima! rights group PETA said.
Monkeys have been found playing with used masks in the hills outside Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur. And in an incident in Britain, a seagull was saved in Chelmsford after its legs got caught in an abandoned mask for a week.
However, the biggest influence is in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6200 extra tons of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group OceansAsia. “Masks and gloves are particularly problematic for sea creatures," says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO. "When those plastics break down in the environment, they form smaller and smaller particles （颗粒）.Those particles then enter the food chain and influence the entire ecosystem,“ he added.
Campaigners have urged people to deal with masks properly after using them. OceansAsia has also called on governments to increase punishment for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.
1. What bring（s） a great danger to wildlife now?| A．Waste masks. | B．Covid-19. |
| C．Polluted water. | D．Damaged habitats. |
| A．Important. | B．Attractive. |
| C．Common. | D．Troubling. |
| A．Monkeys learned to wear masks from humans. |
| B．Plastics are less harmful after becoming particles. |
| C．Used masks have a worse effect on sea creatures. |
| D．Waste masks are the main ocean plastic pollution. |
| A．Keep masks after they' re used. |
| B．Call on governments to stop littering. |
| C．Punish those who wear single-use masks. |
| D．Put used masks in the recycling box. |
