1 . Whether due to genuine concern for the environment or the widespread criticism of plastic among consumers, many companies have invested heavily in reducing their use of plastic packaging, which may indeed have a positive environmental impact. But another trend that’s grown out of the anti-plastic movement is a lot less positive: overpackaging. More and more brands have begun adding unnecessary paper packaging on top of plastic packaging in order to make their products look more environmentally friendly, without actually reducing plastic waste.
Unfortunately, there’s a very good reason companies are adopting this clearly problematic approach. Through a series of eight studies with more than 4,000 participants, we found that consumers will accept a product’s packaging as more environmentally friendly if it’s plastic with an additional layer of paper than if the product is visibly packaged in identical plastic packaging but without the paper. These perceptions (认知) in turn make consumers both more likely to buy a product, and willing to pay more for it.
Part of what makes this overpackaging trend particularly harmful is that it is much valued by consumers who reported engaging in more eco-friendly behaviors. They were more likely to view overpackaged products as environmentally friendly. As a result, the very consumers who are most interested in pushing companies to make sustainable choices are likely unintentionally encouraging the environmentally harmful practice of overpackaging.
The good news is, overpackaging isn’t the only way to signal sustainability and attract such consumers. In our studies, we found that instead of additional paper packaging, simply adding a minimal packaging sticker to plastic packaging could clarify the misperception that overpackaged products are more sustainable, Especially for products for which plastic is necessary to ensure safe transportation and lengthen shelf life, this kind of clear messaging can help reduce consumers, discrimination against the responsible use of plastic packaging.
Of course, minimal packaging stickers certainly should only be used if a brand has actually ensured that it is using the minimal possible packaging, ideally under the supervision of a trade organization or regulatory body that maintains clear, consistent standards.
1. What can we learn about overpackaging according to paragraph 1?| A．It calls for less investment. |
| B．It involves the proper use of paper. |
| C．It has a positive environmental impact. |
| D．It causes over-consumption of materials. |
| A．They care about the environment. |
| B．They are always following the trend. |
| C．They like comparing products’ qualities. |
| D．They prefer beautifully-decorated products. |
| A．To help products stay fresh longer. |
| B．To improve the brand’s popularity. |
| C．To correct consumers’ misunderstanding. |
| D．To present more information about products. |
| A．Minimal packaging stickers have been widely used. |
| B．Advantages of minimal packaging stickers are overestimated. |
| C．The use of minimal packaging stickers should be strictly regulated. |
| D．The use of minimal packaging stickers is a solution to over-packaging. |
2 . An adult African elephant consumes about 223 liters of water and 3,080 pounds of roots, grass and fruit daily. That’s like having 634 cans of soda and 1,200 hamburgers every day. This keeps them moving thousands of miles across Africa each year. Elephants usually migrate between March and May. Females live in groups with their children, and quickly run out of the food supply. They hit the road in search of food. Male elephants live alone, so they don’t use resources as quickly as the females. Instead, they migrate during their mating cycle. When the females pack their trunks, so do the males.
During migration, elephants face short water supplies and extremely high temperatures. But people are their number-one problem. Poachers (偷猎者) kill 35,000 elephants each year for ivory. Many African farmers build fences (栅栏) to protect crops and cattle, which might block regular migration paths. Traffic roads affect elephant migration, too. During one study of 28 elephants in Central Africa, only one female crossed an unprotected road.
Scientists, wildlife organizations and governments cooperate to find solutions for Africa’s elephants. “To unlock the secret of where elephants move and how they move, we place collars (项圈) with a satellite unit inside,” Dr. Michael Chase says. GPS collars help map which routes elephants use most so that countries can establish protected elephant passages.
Locals come in as well. James Isiche, East Africa Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare says, “We have got the community on our side by a project; they’ve agreed to partner with us to conserve elephants.” The local community run wildlife parks to attract tourists. “This project helps us take care of both the wildlife and our cows,” says Sikira, a tribal elder in Maasai, Kenya. Protecting elephant migration routes allows these gentle giants to survive.
1. What can we learn about the elephants from paragraph 1?| A．They show an interest in hamburgers. |
| B．They move south to survive the cold. |
| C．They migrate for different reasons. |
| D．Females live shorter for food shortage. |
| A．Results of poaching. | B．Reasons for killing elephants. |
| C．Difficulties in migrating. | D．Efforts to protect migration paths. |
| A．To discover the secret of migration. |
| B．To track elephants with technology. |
| C．To identify the population of elephants. |
| D．To explore a new route for migration. |
| A．Say No to Ivory | B．A Journey in Africa |
| C．Ready for the Move | D．Technology in Migration |
3 . An impressive invention made by a 17-year-old teenager, called Anna Du, is helping to clean up small pieces of plastic from the ocean.
While walking along her local beaches in Massachusetts, the young student began collecting waste plastic bags and bottles. But what she noticed was a large number of tiny pieces of plastic or microplastics that were impossible to pick up. At just 12 years old, Du set out to solve the problem. After testing a few prototypes(原型)in her backyard, she invented a remotely operated vehicle that uses the infrared camera(红外摄像机)to detect microplastics on the ocean floor. More recently, Du has also created a simulation(模拟)model that uses artificial intelligence to predict where microplastics are located.
Du’s robot invention has earned her awards at top science fairs in the US, and she’s now a nationally recognized advocate for microplastic awareness and pollution prevention. “When I first started doing science fairs, I had no idea that a young girl without lots of money and just a little advanced engineering knowledge could make a difference in the world. I’ve learned that I truly love working on a problem that’s so much larger than me,” Du said.
Du has also released a new book to help spread the word not only about the dangers of microplastics but also about the ways to relieve the problem. Titled Microplastics &Me, the book follows Du’s own story of how she went from worrying about the environment to designing award-winning solutions. Writing for kids her own age, the young girl alerts her readers to the threat of microplastic pollution and urges them to care about the environment. The book hopes to encourage young students to get into science, technology, engineering and math(STEM)subjects and to inspire a new generation of inventors and engineers. What’s more, Du has even raised more than $7,000 to distribute the book free to kids and libraries in high-need communities.
1. What inspired Du to make the invention?| A．There was too much rubbish along the beaches. | B．The plastics were too small to collect by hand. |
| C．The sea was polluted seriously. | D．She was interested in AI. |
| A．She has a spirit of challenge. | B．She is too poor to make a difference. |
| C．She doesn’t study hard in engineering. | D．She wins international recognition. |
| A．Innovation. | B．Voice. | C．Culture. | D．Art. |
| A．To inspire readers to share their stories. |
| B．To raise the awareness of microplastics pollution. |
| C．To encourage high schools to offer STEM subjects. |
| D．To collect money for kids in high-need communities. |
4 . Washing machines are one of the greatest inventions of the last few centuries.They have made life easier. Unfortunately, washing machines also contribute to the environmental issues of energy use and micro-plastics flowing into the oceans. That is why the washing machine manufacturer (制造商), Samsung, and the outdoor-wear company, Patagonia, are working together to make a change.
For Patagonia, the issue of micro-plastics has been on its mind for years — its woolen jackets release many microfibers. As for Samsung, new requirements throughout the world have forced many producers to start thinking about ways to help reduce the number of micro-plastics. There are currently more than 14 million tons of micro-plastics floating in the oceans. Though people previously think of things such as plastic bottles and fishing lines when it comes to plastics in the ocean, thousands of micro-plastics are released into seas with every wash.
The issue is a sort of catch-22. In order to reduce energy costs, manufacturers try to make their machines more efficient. These machines use hotter water and are designed to create more friction (摩擦) between the clothing in the machine. However, both of these things lead to the release of more micro-plastics. So, using Patagonia clothes as test cases, Samsung came up with a two-fold solution: One is a technology called Eco-bubbles, which creates more bubbles to make the detergent (洗涤剂) more powerful, and the other is a water purifier that can filter (过滤) out more micro-plastics.
The cooperation between the two companies is proof of how complicated protecting the environment can be. On the one hand, clothing that is well-constructed and durable is a weapon in the fight against fast fashion. On the other hand, the material used to make those clothes and the way they are washed can also add pollutants to the environment.The same goes for washing machines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The fight against climate change requires creative thinking and learning how to attack a problem from many angles. This will certainly lead to even more strange and fruitful cooperation between the environmentally conscious companies.
1. What is Samsung’s purpose in partnering the outdoor clothing company?| A．To limit the use of micro-plastics. |
| B．To solve the issue of energy waste. |
| C．To find a solution to micro-plastic pollution. |
| D．To produce high-efficiency washing machines. |
| A．A tricky situation. | B．A questionable fact. |
| C．A possible dream. | D．A practical method. |
| A．Using hotter water. |
| B．Creating more friction. |
| C．Using powerful detergents. |
| D．Adding a water purifier to washing machines. |
| A．The difficulty in fighting against fast fashion. |
| B．The complexity of environment conservation. |
| C．The influence of humans’ active action. |
| D．The importance of creative thinking. |
5 . Re-purposing diapers to make building materials would reduce the amount of garbage that goes to a landfill. It could also make homes more affordable. Maybe giving used diapers a new use could help tackle both problems.
Building material—especially those that are used for strengthening structures — are often expensive. They’re often the biggest hurdle to making homes affordable. So researchers have previously investigated unusual materials that could save costs. These materials included many that would otherwise pile up as waste, such as fly ash.
“There is a big need in developing countries such as the Southeast Asian nation, Indonesia. There, demand for low-cost housing outstrips what’s available. The number of people in Indonesia’s cities has climbed by about 4 percent per year in the last 30 years. By 2025, more than two-thirds of Indonesians are expected to live in urban areas. Indonesia’s population boom is intensifying the demand for housing,” says Siswanti Zuraida, an environmental engineer in Indonesia.
“Despite the need for more affordable housing, there are significant problems that stand in the way of adopting diapers,” Zuraida says. Used diapers contain wood pulp, cotton and plastic, which are potentially useful building materials. Diapers plastic components would have to be separated from the organic fibers, a complicated recycling process currently available only in developed nations. And Indonesia’s building regulations restrict together-materials to bricks, wood, steel and concrete (which is used to hold bricks together) — materials that also bear a high cost in terms of carbon emissions.
But reusing diapers might not be that environmentally friendly, especially on a large scale. “It’s tricky to separate dirty diapers from waste and disinfect them. So it would take a lot of energy to recycle diapers. It’s maybe worthwhile to start thinking about ways to replace single-use diapers with something less frequently thrown away,” says Christof Schrofl, a chemist who works at Technische Universität Dresden in Germany.
1. Which statement describes the idea of re-purposing diapers best?| A．No pains, no gains. | B．Waste not, want not. |
| C．Kill two birds with one stone. | D．Great minds think alike. |
| A．Phase | B．Barrier. | C．Goal. | D．Advantage. |
| A．It is illegal to use diapers as building material in Indonesia. |
| B．Making building materials has little effect on climate warming. |
| C．The plastic components in diapers can make buildings stronger. |
| D．Developed countries have difficulty separating organic fibers on diapers. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Supportive. | C．Admiring. | D．Objective. |
6 . Johannes Fritz, an Austrian biologist, needed to come up with a plan again if he was going to prevent his rare and beloved birds from going extinct.
To survive the European winter, the northern bald ibis needs to migrate south for the winter over the Alps. But shifting climate patterns have delayed when the birds begin to migrate and they are now reaching the mountains too late to make it over the peaks, locking them in an icy death trap. Determined to save them, he decided to teach the birds a new, safer migration route by guiding them himself in a tiny aircraft. He was confident that he could succeed in this daring, unconventional plan.
Some 400 years ago, the Europeans hunted these birds without stopping and devoured the last in the wild, causing the birds to disappear entirely from the wild. When Mr. Fritz was born 56 years ago, the northern bald ibis could be found in Europe only in captivity (圈养).
Mr.Fritz has spent his career reintroducing the birds into the wild. Through years of trial and error, he learned to fly like a bird. He modified (改装) a lightweight aircraft so it would fly at speeds slow enough for the birds to keep up. In 2004, he led the first flock from Austria to Italy, and has since led more migrations. But the route he originally taught the ibises does not work successfully. With climate change warming the area where the birds summer, they now start their migration at the end of October instead of the end of September. The trip is expected to take about six weeks, “Still, we’re optimistic that it’ll work,” said Mr. Fritz.
His family and colleagues witnessed the risks he was taking. “But the unavoidable risks are necessary,” Mr. Fritz said. “It’s not so much a job, but my life’s purpose.”
1. What was Johannes Fritz’s plan?| A．To shorten bald ibises’ migration route. |
| B．To lead bald ibises to migrate on a new route. |
| C．To better the climate patterns for bald ibises. |
| D．To find out a safer destination for bald ibises. |
| A．Destroyed. | B．Abused. | C．Released. | D．Raised. |
| A．Owing to the long time it consumes. |
| B．For the slow speed of his modified aircraft. |
| C．Because of the toughness along the first route. |
| D．Due to higher temperatures in the summer habitat. |
| A．Honest. | B．Innovative. | C．Straightforward. | D．Demanding. |
7 . People flood into cities for understandable reasons: more job opportunities, more cultural diversity and larger communities. Yet living in a concrete-walled, green-poor, urban environment takes away from our-very essence our fundamental need to be close to nature. We can’t quite break the link with our evolutionary (进化的) past and part ways with our origins. Surrounding ourselves with walls and ‘screens, we tend to pay a price, often with our health and quality of life.
In Japan, a populous country with vast expanses of green forests, an ancient tradition, known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, tries to balance out the pressure from urban living. It’s the practice of spending prolonged periods of time with trees to gain from their many health benefits. In a book hitting shelves this month, Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness, Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, introduces readers to the valuable practice of forest bathing. The book features more than 100 color photographs of forests around the world. One may reject this kind of book as yet less convincing, but the point is that Li has not just practiced forest bathing, but has also studied its impact on people’s health through numerous scientific studies. He has data to support his claims, collected in a long list of expert-reviewed articles at the end of the book.
The book lists studies that consistently show-a substantial, reduction of stress hormones (应激激素). Essential tree oils found in forest air increase energy levels by more than 30 percent and improve a general state of well-being, including improvement in sleep.
Scientific results apart, the, concept of forest bathing shouldn’t be so surprising. Who hasn’t felt an inner sense of well-being when walking along a quiet forest path? Stepping into a forest, away from the artificial sounds and smells of urban life, does feel like pushing a life reset button, reestablishing a connection with our deepest needs.
To celebrate this wonderful book and. what seems to be a rediscovery of forest bathing in our life, I’m going to go now—to take: my forest bath.
1. What is stressed in paragraph 1?| A．The harm of electronics. |
| B．The downside of city life. |
| C．The consequences of lack of workout. |
| D．The reasons for pursuit of urban living. |
| A．Promoting a lifestyle. |
| B．Presenting research results. |
| C．Stating the significance of walks. |
| D．Appealing for forest conservation. |
| A．One-sided. | B．Sharply worded. |
| C．Evidence-based. | D．Widely recognized. |
| A．Through clinical cases. |
| B．Through practical experience. |
| C．Through official statistics. |
| D．Through Japanese experts’ studies. |
8 . A compost (堆肥) program at the Wesley School in Los Angeles is helping kindergarten through eighth grade students to teach them ways to solve human-driven climate change. For the past year, 5, 200 pounds of food waste from the school has gone into compost containers rather than a landfill where it would just break down and produce planet-warming gases.
The school workers could have easily thrown the food waste into a city-provided green bin (垃圾箱) . But taking it out of sight, which would have been easier, would have missed the point, says science teacher Johnna Hampton. “When it’s invisible like that, they don’t see it, but they know it doesn’t sink in (心安) .”
When sixth grader Finn saw the finished compost pile, it sank in. “That’s my orange chicken in there,” he says. “That’s not just like any food. Somewhere in there is my food.”
The school will use the compost on plants around campus. Some will be offered to families that want to use it at home, and whatever is left will be donated.
Fifth grader Sloan felt so encouraged by the school’s compost program she decided to take climate action outside of school. Along with several other fifth graders, Sloane says, “We did a lemonade stand at our friend’s house and we made over $200, and we donated it.” They also helped create a petition (请愿) to replace the plastic forks and spoons in the school cafeteria with compostable ones.
Fifth grader Kingston was excited to learn his food waste will help grow new food on campus. “It feels good that you’re doing something that helps the planet, instead of just sitting and watching it get destroyed,” he says.
Jennifer Silverstein, an expert on climate, says the school’s compost program checks a lot of the boxes for effective, positive climate education to help youth understand the crisis of human-caused climate change.
1. What is the purpose of the compost program?| A．To prevent wasting food. | B．To deal with climate change. |
| C．To raise money for the school. | D．To keep friendship among kids. |
| A．By selling to families as compost. | B．By putting into compost containers. |
| C．By turning into new food again. | D．By throwing into dustbins. |
| A．She has taken climate action. | B．She has gained a sense of achievement. |
| C．She has got a part-time job in the school. | D．She has developed a new way to donate. |
| A．It is well received. | B．It is highly profitable. |
| C．It needs to be more effective. | D．It takes time to watch the result. |
9 . The candy we eat, the tea we drink, the lotion we use---they all likely contain ingredients from wild plants. While natural ingredients can be beneficial to buyers, the way those plants are harvested could harm ecosystems. In a recent United Nations report, medicinal plant experts revealed the risks behind several of them, including Brazil nuts, frankincense, goldenseal, gum arabic, and licorice.
Plant derivatives （衍生物） in household products “sit there somewhere in the middle of the ingredients list” on product labels, often going unnoticed, says Caitlin Schindler, lead author of the report. Even if consumers do take note, there’s no information about what’s involved in obtaining or processing the derivatives.
Many of these plants are threatened with extinction from overharvesting, disease and pests, climate change, and habitat loss. The endangered state of more than 20,000 medicinal plant species has never been assessed, which means it’s impossible to know whether their use is sustainable.
Meanwhile, the trade in wild plants is booming. U. S. consumers spent more than $12.3 billion on herbal dietary supplements in 2021---up more than 9 percent from 2020. Wild plants have been used locally for centuries, but today’s global demand puts many at risk. And international customers often have no idea where these products originate.
Should consumers stop buying the products? No. Schindler says, because “the ingredients are really critical to a lot of people’s livelihoods.” Solutions for transforming the trade in wild plants are rooted in awareness. The first step for consumers is to “just notice that you’re buying something that has a wild ingredient,” she says. It’s generally safer to purchase local products and splurge on more expensive ones, if possible.
Consumers can also look for organic and fair-trade certifications. Various programs evaluate wild-plant supply chains for sustainability, and many companies advertise these certifications, either on the product or online. One of the most prominent is Fair Wild, which assesses environmental risks and recommends best sourcing practices. If certifications are missing, Schindler encourages people to challenge companies to do better. “Until businesses get a bit more pressure from consumers, we won’t see any changes happening,” she says.
1. What can we learn about wild plants according to the report?| A．Their current situation is ignored. | B．They are limited on a global scale. |
| C．They have been evaluated regularly. | D．Their process information is on the label. |
| A．Get rid of. | B．Spend much money on. |
| C．Pay attention to. | D．Conduct many experiments on. |
| A．They confirm the quality of the wild plants. |
| B．They offer consumers rights to assess the products. |
| C．They ensure the use of wild plants at a steady level. |
| D．They inspire companies to make more advertisements. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
10 . David and Alicia Tschirhart adored their Yellow Lab, Marley, but they never knew just how much, until that day back in 2014 when they were hiking with him in hills near their San Diego home.
“Alicia went off the path to grab a walking stick to help through the path,” David recalled. “And Marley all of a sudden darted (猛冲) from me and he started clawing the ground where Alicia was reaching for a walking stick. And I didn’t know what was happening. Alicia kind of fell back. When I looked more closely, I saw that it was a rattlesnake,” he told journalist Tracy Smith.
Rattlesnakes are common on these trails, which are very steep and miles from any hospital. And the Tschirharts didn’t have cellphones with them. For Alicia, who was four months pregnant, a snake bite could have been a disaster. Thankfully, 12-year-old Marley scared the snake away, and a few months later, the Tschirharts’ first daughter Maddie was born.
But by then, Marley had been diagnosed with cancer, and by Thanksgiving weekend 2014, it was clear the end was near. And their love for Marley was so strong that they couldn’t really let it go. So, the Tschirharts turned to ViaGen Pets, of Austin, Texas, a company that has cloned hundreds of pets for a multitude of grateful owners.
For as much as $50,000, the company will culture the cells, create embryos, implant them in a surrogate (代孕母亲), and deliver a clone of your loved one.
Marley’s clone, Ziggy, an energetic yellow ball. But to David and Alicia, he’s nothing less than Marley reborn. “He is exactly the twin of Marley,” said David. “So, he’s in, I guess, the same environment. So really, he’s become the same dog.”
And while pet cloning is still debatable, it can mean, for some at least, that with the right amount of love, science and money, you never really need to say goodbye.
1. Why did Marley suddenly behave that way during the hike?| A．It wanted to have some fun. | B．It wasn’t normal sometimes. |
| C．It detected danger for its owner. | D．It found a better stick for its owner. |
| A．The couple just have one daughter now. | B．The couple were very grateful to the dog. |
| C．The couple don’t like using a cellphone. | D．The couple were very careless sometimes. |
| A．Save it no matter how hard it is. | B．Find its surrogate for them to meet. |
| C．Let it die without suffering any pain. | D．Clone a dog through new technology. |
| A．They find it very satisfying to them. | B．They consider it a totally new dog. |
| C．They are quite concerned about it. | D．They don’t think it’s as good as Marley. |
