1 . It’s a fascinating story of how nature is reclaiming and transforming the broken soil we leave behind. Wildlife filmmaker Dan O’Neill and zoologist Yussef Rafik are on a mission to uncover the wildlife secrets hidden inside some abandoned places.
Inchkeith IslandThis island off the Scottish coast had been an important strategic location for military defences for over 500 years by 1957. While its buildings might be empty and in bad condition, the wildlife has bloomed. Dan and Yussef watch young seal pups on the beach and spot seabirds and European cave spiders.
Dinorwi c QuarryDan and Yussef visit this former slate quarry（采石场） in Wales. Dinorwic closed its doors in 1969 and nature has slowly been reclaiming the land ever since. Dan and Yussef are searching for the fastest animal in the world, the peregrine falcon（游隼） and spot rare wild mountain goats.
Chatterley WhitfieldToday it looks more like a set from a film, but at its peak Chatterley Whitfield was a busy coalmine. Since it was closed in 1977, wildlife has taken hold. Dan and Yussef find plants including sunflowers that have sprung up in the most unlikely places. And hidden cameras capture footage of the rabbits and foxes wandering these empty buildings at night.
Nunhead CemeteryDan and Yussef explore one of the seven great graveyards in London, which was closed right after the Second World War and soon became neglected. Now hundreds of species live alongside the dead. Dan spots bright green ring-necked parakeets, the non-native bird that’s made London its home and the pair sample blackberries growing among the graves.
1. What do we know about Inchkeith Island?| A．It played a crucial role in wartime. | B．It is located on the Scottish coast. |
| C．It was used as a setting for a movie. | D．It has its buildings well maintained. |
| A．Inchkeith Island. | B．Dinorwic Quarry. |
| C．Chatterley Whitfield. | D．Nunhead Cemetery. |
| A．They once served the same purpose. | B．They are turning wild over the years. |
| C．They are hidden inside the same island. | D．They are controlled by native wildlife. |
2 . When photographer Chris Jordan first stepped onto Midway Atoll (中途岛) in 2009 to document “overwhelming” levels of ocean waste, little did he know that his striking image of a dead albatross (信天翁) chick would go viral and change the world’s response to the plastics crisis.
After hearing about an island covered in thousands of dead birds with stomachs full of everyday plastic items, he was determined to “find a unique way to photograph these birds indicating the severity of this environmental tragedy”. Though he never expected his images would go viral, his photos soon began appearing in magazines and newspapers all over the world. “Many people emailed me, expressing concerns and wanting to go to the island to save the albatrosses, but the plastic is not coming from this island. It’s a systemic problem,” says Jordan.
A recent report by WWF projects that plastic production is expected to more than double by 2040, resulting in plastic waste in the ocean four times by 2050. In 2010, 8 million tonnes of ocean plastic waste were from sources on land. That is the weight of some 650,000 double decker buses.
Jo Ruxton, the maker of the film A Plastic Ocean, says, “What makes Jordan’s photos resonate(共鸣)with people is that they recognize things in their daily use, and it’s when we see things that we actually use that makes people relate.”
“Every time I was with birds as they were dying, tears just poured. The grief was incredibly intense. Happily, things are improving — bans on everything from plastic micro beads in toothpaste to carrier bags have since come into force in various countries around the world. But for solutions, I believe the heart of this crisis lies in society’s disconnection between actions and their impacts on the environment and that a re-connection with nature and a raw appreciation for the world around us is what really drives positive change.” says Jordan.
1. What initially drives Jordan to Midway Atoll?| A．To support the ban on plastic items. | B．To record the environmental tragedy. |
| C．To create resonating images of plastic waste. | D．To photograph the amazing scenery of the island. |
| A．Reliable and determined. | B．Generous and responsible. |
| C．Creative and sympathetic. | D．Adventurous and intelligent. |
| A．Carrying out stricter bans on plastic products. |
| B．Strengthening education on environmental issues. |
| C．Advising using environmentally friendly materials. |
| D．Reestablishing the link between humans and nature. |
| A．The Photo: Making the Plastics Crisis Personal |
| B．The Method: Dealing with Marine Plastic Pollution |
| C．The Campaign: Restoring Our Relation with Nature |
| D．The Initiative: Fighting Against the Environmental Disaster |
3 . A genetic change known as the Himalayan gene has made this breed’s fur extra sensitive to temperature — but also leaves them easy to get certain diseases.
With 73 cat breeds recognized by the International Cat Association, it can be difficult to discern a Ragdoll from a Ragamuffin. Most of us, though, can pick out a Siamese cat. Known for their dark eye masks, nose, and tail — called “points” that stand out against their cream-colored bodies and sparkling blue eyes, the Siamese is one of the world’s easily recognized breeds.
Those trademark points stem from a genetic change known as the Himalayan gene, which was discovered in the breed in 2005. This hidden gene; passed down from both parents, also gives the felines (猫科动物) temperature-sensitive fur that can change color.
In the mother’s body, Siamese kittens develop at temperatures of about 101 Fahrenheit, a cat’s normal temperature. Once born, all-white kittens eventually begin to cool at their extremities (端点), such as their tail, legs, ears , and face. These lower temperatures cause the Himalayan gene to activate the body’s melanin (黑色素), also found in people. That’s why a Siamese cat’s warmer bodies stay light, but their cooler parts become darker as they mature.
“You can see them change,” says Betsy Arnold, a vet who runs a cats-only practice in Rochester, New York, and started breeding Siamese when she was in her teens.
At about two weeks old, Arnold says, dark color begins to spread to their limbs. By about a month old, their final color emerges, which may be one of several varieties, among them blue point, lilac point, chocolate point, and seal point, which has a light, cream-colored coat with dark brown color on its paws, tail, nose, and ears.
1. What may the underlined part in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Take care of those sick cats. | B．Tell the difference between them. |
| C．Take them back to the rescuer center. | D．Evaluate their health conditions. |
| A．It stands out against other cream-colored cats. | B．Its fur is sensitive to the temperature outside. |
| C．It has a genetic change — the Himalayan gene. | D．Its extremities are all dark-colored with blue eyes. |
| A．The color change of a Siamese is a gradual process. | B．An elderly Siamese can change its color. |
| C．A Siamese can only change its color to black. | D．Siamese cats are sensitive to climate change. |
| A．How Siamese Cats Change Their Colors | B．How a Mysterious Gene was Found in Nature |
| C．What Scientists Found in Himalaya | D．Why a Siamese Cat Looks Strange |
4 . Fungi (菌类) often appear naturally around trees, but a new study has found that growing edible mushrooms (types that can be safely eaten) in forests on purpose could be a good way to provide healthy food for millions of people and help the environment too.
Fungi are living things that feed on organic matter, such as dead plants. Mushrooms, mould and yeast are all types of fungi.
Paul Thomas and Alistair Jump, from the University of Stirling in Scotland, spent two years studying edible fungi that grow alongside trees. The pair discovered that while they are growing, fungi remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the soil. This is good for the planet, because too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is one of the main causes of climate change.
Thomas points out that forests around the world are often cut down to create fields for producing food, such as beef or wheat. Trees take in carbon dioxide as they grow, so chopping them down makes climate change worse. However, edible fungi thrive in the shade of trees. That means if fungi was being grown as a food crop, there would be no need to chop down forests. In fact, if fungi became very popular, more trees could actually be planted. Edible fungi contain lots of substances that are good for humans. Thomas’s idea is that other ingredients, such as meat, could be swapped for fungi in people’s diets. He estimates that growing fungi around trees could feed up to 19 million people each year.
Blue milk caps are a species of edible fungi that Thomas says could work particularly well. They can be grown on and around trees, exchanging useful minerals and nutrients in return for carbon. They are also very nutritious, and some studies have suggested that they can help to treat cancer.
1. How do fungi help the environment?| A．They release oxygen into the atmosphere. |
| B．They prevent soil from being washed away. |
| C．They provide shade for other plants and animals. |
| D．They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. |
| A．Struggle. | B．Boom. | C．Weaken. | D．Shrink. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Promising. | C．Controversial. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The Nutritional Benefits of Edible Fungi |
| B．Fungi: A Sustainable Solution to Organic Food |
| C．The Role of Fungi in Fighting Climate Change |
| D．How Fungi Could Feed and Benefit the World |
5 . Tom Hanks was searching for shells on the island when the strong ocean waves washed a large part of the sand reef (沙洲) away. There was nothing between him and the shore leading to the village, but
He moved about, looking at the calm water before him,
An idea
He looked down at the sharks still
| A．sands | B．shells | C．water | D．wind |
| A．vague | B．clear | C．tough | D．soft |
| A．shout | B．noise | C．cry | D．burst |
| A．fish | B．coral | C．shark | D．human being |
| A．abused | B．supported | C．surrounded | D．attacked |
| A．flashed through | B．came by | C．cleared up | D．called for |
| A．under | B．by | C．over | D．against |
| A．flesh | B．bone | C．blood | D．cell |
| A．decrease | B．draw | C．free | D．stop |
| A．turned | B．cut | C．threw | D．broke |
| A．pushing | B．walking | C．chasing | D．fleeing |
| A．Naturally | B．Suddenly | C．Gradually | D．Constantly |
| A．jumped into | B．skipped over | C．dug into | D．looked over |
| A．crossed | B．met | C．hit | D．defended |
| A．astonished | B．excited | C．scared | D．impressed |
| A．blew | B．leaned | C．fought | D．crashed |
| A．dropped | B．rushed | C．swam | D．escaped |
| A．hard | B．dead | C．safe | D．alive |
| A．playing | B．eating | C．hunting | D．smelling |
| A．head | B．waist | C．feet | D．legs |
6 . Scientists believe they have found a new use for facial recognition technology: saving large ocean animals known as seals. Researchers at Colgate University in the U. S. state of New York have developed SealNet. The system is a database of seal faces created by taking pictures of many harbor seals in Maine’s Casco Bay.
The research team found the tool’s accuracy in identifying the mammals was close to 100 percent. The researchers are working on increasing the size of their database to make it available to other scientists, said Krista Ingram. She is a biology professor at Colgate and a team member.
Increasing the database to include rare species such as the Mediterranean monk seal and Hawaiian monk seal could help efforts to save those species, she said. Creating a list of seal faces and using machine learning to identify them can also help scientists know where in the ocean seals are, Ingram said. She said, “For marine mammals that move around a lot and are hard to photograph in the water, we need to be able to identify individuals. ”
SealNet is designed to identify the face in a picture. It recognizes the seal’s face based on information related to the eyes and nose shape, as it would a human. A similar tool called PrimNet, which is for use on primates(灵长类), had been used on seals earlier, but SealNet performed better, the Colgate researchers said. Seals and other ocean mammals have long been studied using satellite technology. Using artificial intelligence to study them is a way to bring conservation into the 21st century.
Facial recognition technology could provide valuable data, said Michelle Berger, an associate scientist at the Shaw Institute in Maine. Berger was not involved in the SealNet research. “Once the system is perfected I can picture lots of interesting environmental uses for it”, Berger said. “If they could recognize seals, and recognize them from year to year, that would give us lots of information about movement, how much they move from site to site. ”
1. How can the researchers benefit other scientists from the database?| A．By expanding their database. | B．By improving its accuracy. |
| C．By getting closer to seals. | D．By using more machines. |
| A．They always live in large groups. | B．They can’t adapt to new equipment. |
| C．They all have similar eyes and noses. | D．They often change their locations. |
| A．It’s really perfect. | B．It’s unreliable. | C．It’s of great benefit. | D．It’s very interesting. |
| A．New Technology to Protect Ocean Animals |
| B．Scientists Use Facial Recognition to Study Seals |
| C．A New System Taking More Pictures of Seals |
| D．Facial Recognition is Used to Preserve Ocean |
7 . She can’t vole, but she has the volte of confidence of young climate activists across the globe. Meet Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old architect of “School Strike for the Climate” .
At age 12, the Swede gave up meat and flying to reduce her carbon footprint. But the real trigger came when Sweden was hit by heat waves in 2018. Thunberg started skipping classes on Fridays to strike outside the Swedish parliament. Thanks to social media, her actions have spread and influenced millions of young people all over the world to organize and protest.
And look! Thunberg became the poster child of climate action. She addressed the 2018 UN climate conference and this year’s World Economic Forum. Encouraged by Thunberg, 1. 4 million students across 125 countries took to the streets in the first Global Climate Strike for Future on March 15. Thunberg was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in March 2019, and a few months later she became the youngest individual ever to be honored as Time’s Person of the Year.
Then she entered the spotlight again. Invited to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City, which took place in September 2019, Thunberg traveled across the Atlantic on a zero-carbon sailing boat, accompanied by her father and a supporting crew.
She said at the UN Climate Action Summit:“For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you’re doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight …You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you. ”
Nevertheless, Thunberg has her share of critics too. The objectors attack her for what she has done, calling her a “weirdo” and regard the Greta Thunberg effect as a useless fantasy.
1. What does the underlined word “trigger” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Breakthrough. | B．Cause. | C．Intention. | D．Solution. |
| A．Her popularity. | B．Her future plan. |
| C．Her speeches. | D．Her achievements. |
| A．The science is still not clear about climate. |
| B．Great progress has been made in politics and solutions. |
| C．She is not satisfied with the measures that the government took. |
| D．Future generations haven’t achieved much and failed the government. |
| A．Responsible and ambitious. | B．Selfless and generous. |
| C．Easy-going and creative. | D．Considerate and cautious. |
8 . King Canute couldn’t stop the ocean’s tide from rolling in — can Africa hold back the desert?That’s certainly what the continent is tying to do with its proposed “Great Green Wall”, 800km (almost 500 miles) worth of trees that officials hope will stop the advancement of the Sahara Desert, which has been rapidly expanding southward.
The idea was introduced in the 1970s when the once-rich region turned barren (贫瘠的) due to climate change and intensive land use. But it’s not a new idea; China has its own desert vegetation project to hold back the Gobi Desert! Thanks to the Chinese plan, the African project aims to plant 100 million hectares of trees by 2030 across the entire Africa. The initiative is a decade in, and around 15% completed, and there have already been benefits for many communities and wildlife. It’s bringing life back to the continent’s degraded landscapes at an unprecedented scale, providing not only food security and jobs but a reason to stay for the millions who live along its path.
The creators of the wall hope it will bring an urgently needed solution to the threats facing the African continent, creating 10 million jobs in rural areas, as well as preventing 250 million tons of carbon. The initiative is Africa-driven, which for those on the continent, is vital, and may hold the key to success. “The Great Green Wall…is about ownership, and that has been the failure of development aid because people were never identified with it,” said Elvis Paul Tangam, African Union Commissioner for the Sahara and Sahel Great Green Wall Initiative.“But this time they identify. This is the very thing of us!”
The wall may seem like a moonshot, but all the best ideas usually are. As Thomas Sankara, former president of Burkina Faso said in 1985, “You can not carry out fundamental change without a certain degree of madness. The courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future.”
1. What does Africa’s “Great Green Wall” aim for?| A．Offering more jobs for locals. | B．Stopping the expansion of desert. |
| C．Creating a harmonious society. | D．Improving African landscapes. |
| A．From their practices of planting trees. | B．From the process of stopping flooding. |
| C．From China’s success in desert control. | D．From Africans’ wisdom and hard work. |
| A．African Unions. | B．All advocates. | C．Land owners. | D．All Africans. |
| A．Daring. | B．Effortless. | C．Critical. | D．Doubtful. |
9 . Your morning coffee could be used to make a pair of sneakers, a Finnish startup says. Rens can make new shoes from old coffee, cutting back on waste in terms of space in landfills and methane (甲烷) emissions.
5, 000 supporters promised to invest over $500, 000 to see the sneakers come to life. Up to 21 cups of coffee and 6 recycled plastic bottles are used in each pair of shoes. The sneakers come in 9 different colors and are waterproof and super comfortable. In addition, the sneakers can absorb a peculiar smell, and they are designed to be taken off and put on easily.
Jesse Tran, the co-founder of Rens, wanted to do something to help reduce people’s carbon “footprint”, while offering a pair of everyday shoes that is functional and fashion-forward. “With the improvement of environmental awareness, the knowledge of the circular economy is also increasing. Shoes made from recycled coffee pieces may seem novel to some people, but we wholeheartedly believe that this is just the beginning of a revolution in the clothing technology and manufacturing industry,” said Tran.
So far, 250, 000 water bottles and 750, 000 cups of coffee have been turned into these shoes. The small coffee solid pieces are combined in a low-heat environment with recycled plastic to create a coffee yarn in the upper section of the shoes, while recycled plastic is made into the other parts, and the tree sap (液) that biodegrades (降解) creates the outer sole (鞋底).
While the price is as high as $119 on Amazon, they offer free delivery everywhere, a l-year guarantee on the waterproofing technology, and a 30-day money-back guarantee as well.
1. What is the advantage of the sneakers made from coffee?| A．Easy to wash. |
| B．Able to afford. |
| C．Comfortable to wear. |
| D．Hard to damage. |
| A．Action must be taken for environmental protection. |
| B．Manufacturing industries are promising in recycling. |
| C．Shoes made from recycled coffee is out of date. |
| D．The circular economy is unfamiliar lo the public. |
| A．The small coffee pieces. |
| B．The combined coffee yarn. |
| C．The recycled water bottles. |
| D．The biodegraded tree sap. |
| A．Shoes Made in a Green Way |
| B．Coffee Recycled in a Creative Way |
| C．The Revolution of Manufacturing Industry |
| D．The Improvement of Environmental Awareness |
10 . My love for animals began through watching wildlife documentaries when I was a kid. I went on to
I was very lucky to
We are sill a city in love with
With the marine ecosystem already
| A．appreciate | B．choose | C．study | D．observe |
| A．interested | B．skilled | C．careful | D．experienced |
| A．swore | B．realized | C．witnessed | D．admitted |
| A．meet | B．help | C．accompany | D．obey |
| A．looking into | B．leaving for | C．working for | D．setting up |
| A．reforming | B．promoting | C．changing | D．assessing |
| A．response | B．memory | C．concern | D．worry |
| A．funds | B．forms | C．levels | D．gaps |
| A．understand | B．consider | C．inform | D．announce |
| A．ask | B．hear | C．accept | D．offer |
| A．cautious | B．private | C．efficient | D．admirable |
| A．wildlife | B．seafood | C．trade | D．health |
| A．distribution | B．consumption | C．occupation | D．donation |
| A．hardly | B．simply | C．exactly | D．fully |
| A．adopted | B．rejected | C．processed | D．threatened |
| A．reliable | B．hopeless | C．fragile | D．promising |
| A．unique | B．significant | C．useless | D．conservative |
| A．solution | B．conclusion | C．procedure | D．development |
| A．votes | B．sorts | C．plays | D．limits |
| A．profits | B．connection | C．mistakes | D．progress |
