1 . Warmer oceans can cause coral (珊瑚) bleaching. Bleaching happens when the coral, colonies of tiny animals called polyps, lose colored algae (藻类) living in their bodies and turn completely white. Without the algae, the coral loses its main food source and can die.
In 2021, the United Nations reported a 14 percent loss of corals across the world largely from rising sea temperatures in the previous 13 years. Australia declared mass bleaching events in 2022 across large parts of the Great Barrier Reef, the fourth since 2016.
Reefs in Hawaii, Florida, and the Caribbean were all severely affected, but thankfully some coral areas were not. Scientists looked into the characteristics of these corals and their ecosystems to see how others could be protected. Warm water reefs in the tropics are the worst affected by bleaching, but they also contain corals with better heat resistance.
Research is focused on finding genes for heat tolerance so that they can be passed on to future generations. Biologists mix corals that are more resilient to higher temperatures with those that are not and the resulting hybrid generation has a better chance of survival.
Researchers in Florida’s reefs have been using ocean nurseries to replant coral with batches that contain genes resistant to heat, acidification, and disease. Those areas have recovered within a year.
Other projects like Revive and Restore are using methods like preserving older coral populations’ sperm and eggs (biobanking) and using corals with better adaptability characteristics in breeding. The project also believes that boosting biodiversity by restoring (恢复) seabirds to islands, and ridding them of invasive species like rats, helps coral reefs thrive.
Ultimately, scientists say that without a serious reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 99 percent of the world’s coral reefs will be gone by the end of the century. There is a limit to how quickly coral can adapt, especially given the rate of climate change. Computer simulations have shown that mild or moderate warming allows coral to adapt, but if temperatures rise rapidly then extinction is certain.
1. What mainly causes coral bleaching?A.Loss of algae. | B.Lack of food. |
C.Warm oceans. | D.Ocean pollution. |
A.Coral reefs in tropics are easier to bleach. |
B.Some corals are found better to resist heat. |
C.Coral reefs in some areas are badly affected. |
D.Ecosystems in some coral areas are destroyed. |
A.Breeding hybrid generation with heat resistance. |
B.Replanting batches of corals containing diseases. |
C.Restoring seabirds of islands and invasive animals. |
D.Setting no limitation of greenhouse gas emissions. |
A.Botany. | B.Culture. | C.Nature. | D.Education. |
A.Sunny. | B.Cloudy. | C.Rainy. |
A.Amused. | B.Annoyed. | C.Surprised. |
A.She is buying a coat. |
B.She is asking a favor. |
C.She is complaining of the weather. |
A.He can’t bear the hot weather. |
B.He has no interest in the beach. |
C.He will play in the football match. |
A.Glass. | B.Paper. | C.Plastic. |
7 . A few years ago, I was leaving the dog kennel(养狗场) where I worked only to find a baby goat at the end of the driveway. The kennel’s owners are known animal rescuers, and I
I’m an animal
Quincy proved to be quite
A quick study, Quincy learned to lie down, bow, and turn in a circle in no time. I love to train animals and often take my dogs to shows where they can
Now he has a whole list: he’ll shake hooves(蹄), come when
It’s hard to believe that the goat kid nobody wanted
A.assisted | B.figured | C.wondered | D.imagined |
A.soundly | B.frequently | C.ultimately | D.visibly |
A.lover | B.worker | C.researcher | D.founder |
A.admirable | B.fortunate | C.adorable | D.brilliant |
A.enthusiastic | B.qualified | C.sensitive | D.intelligent |
A.tapped | B.hit | C.clapped | D.beat |
A.optimistic | B.amazed | C.delighted | D.ambitious |
A.in total | B.in advance | C.in place | D.in a row |
A.comprehend | B.analyze | C.perform | D.persevere |
A.tricks | B.tips | C.orders | D.jokes |
A.harmoniously | B.delicately. | C.precisely | D.perfectly |
A.uttered | B.named | C.called | D.struck |
A.abandon | B.read | C.assess | D.confirm |
A.applause | B.recreation | C.persuasion | D.identification |
A.makes out | B.works out | C.turns out | D.lets out |
A.Sunny. | B.Stormy. | C.Cloudy. |
A.award B.house C.hit D.namely E.specifically F.grabbed G.traded H.gang I.bar J.principled K.transmission |
American authorities arrested Masphal Kry, an official in Cambodia’s forestry administration, last November when he was heading to an international meeting about trade regulations for endangered species in Panama. Prosecutors accused him of conspiring with a smuggling ring. The contraband (违禁品): monkeys,
Getting lab monkeys from abroad became harder during the pandemic. Chinese authorities banned the export of all primates in early 2020. The Chinese government wanted to
That forced American companies to rely on less
10 . On any given day Damon Carson will deal with lots of inquiries from large companies looking to unload massive amounts of stuff that would otherwise go to the landfill (废物填埋场). For example, twenty-eight plastic boxes from a store were just waiting for him to repurpose them. And a recreation company wanted to know if Carson was interested in 360 kilograms of blue ropes
“They don’t want to just throw it away,” he explains. “Nor should they. Because it has value. ”The question of what value, and to whom, is what occupies Carson’s days.
For nearly a decade, his company, Repurposed Materials, has been devoted to this. He’s not looking to recycle the stuff he gets—breaking it down to make something new—but rather finding new homes for abandoned goods in their original forms.
In the late 1990s, Carson was on break from business school, when he discovered the profitable world of waste. He and a friend started a small business near construction sites. Working in construction, Carson had become familiar with an almost-everyday phenomenon: “You’d open up one of these big construction dumpster (大垃圾箱) and stuff would start falling out,” he says. He would find perfectly good wood, or a window still wrapped in plastic from the factory. “You can’t wrap your mind around how wasteful America is until you run a waste company,” he says
There is a solid environmental case for repurposing, or upcycling. “When people call, I say we don’t chip, grind, melt.” “Carson notes. Recycling, however noble, still takes energy. “Why melt something down, if it still has value?” he asks. An old oil-field pipe might be melted down and turned into a car bumper, but it still takes a fair amount of power to finish the transformation. Why not put it straight up and turn it into a fence post on a farm? The only cost is transport.
Carson recently opened two new warehouses (仓库), bringing the total to six. “Corporations(企业) are,” he says, “becoming increasingly focused on sustainability, so we’re upping (使升级) our capabilities. You never know when the next 20,000-kilogram spool of 10-centimeter-thick rope might come along, or where it might go.”
1. What does Carson’s company Repurposed Materials do?A.It helps large companies bury waste. |
B.It warns people against throwing away waste. |
C.It brings new lives to abandoned stuff. |
D.It changes the original form of abandoned stuff. |
A.It is more logical | B.It is more systematic |
C.It is more formal | D.It is more energy-saving |
A.Current trend of using heavier ropes. |
B.Fast development of his warehouses. |
C.Natural process of treating waste materials. |
D.Increasing environmental concerns of corporations. |
A.Generous and hard-working | B.Intelligent and humorous |
C.Devoted and forward-looking | D.Independent and responsible |