For those looking to escape the concrete jungle, maybe it’s time to dive into the bamboo forests of southern Sichuan.
A natural forest that people in Sichuan province tend
Known as one of the country’s 10 most beautiful forests, it
Two years later, the bamboo forest received world-wide
The Bamboo Sea covers Changning and Jiang’an, two counties
2 . Lightning (闪电) is a beautiful and inspiring phenomenon, but it can be deadly. Over the past 30 years, lightning has killed an average of 67 people per year in the United States alone.
Find shelter immediately
If you find yourself caught in a lightning storm, never stand under a tree, and avoid being close to power lines as they’re both excellent conductors (导体) of electricity and could potentially cause death, if not serious injury.
Watch out for dangers
Windows provide a direct path for the lightning to travel. Keep windows closed, stay away from them and try to stay within inner rooms of the structure.
Being near water is extremely dangerous during a lightning storm, so move away from the body of water. If you are fishing, swimming or on a boat, get out of the water immediately and hurry back to the bank.
Stay inside
Stay inside at least 30 minutes after the last strike. Don’t go out just because the rain is starting to let up. There is still a significant risk of lightning strikes from a departing storm.
Lightning is dangerous but you can minimize your risk. The advice is simple: increase the awareness of avoiding danger and master proper knowledge to protect yourself from a thunderstorm.
| A．Get away from the water |
| B．Prepare enough water |
| C．Go to hospital quickly |
| D．Don’t touch anything metal or electrical |
| E．Find shelter near or under a stony shelter |
| F．Wait for news that the danger has passed |
| G．Fortunately, most lightning-related deaths are preventable |
With more and more scientists saying we no longer have a climate problem but a climate emergency, the call for all hands to be part
In 2014, after attending one of Al Gore’s Climate Reality training workshops, Paul Severance, a member of Elders Action Network(EAN), started ECA, which
ECA’s mission is to reach out to older individuals and let them join, so they can use their expertise, experience and knowledge
4 . A team of leading environmental experts have warned that the current war on plastic is detracting from the bigger threats to the environment. In an article, they say that while plastic waste is an issue, its prominence in the general public’s concern for the environment is overshadowing greater threats, for example, climate change and biodiversity loss.
The team argue that much of the bad talk about plastic waste is based on data that is not always representative of the environments that have been sampled. The dislike of plastic associated with this could encourage the use of alternative materials with potentially harmful effects.
The authors warn that plastic pollution dominates the public’s concern for the environment and has been exploited politically, after capturing the attention of the world, for example, through the images of wildlife caught in plastic was alarmist headlines. They say small political gestures such as law banning cosmetic microplastics, taxing plastic bags, and financial rewards for using reusable containers, as well as the promotion of products as “green” for containing less plastic than alternatives, make people neglect other environmental problems that are not as noticeable as plastic pollution.
The article also highlights that plastic is not the only type of polluting materials, originating from human activity that pollutes the environment. Other examples include natural textile fibres such as cotton and wool, and brake-wear particles from vehicles — all of which are present in different places. The authors note that these materials are often much more abundant than microplastics and some are associated with “plastic alternatives” that are marketed as solutions to plastic pollution. The impacts of these materials are less well-known than plastic and microplastic pollution, yet they could have huge impacts.
The article states that solutions are likely to come from a greater focus on designing materials and products that can be recycled, that have their end-of-life, and that markets and facilities exist to recycle.
1. What’s the experts’ attitude towards the current war on plastic?| A．Indifferent. | B．Favorable. | C．Critical. | D．Objective. |
| A．The negative view of plastic. |
| B．The use of alternative materials. |
| C．The potential harmful effects. |
| D．The defense for plastic. |
| A．Explain a rule. | B．Make a comparison. |
| C．Clarify a point. | D．Offer a suggestion. |
| A．A response to plastic pollution. |
| B．A schedule to fight against pollution. |
| C．An argument against climate change. |
| D．A guide to plastic management. |
5 . In recent years, studies have suggested how the bisphenol A (BPA) in some food-packaging plastics has been linked to various health problems including heart disease and developmental difficulties in children. Scientists are thus developing a more harmless alternative, and it’s made from tomato waste which would otherwise be got rid of.
However, BPA is still widely used in the plastic coatings which are applied to the inside of metal food packaging such as cans. These smooth waterproof coatings help protect the metal from corrosion (腐蚀), plus they keep the food from sticking to the inside of the container.
Building on previous studies, an international team has researched a type of agricultural waste known as tomato pomace. This material typically consists of tomato skins, seeds and stems, which are left over after the fruits have been processed for use in foods such as sauces or juices. Ordinarily, the pomace is simply dumped in a landfill, burned, or at best composted. It may also be used in animal feed, although it doesn’t have much nutritional value.
The scientists started by drying tomato pomace — first in the sun for three days, then in a 60℃ oven for 16 hours — after which they grounded it into a powder. That powder was subsequently mixed with a sodium hydroxide solution (溶液), which was then heated at 100℃ for four hours. After repeatedly filtering that solution to remove the sodium hydroxide, the researchers were left a lipid. That lipid was then mixed into an ethyl alcohol solution which was sprayed onto samples of some metal. Once the spray had dried and the samples had been heated in a 200℃ oven for 10 to 60 minutes, the result was a polymerized lacquer coating which proved to be very effective at protecting the metal.
The scientists now plan on testing the coating on actual cans. “We would take tomato sauce, and other foods that are usually sold in cans, and we would sterilize them, put them in tins and check if they withstand real conditions,” said a scientist.
1. Which of the following is the most likely to use the plastic coating?| A．A pot full of water. |
| B．A cup filled with coffee. |
| C．A tin containing apple juice. |
| D．An iron box stuffed with packaged food. |
| A．It’s used as animal’s food with rich nutrition. |
| B．It has been used in the plastic coatings. |
| C．People use it to make sauce or juice. |
| D．People usually treat it in many ways. |
| A．How the new coating is created. | B．Why heating is important. |
| C．Why high temperature is needed. | D．What other materials are included. |
| A．To present a scientific study. | B．To introduce a new material. |
| C．To show a complex process. | D．To teach an actual test. |
6 . A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Victoria has shown that common levels of traffic pollution can damage human brain function in only a matter of hours.
“For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said senior study author Dr. Chris Carlsten. “This study, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and cognition.”
For the study, the researchers briefly exposed 25 healthy adults to diesel exhaust (柴油废气) and filtered air at different times in a laboratory setting. Brain activity was measured before and after each exposure using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
The researchers analyzed changes in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a set of inter-connected brain regions that play an important role in memory and internal thought. The fMRI revealed that participants had decreased functional connectivity in widespread regions of the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust, compared to filtered air.
“We know that altered functional connectivity in the DMN has been associated with reduced cognitive performance and symptoms of depression, so it’s concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these same networks,” said Dr. Jodie Gawryluk, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria and the study’s first author. “While more research is needed to fully understand the functional impacts of these changes, it’s possible that they may impair (损害) people’s thinking or ability to work.”
Notably, the changes in the brain were temporary and participants’ connectivity returned to normal after the exposure. Dr. Carlsten assumed that the effects could be long lasting where exposure is continuous. He said that people should be mindful of the air they’re breathing and take appropriate steps to minimize their exposure to potentially harmful air pollutants like car exhaust.
1. How does traffic pollution affect people according to the study?| A．Exhausting their body. | B．Decreasing their income. |
| C．Endangering their safety. | D．Harming their brain function. |
| A．Growth. | B．Sport. | C．Memory. | D．Behaviour. |
| A．Avoid being exposed to the polluted air constantly. |
| B．Be mindful of the air quality in a new city. |
| C．Measure the brain activity in laboratories. |
| D．Stay inside a house as often as possible. |
| A．A Role Of Brain Will Be Ruined |
| B．Traffic Pollution May Impair Brain Function |
| C．A Famous UK University Did A Vital Study |
| D．A Source Of Pollution Has Drawn People’s Attention |
7 . My name is Ben. I am 13, and I live in Chantilly, VA. Just yesterday, June 24, I was at home watching my sister, who is mentally handicapped (弱智的). My father was at work while my mother and younger sister were at my mother’s office.
I had noticed the clouds growing darker and the ones to the east were turning green. At first I thought nothing of it, but then on TV, the weather reporter was announcing a big thunderstorm warning, one that usually brings hail (冰雹) and heavy rain.
After seeing that, I called my mother and told her about it. She told me I should not be worried because it was just a thunderstorm so we hung up. Then I looked outside and noticed it was almost pitch black at 4：30. I took a flashlight (手电筒) because I was sure the power was going to go out any second. Then no sooner had I gotten back from getting the flashlight than the weather reporter announced a Tornado Warning! I had never been in an actual tornado before, but I had seen some funnel clouds before in Montana.
Suddenly I realised I had no time to lose and I had to try to get my sister down the stairs to the basement in a matter of minutes. I surprisingly got her down there with no trouble at all and I raced back up the stairs to get the cordless phone. When I got back downstairs my dad called and told me to get downstairs immediately. I told him I was already down there! He said OK and we talked for a few seconds and then we hung up. Then_through the basement windows, the only thing_I_could_see_was_lightning.
I do not recall hearing of any deaths, or too many injuries so I guess everyone got a good head start to run to their basements. Either that or we are all lucky.
1. Ben took a flashlight because ________.| A．he wanted to look for something | B．it was not bright enough in the room |
| C．he wanted to take care of his sister | D．he was prepared for the power off |
| A．By staying upstairs at home. | B．By running out of the house. |
| C．By hiding in the basement. | D．By using the cordless phone. |
| A．Worried. | B．Excited. | C．Disappointed. | D．Encouraged. |
| A．It was completely dark outside. | B．They were scared. |
| C．The flashlight was broken. | D．It was at midnight. |
8 . A hero sheep dog became the guiding light of hope for three trapped sheep as it swam across dangerous flooded fields to
Llyr Derwydd, a 44-year-old farmer coming from the area of Ruthin,
Considering the dangerous conditions that the flood caused, the
Mr. Derwydd talked about the sad experience, stating, “We realized we needed to act
In order to rescue the sheep, he made a
It was a moment filled with
Mr. Derwydd shared his
| A．force | B．carry | C．guide | D．attract |
| A．hid | B．found | C．imagined | D．reminded |
| A．checking | B．describing | C．comparing | D．selling |
| A．snow | B．water | C．fire | D．smoke |
| A．lecture | B．recovery | C．rescue | D．experiment |
| A．equally | B．suddenly | C．luckily | D．obviously |
| A．in return | B．in time | C．in person | D．in secret |
| A．reducing | B．improving | C．rising | D．sliding |
| A．call | B．promise | C．decision | D．comment |
| A．wish | B．order | C．warning | D．suggestion |
| A．danger | B．regret | C．hope | D．fun |
| A．goals | B．curiosity | C．ways | D．ability |
| A．catch | B．feed | C．reach | D．stop |
| A．responsibility | B．amazement | C．confidence | D．awkwardness |
| A．risk | B．time | C．lead | D．place |
1. What does the man plan to do for a few days?
| A．Help the woman walk a dog. | B．Visit the woman. | C．Go on a business trip. |
| A．At around 6:00 a.m. | B．At around 8:00 a.m. | C．At around 8:00 p.m. |
| A．Go for a walk. | B．Make dinner. | C．Play with her friends. |
1. Where are the two speakers?
| A．On the street. | B．In a park. | C．At a square. |
| A．Golden retriever. | B．Chihuahua. | C．Samoyed. |
| A．He’s cute. | B．He’s shy. | C．He’s dangerous. |
| A．A large-sized dog. | B．A brave dog. | C．A smart dog. |
