1 . Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastics that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. Officially, they are defined as plastics less than five millimeters in diameter(直径). .
The problem with microplastics is that — like plastic items of any size — they do not readily break down into harmless molecules (分子). Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose, and in the meantime, cause damage to the environment. On beaches, microplastics are visible as tiny colored plastic bits in sand. In the oceans, microplastics pollution is often consumed by sea animals.
Some of this environmental pollution is from littering, but much is the result of storms and winds that carry plastics into our oceans. Single-use plastics, plastic items meant to be used just once and then thrown away, are the primary source of microplastics in the environment.
Microplastics have been detected in sea animals, in commercial seafood, and even in drinking water. Alarmingly, standard water treatment facilities cannot remove all the traces( 痕迹) of microplastics. To further complicate matters, microplastics in the ocean can combine with other harmful chemicals before being swallowed by animals.
Scientists are still unsure whether consumed microplastics do damage to human or animal health - and if so, what specific dangers they may cause. Even so, many countries are taking action to reduce microplastics. A United Nations resolution has discussed the need for rules to reduce microplastics to oceans, wildlife, and human health.
1. What does the underlined word “decompose” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Break down. | B．Fade away. . |
| C．Dry up. | D．Give out. |
| A．Water treatment facilities fail to remove their traces. |
| B．People might consume them through drinking water. |
| C．They can combine with other chemicals inside animals. |
| D．They have been a blow to commercial seafood industry. |
| A．Many governments turn a blind eye to microplastics. |
| B．It has been confirmed that consumed microplastics are harmful. |
| C．Measures will be taken to reduce microplastics in the environment. |
| D．Scientists have known what specific dangers microplastics may cause. |
| A．inform the public of an environmental issue |
| B．arouse the awareness of protecting seawater |
| C．persuade scientists to look into microplastics |
| D．introduce the microplastics treatment methods |
2 . Best New Dog Books to Read in 2020
If you’re looking for a heartwarming true story of loyalty and companionship, you’ll find it in this list of new dog books to read in 2020.
Wag
Whether you are training a new dog, considering adopting a dog or simply curious about your own dog’s happiness and behavior, Wag has all the answers and then more. Respected dog trainer and social psychologist, Zazie Todd, describes the inner life of dogs and shares recommendations from researchers and trainers to help you develop the respectful relationship with your dog.
By Zazie Todd
Hardcover $ 24.96
Paperback $ 14.18
No Ordinary Dog
No Ordinary Dog is about a powerful true story of a SEAL Team Operator and military dog handler, and the dog that saved his life. Two dozen Navy SEALs attacked Osama bin Laden in May 2011. After the mission (使命), only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. This is Cairo’s story, and that of his handler, Will Chesney.
By Will Chesney
Hardcover $ 17.99
Paperback $ 14.72
Good Boy
Good Boy is a universal account of a remarkable story: showing how a young “boy” became a middle-aged woman — accompanied at seven key moments of growth and transformation by seven memorable dogs. “Everything I know about love,” she writes, “I learned from dogs.” Their love enables us to achieve what seem like impossible things.
By Jennifer Finney Boylan
Hardcover $ 25.89
Paperback $ 17.77
Our Dogs, Ourselves
We keep dogs and are kept by them. We love dogs and we are loved by them. We buy them sweaters, toys, shoes; we are concerned with their social lives, their food, and their health. The story of humans and dogs is thousands of years old but is far from understood. In Our Dogs, Ourselves, Alexandra Horowitz explores all aspects of this unique and complex relationship.
By Alexandra Horowitz
Hardcover $ 28
Paperback $ 14.99
1. Who was rescued by a dog?| A．Cairo. | B．Will Chesney. | C．Zazie Todd. | D．Alexandra Horowitz. |
| A．$ 25.89. | B．$ 35.54. | C．$ 43.66. | D．$ 51.78. |
| A．The human-dog relationship. | B．How to adopt and train a seal. |
| C．True stories of seven pet dogs. | D．The exploration of dogs’ clothes. |
3 . 24 Solar Terms: 4 things you should know about Grain Buds
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Buds (小满), the 8th solar term of a year, begins on May 20 this year, and ends on June 4. In China, the 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago to guide agricultural production.
A good season for eating fish
During the Grain Buds period, the summer harvest is about to begin. A saying about rain during this time mentions, "A heavy rainfall makes the river full." Because of the great increase in rainfall, rivers are full of water, which gives rise to great tasting fish and shrimp. This is a good time to enjoy them.
Eating herb of common sow thistle
Grain Buds is a season for eating the herb (草药) of the common sow thistle, which tastes a little bitter and sour, but also sweet. It has the function of cooling the blood and detoxifying the body. It can be made into different types of dishes.
Tips on health preserving in Grain Buds
This time is a good period of the quick growth of flowers. It is also a season when plant diseases and pests are at an all-time high, which makes caring for your garden even more critical. Flower trimming and clipping is important. And a systematic fertilized water system should be carried out.
| A．Key period for flower management |
| B．It is also harvest season for fishermen |
| C．A lot of water and extra care for wild flowers |
| D．But the solar term culture is still useful today to guide people's lives |
| E．It means that the seeds from the grain are becoming full but are not ripe |
| F．People in Ningxia like to eat it blended with salt, vinegar, peppers or garlic |
| G．High temperatures and humidity are common during the Grain Buds period |
4 . Backcountry for beginners: the best destinations in Canada
When carried out safely, your first backcountry trip will leave you lifelong memories, opening a getaway into nature. But the leap from car camping to backcountry requires preparation and learning. Here are some recommended trips for backcountry beginners:
Grundy Lake Provincial Park
The park’s 9 backcountry sites are a 30-minute paddle (划船) away. Grundy Lake is motor-boat free. Your sites are quiet enough for a true backcountry trip. Each site comes equipped with a fire pit (坑) and a picnic table.
Bon Echo Provincial Park
Many visitors don’t know about the 25 canoe-in campsites located on Joeperry and Pearson Lakes. A short canoe trip of 30-minute will get you to your campsite. At each campsite, you will find a picnic table, tent space and a toilet nearby.
Charleston Lake Provincial Park
Experience the best of the Canadian Shield, and hike or paddle your way to 10 backcountry campsites. Travel time can range from 10 minutes to 2 hours. All sites come equipped with elevated tent platforms, a picnic table, a fire grill, and a toilet.
Murphys Point Provincial Park
Paddle through Big Rideau Lake (part of the historic Rideau waterway) to access 14 backcountry campsites. Most are located 5-45 minutes away from the boat launch. You’ll find a picnic table, tent space, and a pit toilet nearby each site. Paddle back to visit Murphys’ piece of living history: the Mica Mine!
Remember: backcountry travel requires careful consideration of packing, route planning, meal planning, safety, and your skill level.
1. You can do the followings at Grundy Lake Provincial Park EXCEPT _______.| A．Paddling. | B．Having a picnic. | C．Cooking. | D．Taking a motor-boat. |
| A．Grundy Lake Provincial Park. | B．Bon Echo Provincial Park. |
| C．Charleston Lake Provincial Park. | D．Murphys Point Provincial Park. |
| A．Health. | B．Travel. | C．Education. | D．Science. |
5 . Walk through the Amazon rainforest today and you will find it is steamy, warm, damp and thick. But if you had been around 15,000 years ago, during the last ice age, would it have been the same? For more than 30 years, scientists have been arguing about how rainforests like the Amazon might have reacted to the cold, dry climates of the ice ages, but until now, no one has reached a satisfying answer.
Rainforests like the Amazon are important for mopping up CO2 from the atmosphere and helping to slow global warming. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tons of CO2 each year: equal to the total amount of CO2 giving off in the UK each year. But how will the Amazon react to future climate change? If it gets drier, will it still survive and continue to draw down CO2 ?
Scientists hope that they will be able to learn in advance how the rainforest will manage in the future by understanding how rainforests reacted to climate change in the past. Unfortunately, getting into the Amazon rainforest and collecting information are very difficult. To study past climate, scientists need to look at fossilized pollen, kept in lake mud. Going back to the last ice age means drilling deep down into lake sediments （沉淀物）which requires specialized equipment and heavy machinery. There are very few roads and paths, or places to land helicopters and aeroplanes. Rivers tend to be the easiest way to enter the forest, but this still leaves vast areas between the rivers completely unsampled（未取样）.So far, only a handful of cores have been drilled that go back to the last ice age and none of them provide enough information to prove how the Amazon rainforest reacts to climate change.
1. What does the underlined phrase “mopping up” in the second paragraph mean?| A．Giving up. | B．Giving out. |
| C．Wiping out. | D．Taking in. |
| A．It’ll get drier and continue to remove CO2 . |
| B．There is no exact answer up to present. |
| C．It’ll get warmer and then colder and drier. |
| D．It’ll remain steamy, warm, damp and thick. |
| A．It’s important to drill deep down into lake sediments to collect information. |
| B．It’s impossible to prove how climate changes in the Amazon rainforest. |
| C．It’s hard to collect information for studies of the past climate in the Amazon rainforest. |
| D．It’s necessary to have specialized equipment and machinery to study the past climate. |
| A．Studies of the Rainforests |
| B．Climates of the Amazon |
| C．Secrets of the Ice Age |
| D．Changes of the Rainforests |
