1 . New Zealand plans to put a price on sheep and cow burps (打嗝) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放). If the plan is passed, New Zealand will become the first country to tax (征税) farmers on each burp of their cattle, since the burps give out methane (甲烷) into the atmosphere.
“There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that,” Climate Change Minister James Shaw said.
Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of global warming. It is reportedly responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s emissions. Moreover, cows are by far the biggest contributors. This is so because they produce 40% of global methane when they burp, fart (放屁) and produce waste. Also, methane is 80 times more warming than CO2 although it’s shorter-lived in the atmosphere.
New Zealand, which has a population of five million people, has around 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep. “Almost half the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane,” the draft plan explained.
The “burp tax” is expected to take effect in 2025. Mr. Shaw wants farming to be more environmentally friendly. He also wants farmers to change the way they farm. He wants them to feed their animals on seaweed instead of grass. This will produce fewer emissions. Mr. Shaw also said farmers can reduce the tax they pay by planting more trees. Another suggestion is for cows to wear special masks.
New Zealand’s farmers support the government. They want to do their bit to help the environment.
1. Why will cattle’s burps be taxed?| A．To raise more money. | B．To feed more cattle. |
| C．To limit cattle’s price. | D．To better the environment. |
| A．Its cows produce 40% of global methane. |
| B．Its agriculture affects greenhouse gas emissions. |
| C．It is responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s emissions. |
| D．There is 80 times more methane than CO2. |
| A．Plant more trees. | B．Correct their way to farm. |
| C．Feed their animals on grass. | D．Wear special masks when farming. |
| A．New Zealand reducing greenhouse gas emissions |
| B．New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions and animal farming |
| C．New Zealand introducing a new tax to help the environment |
| D．New Zealand’s farmers joining in the fight against climate change |
2 . The planet is in trouble, and a gas-car ban just might help. But how will it affect you? Cars are not small investments. They make a big impact on our wallets — but also on the environment. That’s why when California announced a gas-car ban in August arid other states suggested they’d follow suit, there was a mixed response. Sure, reducing our use of gas by choosing more eco-friendly cars could slow climate change and help everyone live more sustainably, not to mention save money on gas in the long run. But what would happen to people’s cars? Would they have to buy an expensive new electric vehicle right now?
Well, let’s set a few things straight first: This isn’t a full-on ban. People living in or visiting California will still be able to drive gas cars, as well as buy and register used internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles, well after the law takes effect. But in a little over a decade, residents will not be allowed to register new gas-burning cars. It will take more than a decade for the ban to take effect fully — 2035, to be exact.
Why is California banning gas cars? It’s all about the environment. More than half of California’s carbon pollution comes from the transportation sector, and eliminating ICE vehicles is a critical first step in, addressing the climate crisis. California has seen the impact of climate change firsthand in the form of natural disasters such as floods, mudslides, record-breaking droughts and extreme wildfires — all of which have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years.
However, new rules and laws can be fearsome, and hard to carry out at first. For example, electric vehicles (EVs) also don’t get as many miles per charge, making them difficult for long-distance trips and states with few charging stations. Related to that, the country needs more public charging stations. But, of course, the biggest barrier to more people getting excited about electric vehicles is price, which is currently higher than traditional vehicles due to their expensive batteries.
Still, Rauch is hopeful. “As someone who is focused on the health benefits of reducing pollution, I see the benefits as vastly outweighing the challenges,” she says. “At the end of the day, who doesn’t want their children and grandchildren to breathe clean air?”
1. What’s people’s attitude towards the gas-car ban?| A．They were totally in different to it. |
| B．They held mixed opinions towards it. |
| C．They had a flood of complaints about it. |
| D．They thought highly of it and welcomed it. |
| A．To deal with the severe transportation problem. |
| B．To prevent natural disasters from happening. |
| C．To follow the example of other states with gas-car ban. |
| D．To ease the influence of serious climate change. |
| A．Limited miles per charge. | B．Limited charging stations. |
| C．Higher prices at present. | D．More carbon pollution. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A textbook. | C．A biography. | D．A research report. |
3 . The Okapi Wildlife Reserve, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to one-sixth of the remaining wild okapi in the world. It protects many other wildlife species as well as one-fifth of the Ituri forest. But despite its status, the reserve is under threat from human activities.
Mining, deforestation (森林破坏), and illegal hunting are all threatening the reserve, and criminals have murdered several people, including forest guards, since 2012. Forest loss is expanding rapidly. In 2020, the most deforestation in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve since records began in 2002 was recorded via satellite data. Since 2002, the area has lost about 7% of its total forest cover. Most recently, satellite data shows deforestation along the Ituri River in late 2021, likely from illegal gold mining.
“Miners are actually eating the reserve out of its wildlife by hunting animals for food. There is almost no wildlife left around the mine itself, and wildlife numbers are greatly reduced around mining towns,” said John Lukas, co-founder of the Okapi Conservation Project.
Protecting the reserve is important for the endangered okapi and other wildlife that call the region home, but preserving the area’s forests is of particular significance in dealing with climate change.
“The forests of Congo, more than forests in the Amazon and in Asia, store carbon even in times of drought and rising temperatures,” explained Lukas. “Preserving the forests not only provides habitats for okapi, elephants and chimpanzees but gives humans time to adjust our source of energy to be more sustainable and carbon neutral (碳中和). Hopefully the Western world will financially support the countries of the Congo basin to value their forests as sources of life and not just a kind of goods to be sold.”
1. What happened to the forests in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve?| A．Forest guards hunting. |
| B．Mining via satellites. |
| C．About 7% forest loss in 21 years. |
| D．One-fifth of wild animals leaving. |
| A．Because of being killed for food. |
| B．Because of the high temperature. |
| C．Because of no habitat. |
| D．Because of the deadly diseases. |
| A．Gold mines are in the forests. |
| B．The forests affect climate. |
| C．The forests are home to wild species. |
| D．A good life can be led by selling trees. |
| A．Current situation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve |
| B．Gold mines found in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve |
| C．Protecting the wildlife in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve |
| D．Endangered Okapi reserve threatened by human activities |
4 . A change to organic dairy farming around the nature reserves could significantly reduce damage done to the areas by nitrogen produced by solid waste from cows, according to a research.
Concentrated animal farming near Natura 2000 areas was banned in 2002. However, 800 farms still remain in the outer edge of these protected areas, some of which are particularly damaging to the environment.
Researchers looked at 34 organic farms to see how organic farming practices compared with those large-scale factory farms. They found that cows at organic farms produced 22% less nitrogen in their waste, while the amount of emissions per hectare(公顷)was 53% lower.
“The reason why organic farming is less polluting is that farms generally have fewer cows and don’t use fertilizer,” said researchers. Organic cows are also put out to grassland more often and aren’t given concentrates(精饲料)to the same degree, which also limits emissions.
While organic dairy farms would make a good protective barrier against nitrogen around the nature reserves, this doesn’t hold true for organic chicken and pig farms, the research showed.
“Despite the good it would do, not many dairy farmers are likely to make the change,” researcher Gerard Migchels said. “The organic sector is currently relatively small. Growth is only possible if there is enough market demand. That would make it possible to come to a realistic price for organic milk,” he said.
In 2019, some 40,000 cows in the Netherlands were farmed organically, accounting for just 1% of the Dutch herd of 3.8 million.
According to a government report, 46% of nitrogen compound(复合物)pollution around nature reserves is down to agriculture, to which dairy farming contributes 60%. The new law on nitrogen emissions aims to reduce pollution by 40% by 2025 and 74% by 2035.
1. What can we infer about organic dairy farming around nature reserves from the text?| A．It helps dairy farmers collect nitrogen. | B．It is relatively environmentally friendly. |
| C．It has replaced traditional dairy farming. | D．It saves dairy farmers a great deal of trouble. |
| A．They eat less grass. | B．They are often larger in size. |
| C．Their waste contains less nitrogen. | D．Their waste can also serve as fertilizer. |
| A．Rather hopeless. | B．Fairly content. |
| C．Particularly surprised. | D．Kind of sad. |
| A．To introduce the benefit of organic dairy farming. |
| B．To compare different types of farming practices. |
| C．To seek financial support for organic dairy farming. |
| D．To encourage people to drink more organic milk. |
5 . The world’s first named heat wave hit Seville, Spain, pushing temperatures past 110 degrees Fahrenheit and earning the most severe tier (级别) in the city’s new heat wave ranking system. Heat wave “Zoe” has brought burning temperatures to the southern part of the country for the last few days, particularly the area where Seville is located.
Zoe is the first named heat wave to hit Seville since it officially used a new system last month to name and rank heat waves, similar to hurricanes (Climatewire, June 22). Only the most severe heat waves get names, named this year in reverse (颠倒的) alphabetical order. After Zoe come Yago, Xenia, Wenceslao and Vega. The worst of the heat is expected to begin tapering off (减弱) today, but it has already posed a significant risk to human health.
Seville’s new ranking system takes a three-tiered approach to categorizing heat waves, with Category 1 as the lowest ranking and Category 3 as the most severe. The system has specific criteria for each category, involving not only daytime temperatures, but also nighttime lows, humidity and the heat’s expected effects on human health.
Spain has been struggling with extreme temperatures for much of the summer already. High heat broke local records around the country last month, and the first two weeks of June were the hottest on record in the country. Across the continent, this year was Europe’s second hottest June on record. Extreme heat returned again earlier this month. Cities across Spain broke monthly temperature records and wildfires broke out on the landscape.
Climate change is causing heat waves to become more frequent, more severe and longer-lasting all over the world, increasing the risks to human health. Seville’s new naming and ranking system is intended to raise public awareness about the dangers of extreme heat.
1. What can we know about Zoe?| A．It’s the most severe heat wave in the world. | B．Its power is similar to the hurricane on June 22. |
| C．It has had a negative influence on human health. | D．It’s the first heat wave hitting Seville, Spain. |
| A．The effect of heat waves on human health. | B．The way and standard of sorting heat waves. |
| C．The approaches to dealing with heat waves. | D．The present situation of extreme heat in Spain. |
| A．To distinguish their different types. | B．To raise our awareness of good health. |
| C．To remind us to get ready for them. | D．To help the public know about their dangers. |
| A．Zoe—the World’s First Named Heat Wave |
| B．The Most Severe Tier Heat Wave Hitting Seville |
| C．Climate Change—the Major Contributor to Heat Waves |
| D．Reasons for More and More Frequent Extreme Heat Waves |
6 . Bronx Zoo
Excited to explore this z00 already? Well, save your dates and plan your trip to the US with Travel Triangle right away and let the kids within your joy. The Bronx Zoo is definitely one of the best places to visit in the USA. We are sure that you would have the best time ever!
The Size
The Bronx Zoo is among the biggest zoos in the US, measuring 265 acres or over 100 hectares. It is literally so big that you may find it difficult to explore it all in just a day. Not only is it big in terms of size but it’s the largest zo0 in the US by number of animals as well. As of 2020, it had 4,000 animals of over 600 species. Some of them include fennec foxes, bald eagles, collared lemurs and Komodo dragons.
Location
The Bronx zo0 in the USA is located at 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460.
The Tickets Cost
Tickets to the z00 in the US cost $28 for children, $37 for adults (13 years and over). Entry for children aged two and under is free. You can also go on group tours led by trained expedition leaders. It costs $125 for a group of up to 5 people.
Open Time
Bronx Zoo is open from 10 am to 5 pm Monday—Friday and 10 am to 5.30 pm on weekends and holidays. All animal exhibits end half an hour before the park closes.
The Best Attractions
| Names | Attractions | Open Time |
| Butterfly Garden | A dozen butterfly species | March 30th to October 1st |
| Children’s Zoo | See and interact (交流) with farm animals | May 30th to October 30th |
| Congo Gorilla Forest | Exhibition of Congo Gorilla | April 1st to October 30th |
| Jungle world | Golden langurs in”Asian jungle” | May 30th to October 1st |
1. How much will a couple with a 3-year-old boy pay to enter the zoo?
| A．$74. | B．$93. | C．$102. | D．$125. |
| A．At 10 am. | B．4:30 pm. | C．5 pm. | D．5:30 pm. |
| A．Butterfly Garden. | B．Children’s Zoo. | C．Jungle world. | D．Congo Gorilla Forest. |
7 . Nothing feels more like summer than a neighborhood barbecue. But the annoyance of summer gatherings remains: the buzzing(嗡嗡声) of mosquitoes around our ears.
“The buzzing in your ear is mostly just a side effect of the mosquito's wings beating,” said Michael Riehle, a professor at the University of Arizona. “The sound doesn't have a long range, so you notice it most when they are flying around your ears.”
“From a distance, mosquitoes track carbon dioxide that we give out.” Riehle told Live Science. “They fly back and forth to follow that concentration level back to the source.”
But in fact, that buzzing you hear is likely from a female mosquito. That's because male and female mosquitoes lead very different lives. The males typically hang out and feed on the sweetest part of flowers; they couldn't care less about the humans wandering about. The females, however, need to find a blood meal in order to have enough energy to produce eggs.
As she approaches, the female mosquito zeros in on body heat and the carbon dioxide to land on the victim. The female mosquito uses taste sensors on her feet to determine whether the human, or any blood-bearing animal, is adequate to tap for her next meal.
But while we feel mosquitoes buzzing around our ears, Riehle noted that most mosquitoes are not attracted to our heads. Rather, these bloodsuckers may be more likely to seek out our feet, which have bacteria that give off attractive smell to mosquitoes. However, most people probably don't notice a mosquito buzzing around their ankles, he said.
Another study found that female mosquitoes were more attracted to men who had less diverse bacteria on their skin than to men with more diverse skin bacteria; these bloodsuckers also prefer those who wear dark colors, such as black.
1. What attracts mosquitoes to our head?| A．There is most carbon dioxide. | B．The face skin is easy to stick in. |
| C．There exists their favorite smell. | D．They can suck most blood there. |
| A．Her nose. | B．Her sensors. | C．Her eyes. | D．Her ears. |
| A．Black. | B．Blue. | C．White. | D．Red. |
| A．Why do mosquitoes buzz in our ears? |
| B．How can we avoid the buzzing of mosquitoes? |
| C．How are male and female mosquitoes different? |
| D．What effect does the buzzing of mosquitoes have? |
8 . One billion people in the world are short of water. How can this problem be solved. Some suggestions have been to desalinate ocean water or to build enormous water pipelines from areas where water is abundant. (Suggestions such as these prove extremely expensive when they are actually used.) One possibility that scientists are considering is pulling icebergs from either the North Pole or the South Pole to parts of the world with a water shortage. Although many questions must be answered before such a project could be tried, moving icebergs seems a reasonable possibility in the future.
Engineers, mathematicians, and glaciologists from a dozen countries have been considering the iceberg as a future source of water. Saudi Arabia is particularly interested in this project because it has a great water shortage. Scientists estimate that it would take 128 days to transport a large iceberg (about 1/2 square mile) to Saudi Arabia. Yet the iceberg would be completely melted by the 104th day. Therefore, insulation would be essential, but how to insulate the iceberg remains an unsolved problem.
The problems in transporting an iceberg are numerous. The first problem is choosing the iceberg to pull. The icebergs that form in the North Pole are quite difficult to handle because of their shape. Only a small portion extends above the water — most of the iceberg is below the surface, which would make it difficult to pull. South Pole icebergs, on the other hand, are flat and float like table tops. Thus they would be much easier to move.
How can a 200-million-ton iceberg be moved. No ship is strong enough to pull such enormous weight through the water. Perhaps several ships could be used. Attaching ropes to an iceberg this size is also an enormous problem. Engineers think that large nails or long metal rods could be driven into the ice. What would happen if the iceberg splits into several pieces during the pulling. Even if an iceberg with very few cracks were chosen, how could it be pulled through stormy waters. Furthermore, once the iceberg reached its destination, very few ports would be deep enough to store it.
All of these problems must be solved before icebergs can become a reasonable source of water. Yet scientists estimate that it will be possible to transport them in the near future. Each year, enough icebergs form to supply the whole world with fresh water for a full year. In addition, icebergs are free and nonpolluting. As a solution to the world’s water problems, icebergs may be a workable possibility.
1. What is a problem in transporting iceberg?| A．The size of the iceberg. |
| B．The colour of the iceberg. |
| C．The salt in the iceberg. |
| D．The movement of air and water. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Objective. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It is hard to use iceberg. | B．Iceberg are a good choice. |
| C．There are problems with iceberg. | D．Man finds no other ways to solve water shortage. |
| A．Shortage of water. | B．Icebergs for water. |
| C．Scientists and icebergs. | D．Iceberg—scientists headache. |
9 . Most animals living in crowded conditions have particularly strong immune systems, so it long puzzled researchers that honeybees do not.
Part of the answer, discovered in 2015, is that queen bees vaccinate their eggs by moving parts of proteins from disease-causing pathogens to them before they are laid. These act as antigens to trigger the development of a protective immune response in the developing young. But that observation raises the question of how the queen receives her antigen supply in the first place? Dr. Harwood wondered if the nurse bees were taking in parts of pathogens and passing them to royal jelly they were producing while eating the food brought to the hive.
To test this idea, he teamed up with a group at the University of Helsinki, in Finland, led by Dr Heli Salmela. Together, they collected about 150 nurse bees and divided them among six queenless mini hives equipped with baby bees to look after. Instead of honey, they fed the nurses on sugar water, and for three of the hives they added P. larvae, a bacterium causing a hive-killing disease, to the sugar water.
In this case, to stop such an infection happening, Dr Harwood and Dr Salmela heat-treated the pathogens and so killed them in advance. They also labelled the dead bacteria with a fluorescent dye, to track them easily. And, sure enough, it was confirmed that parts of P. larvae were getting into royal jelly released by those bees which had been fed with the sugar water containing that.
All told, these findings suggest that nurse bees are indeed, through their royal jelly, passing antigens onto the queen for vaccinating her eggs. They also mean the nurses are vaccinating baby bees as well, because baby bees, too, receive royal jelly for the first few days after they come out.
1. What does the underlined word “trigger" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Cut out. | B．Set off. | C．Slow down. | D．Put off. |
| A．Queen bees. | B．Nurse bees. | C．Bee eggs. | D．Baby bees. |
| A．To test if it would cause a hive-killing disease. |
| B．To check how the bacterium would affect the hive. |
| C．To see whether the target bees would favor the taste. |
| D．To confirm the bees would pass pathogens to royal jelly. |
| A．How bees multiply. | B．How antigens function. |
| C．How bees get vaccinated. | D．How immune system works. |
10 . One of the greatest challenges in caring for such intelligent animals as chimpanzees (猩猩) is providing them with enriching experiences. Every day, the chimpanzees at Project Chimps receive morning and evening food-based enrichment devices, but caregivers are always looking for more ways to keep the chimps mentally engaged. With 79 chimpanzees, each with their distinctive personality, care staff often find that different chimps react differently to new enrichment.
Last year, we began inviting musicians to perform for chimps to see what they may respond. A violin performance received quite the response. Additional musicians were lined up to visit but the coronavirus has stopped the activities, which we hope to resume in the near future.
This past week, we brought an electric piano for the chimps to investigate. Some chimps, like twins Buttercup and Clarisse, were immediately interested and could not wait to tap out a few notes. Others, like Emma, were more interested in trying to take it apart.
29-year-old Precious has very little tolerance for the piano. She sat off to the side for a few minutes, but eventually she decided that was enough. She called an end to the enrichment session by throwing a handful of waste at the piano. Receiving her message loud and clear, we removed the piano.
We could never have guessed how 33-year-old Luke would react to it. As with many retired lab chimpanzees, Luke has some anxiety issues. He seems particularly distrustful of anything new, including people, food, and enrichment. But when we presented the chimps with the piano, Luke was the first to investigate. We could not believe our eyes—this usually anxious chimpanzee bravely chose to explore something new!
To us at Project Chimps, this is what it is all about: giving chimpanzees the freedom to choose. We are honored to be part of their journey.
1. Why do chimpanzees respond differently to new enrichment?| A．They are of different genders. |
| B．They have natural curiosities. |
| C．They are as intelligent as humans. |
| D．They have their unique characters. |
| A．Buttercup and Clarisse. | B．Emma. | C．Precious. | D．Luke. |
| A．Continue. | B．Suspend. | C．Monitor. | D．Regulate. |
| A．How caregivers care for the retired chimpanzees. |
| B．What care staff do to enrich chimpanzees’ daily life. |
| C．How chimpanzees are trained through various enrichment. |
| D．What Project Chimps does to observe and study wild chimps. |
