1 . How crowded your neighborhood is can affect the health of our planet, a new study finds. Scientists measured the effect that people have on the environment using a carbon footprint. That footprint reflects the amount of carbon dioxide (二氧化碳)—a greenhouse gas—that is sent into the atmosphere because of people’s daily activities.
Carbon footprints tend to be low for citizens. Living in a suburb (郊区) outside a city, however, can be opposite.
People living in the city centers have low carbon footprints, the researchers found. “It is much easier to have a low carbon effect if your home is close to where you work, shop and play,” explains Jones. Living within walking or biking distance cuts back on the amount of carbon dioxide compared with moving people by cars. And cities with bus and subway networks allow people to travel great distances while keeping the amount of greenhouse gases low.
Not everyone can afford to live in the city, however. Suburbs offer more space, allowing people to build larger homes. Suburbs may offer better schools to kids. But those homes are usually far away from where owners work, play or learn. So people who live in suburbs often drive long distances.
The average household in a large city sends out about 40 tons of carbon dioxide per year. The average suburban household, however, sends out close to 50 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
The new findings are an important contribution to climate research. They would give scientists a better understanding of how culture might mix with locations to influence our carbon footprints.
You may not have any control over the location of your home. Still, everyone can take steps to reduce their carbon footprints. That’s because how much we pollute is influenced not just by where we live, but also by how we live.
To reduce your footprints, start small. Turn off lights when they’re not in use. Recycle or reuse things instead of throwing them away. And as people get used to making small changes, the leap to bigger ones will get easier.
1. Why do people living in suburbs have higher carbon footprints?| A．Because they often drive to work, play or do other things. |
| B．Because their homes take up too much space. |
| C．Because they often use buses and subways to travel great distances. |
| D．Because they have to send their kids to schools by car. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By explaining processes. |
| A．People living in big cities produce more carbon dioxide. |
| B．Culture plays the most important role in influencing the environment. |
| C．Any process of making new products may pollute the environment. |
| D．One’s small step can make a big difference to the environment. |
| A．Health. | B．Sports. | C．Culture. | D．Environment. |
2 . Street pavements burst open, houses flattened, and entire villages were destroyed in what’s being described as one of the worst flood disasters to hit Western Europe in more than two centuries. As reported, more than 165 people died, while dozens of others remain missing after a record rainfall caused rivers to overflow into towns and streets across western Germany, Belgium, as well as parts of the Netherlands, Switzerland and northern France. In Liège, Belgium’s third-largest city, water from the Meuse river overflowed Thursday evening into parts of the city center, causing city officials to call for residents (居民) to evacuate the area or seek higher ground.
By the weekend, fears that a dam could burst were calmed, as the water levels in the river began to go down. But many different pieces of debris (碎片) flowing through the river from nearby villages—including parts of homes, street signs and car tires—served as a reminder that it would take weeks and months to fix the damage in the surrounding villages. This may be the worst flooding disaster our country has ever known,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, who declared Monday a national day of mourning (哀悼). Additional search-and-rescue teams have been brought in from France and Italy to help locate the missing and assist with the cleanup.
In western Germany, the death rose to at least 143 people. Firefighters, meanwhile, say they carried out more than 1, 000 search-and-rescue missions, which became harder by the fact that the floods had cut power lines, disabling cellphone towers. We don’t know the number yet’ but there will be many. Germany’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, said the country must prepare much better in the future, adding, “This is a result of climate change.”
1. What disaster hit Western Europe?| A．A flood. | B．A hurricane. |
| C．A fire. | D．An earthquake. |
| A．Search for. | B．Escape from. | C．Approach to. | D．Benefit from. |
| A．Reviving the power line. | B．Setting a national holiday. |
| C．Preparing the next election. | D．Searching for the missing people. |
| A．The natural risk becomes more severe. |
| B．Cities are rarely damaged by floods. |
| C．The disaster happened due to climate change. |
| D．The terrible disaster caused much loss. |
3 . Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. It is made up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain forests. Most people live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where the capital, Lima, is located.
Along Peru’s west coast is a narrow strip (狭长地带) of desert, which is about 1, 555 miles long. Ancient people, called the Chimú and the Nasca, first lived in this region thousands of years ago. The coastal desert makes up only about 10 percent of Peru, but it is home to more than half of all Peruvians.
The world’s largest rain forest, the Amazon, covers nearly half of Peru. Called the selva in Spanish, this huge jungle (丛林), which also covers half of Brazil, is home to plants and animals that do not live anywhere else on Earth, Some scientists think there may even be Indian tribes (部落) there that have never seen the outside world.
The second highest mountain range in the world runs through Peru. These peaks, called the Andes, are so tall and forbidding that the ancient Inca people thought they were gods. They run from north to south and can be seen from Peru’s beaches 50 miles to the west. The highest peak of it, Mount Huascaran, is 22, 205 feet high.
1. Where did most Peruvians live?| A．In the huge jungle. | B．In the Indian tribe. |
| C．In the mountain. | D．In the coastal desert. |
| A．Almost half of Peru is covered by rain forests. |
| B．It is the third largest country in population in South America. |
| C．More than half of the native population live in the mountains. |
| D．About 1, 555 years ago, ancient people moved to the coastal desert. |
| A．They can’t be seen from the Peru’s coast. |
| B．They are where most Peru’s people plant rice. |
| C．Some of them belong to the second highest mountain range. |
| D．The highest mountain range in Peru runs from east to west. |
| A．The Attractions of Peru | B．The History of Peru |
| C．The Official Languages of Peru | D．The Geography of Peru |
4 . Nature is all about relationships: the interconnected links between the living and lifeless, and how they harmonize beautifully into a whole that might not be immediately apparent to us humans, as the complexities of the world sometimes escape the grasp of our relatively short-sighted understanding. Perhaps that's why the urgency of the climate crisis and other environ-mental issues don't truly hit home for some; because that important data is presented in a dry, factual way that doesn't touch the deeper parts of our collective soul, in a way that would move us to realize what is being lost.
Clare Celeste is an environmentally-minded artist creating artworks that aim to highlight the precious biodiversity of the planet. Using paper that is complexly cut and then hand-assembled piece by piece, Celeste forms imaginary landscapes of plants and animals that are folded or pressed between glass.
Growing up in Brazil, Celeste says that her earliest childhood memories were of green, tropical ecosystems slowly being eaten up by the rapid expansion of nearby cities.
Celeste said, “When I made a series of combinations, I realized that many of the species in the illustrations had already gone extinct. Humans have wiped out 68 percent of all our planet's biodiversity since 1970, so working with old illustrations can be very heartbreaking as much of the diversity in these beautiful old illustrations has been wiped out by human activities.”
Celeste explains some of the motivations behind this series of paper works: “I wanted to convey the beauty of our planet's plants and animals, while also introducing a more architectural or human-made element with the geometric (几何图形的) patterns. Having grown up in Brazil, I was surrounded by dense urban spaces that often had rich jungle growth just wanting to break through the concrete architecture. I suggest we go back to our love: our love of nature, of our children, of future generations. Because when we love something deeply, we are required to act—to save it when it is threatened.”
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．People are connected with each other. |
| B．People find data on nature boring to study. |
| C．People can't solve the climate crisis on their own. |
| D．People don't fully understand environmental issues. |
| A．Cities were rich in green plants. |
| B．Buildings were decorated with plants. |
| C．Urbanization destroyed the local biodiversity. |
| D．Nature was a mixture of natural artworks. |
| A．Most species die without adapting to environment. |
| B．Humans feel painful at the loss of species. |
| C．Her paper cuts represent the extinction of species. |
| D．Human activities have severely damaged biodiversity. |
| A．The desire to protect the biodiversity. |
| B．The desire for a good childhood memory. |
| C．The idea of imagining landscapes. |
| D．The hope of preserving natural beauty. |
5 . Biologists from Boise State University have been making noise in the forests of the western American state of Idaho. They are making noise to study the value of quiet in nature. They want to know how people and animals react to noise pollution.
The researchers placed outdoor speakers on the side of a half-kilometer-long part of a road in the Boise National Forest. For two years, they played the sounds of passing cars through the speakers. Professor Jesse says they found the sounds caused migratory （迁徙的）birds to flee. The birds also failed to gain weight.
Recently, researchers played sounds of machines that are used to remove natural gas from the ground. That sound is heard in natural gas fields throughout the American West. Professor Barber says these experiments are designed to help researchers learn the effects of noise pollution on birds, insects, bats, and people.
"We are testing the idea that these things are coupled -- that as the soundscape gets louder, wildlife suffers. But that also feeds back on to how much people get out of that experience, how much they value it, and thus how much they are willing to protect that same place."
The research team also studied a group of volunteers who watch birds for fun. Mitch Levenhagen is a graduate student in the research team. He measured how much the artificial noise lessened the ability of the birdwatchers to recognize recorded bird songs.
The birdwatchers said the artificial noise affected their ability to recognize bird sounds more than they thought it would. Birdwatcher Jim Lyons said the experiment caused him to value quiet more.
"I moved out of the city to a little place in the country where I wanted it to be quiet. I greatly value that. It is hard to find those places more and more. There are lots of ways to mitigate（减轻） sound. But it is trade-off. There is always a cost. And it comes down to people's values. What do we value more." said Volunteer Janice Engle.
1. What is the purpose of carrying out the research?| A．To prevent people making any noise in their daily life. |
| B．To find out the effect noise has on humans and animals. |
| C．To call on many more people to protect the environment. |
| D．To encourage people to keep quiet while they are in nature. |
| A．impressive | B．unique | C．instructive | D．convincing |
| A．The great importance of quiet in nature. |
| B．The big price humans will pay for health. |
| C．The great value of a sharp sense of hearing. |
| D．The necessity of protecting wildlife in nature. |
6 . Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle, which started in the late 1300s. is the private residence of the Queen. It has remained a favourite residence for the Queen and her family during August and September.
Some 85,000 people visit Balmoral each year, and the estate maintains and restores footpaths throughout the property for visiting hikers.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. The castle was the inspiration for the Royal family’s surname.
William the Conqueror built the castle in 1080 and it has remained a royal palace for over 900 years. Windsor is the oldest royal home in Britain and, covering 13 acres, it’s the largest castle in the world that is still lived in.
Each year, the Order of the Garter ceremony is held at Windsor Castle, and the Queen occasionally hosts a “dine and sleeps”, for politicians and public figures.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
Founded as a monastery (修道院）in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is The Queen’s official residence in Scotland. It was also the home of many Scottish royals.
The Queen holds receptions, state functions, and investitures(授职仪式）within its walls, and each year during Holyrood Week Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip invite 8» 000 Scottish guests to the Garden Party.
St. James Palace
St. James’s Palace was built between 1531 and 1536 and was home of kings and queens of England for over 300 years. The palace was built by Henry VU on the site of the Hospital of St. James, Westminster. After the destruction by fire of the Palace of Whitehall in 1698, all monarchs until William W lived at St. James's for part of the time.
1. Where do the Queen and her family like to stay during the summer holiday period?| A．Windsor Castle. |
| B．Balmoral Castle. |
| C．The Palace of Holyroodhouse. |
| D．St. James Palace. |
| A．is visited by the largest number of tourists |
| B．is intended for officials |
| C．has the longest history |
| D．is the most beautiful |
| A．was rebuilt by Henry Ⅶ |
| B．was built on the site where a hospital used to be |
| C．was pulled down by King IV |
| D．was destroyed by fire |
7 . A wild Siberian tiger that appeared in a village in Mishan, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, and hurt a villager has been caught and sent to the China Hengdaohezi Feline （猫科的）Breeding Center in Hengdaohezi township of Mudanjiang city, Science and Technology Daily reported on Saturday.
At about 6 am on Friday, April 23, 2021, local police received a report that a tiger was found in a residential house that was no longer used in Linhu village in Mishan and had hurt a female villager working at the farmland. A group of police officers immediately arrived at the village to secure the scene and evacuate （疏散） the crowd.
Soon after getting the news, wildlife experts and Cui Yan, an expert from the Heilongjiang Endangered Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, set out from Yichun for the village. After arriving at about 7 pm, the experts successfully caught the tiger into a cage by using an anesthetic （麻醉剂）.
“If we find a wild Siberian tiger in the wild, we just drive it into the mountains,” Cui told Science and Technology Daily. “But this tiger wandered away from where it was supposed to be into the village and might hurt more people, so we had to catch it.” “It was estimated to weigh over 200 kilograms,” he said “We strictly followed anesthetic procedure and finally caught it successfully.” “The tiger has no injury and can move quickly,” Cui said. “We judged that it was not from neighboring Russia because it wasn't wearing a collar. It may have come from the nearby administrative region of the China Tiger and Leopard National Park.”
Experts have collected the blood of the tiger for DNA provenance （出处） identification. On Saturday at noon, the tiger was transported to the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center for medical examination and health monitoring.
The injured villager had to undergo surgery at Mishan People's Hospital on Friday.
“She suffered some muscle damage and now is in stable condition,” said a nurse from the hospital.
1. How did the experts deal with the wild tiger?| A．They caught it by using a cage. | B．They drove it into the mountains. |
| C．They caught it by using a trap. | D．They used an anesthetic to catch it. |
| A．The tiger might be from neighboring Russia. |
| B．The tiger was found in a field in Linhu village. |
| C．The tiger is in Yichun for medical examination and health monitoring. |
| D．The tiger is likely to have come from the China Tiger and Leopard National Park. |
| A．Experience. | B．Reflect. |
| C．Claim. | D．Assist. |
| A．Wild Siberian tiger appearing in village in Mishan, Heilongjiang |
| B．Wild Siberian tiger captured in NE China village after injuring woman |
| C．Wild Siberian tiger sent to the China Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center |
| D．Wild Siberian tiger's blood collected for DNA provenance identification |
8 . Can everything be recycled? No, not all things can be recycled. But you might be surprised to learn how many things can be recycled. You may already know about plastic bottles. Did you know you can also recycle glass?
Glass can be recycled to make all sorts of things. Recycling glass really helps the planet. Making new products from recycled glass causes less air and water pollution. It also uses less energy than making new glass.
When glass arrives at a recycling plant, people and machines sort it by color. Similar colors of glass must be recycled together. That way, recycled products are as pure as possible. This makes them stronger and less likely to break. Once the glass is sorted, it's washed. That's when the breaking begins. That's right! To be recycled, glass has to be broken to make a material called cullet(碎玻璃).
Glass manufacturers love cullet. It's cheaper than the raw materials they'd need to make new glass. It also melts at a lower temperature. That means they save energy during the production process. Glass manufacturers mix cullet with other materials like sand and soda ash. Then they heat it to over 2,600℉. This makes liquid glass, which can then be poured into a mold (模具). There, it cools and forms a finished glass product.
Most recycled glass is used to make new glass containers, such as jars and bottles. However, recycled glass can also find its way into all sorts of other products including a variety of construction products.
Do you recycle at home or school? What glass products should you be sure to recycle when you’ re done with them? With everyone doing their part, recycling glass can make a huge difference to the planet!
1. What is the first step in recycling glass?| A．Sorting it according to color. | B．Cleaning it with water. |
| C．Removing the color in it. | D．Breaking it into cullet. |
| A．It is easy to get. | B．It helps cut costs. |
| C．It can be easily broken. | D．It can be mixed with other materials. |
| A．To call attention to home or school environment. |
| B．To help readers classify glass products at home. |
| C．To encourage glass recycling among readers. |
| D．To encourage readers to use fewer glass products. |
| A．Recyclable things that you might have ignored. |
| B．The difficulty in glass recycling. |
| C．How to recycle at home or school. |
| D．How glass is recycled. |
9 . In the United States，many teachers keep fish，hamsters(仓鼠)，and other animals in their classrooms.Teachers say students learn important lessons from the animals.More than 70 percent of teachers who have classroom pets say the animals help students learn responsibility.Research also shows that classroom pets can reduce stress.
“Pets can comfort kids who are having a bad day,”says Lisa Robbins，who works fora group called Pets in the Classroom.
But others think pets should be expelled from classrooms. In January，the Durango School District in Colorado began following a no-pet policy(政策).Now animals can be brought into Durango schools for certain lessons，but they can't stay.Officials were worried that animals might create problems for kids with allergies(过敏症).They were also concerned about the animals getting proper care.
Here's what two of our readers think.
Having classroom pets gives students a fun way to learn about animals. In my class last year，we had a class pet named Elliot.Our teacher also used him to teach us about different subjects.For example，in math，we calculated (计算)how much it costs to feed Elliot for a year.
Pets also help kids learn how to work as a team. My classmates and I took turns feeding Elliot and cleaning his tank,
If teachers are worried about students with allergies，they could get pets that don't have fur.
—D' Lasia Mays，Texas
Classroom pets can take away valuable class time.Some students might have a hard time focusing on the teacher when there are animals in the room.
Plus，having a classroom pet can cause safety problems. You never know how an animal will react to students.Even a cute little hamster might hurt a kid who sticks his or her hand in its cage.
—Patrick McKinney，Ohio
1. What does the underlined word " expelled”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Allowed. | B．Removed. |
| C．Protected. | D．Educated. |
| A．Classroom pets are not allowed at schools. |
| B．Animals are not allowed at schools. |
| C．Many teachers have pets without fur. |
| D．Many students are allergic to animals. |
| A．He needs special training. | B．He needs more proper care. |
| C．He has educational value for kids. | D．He is not only lovely but very smart. |
| A．The author. | B．Lisa Robbins. |
| C．Patrick McKinney. | D．D' Lasia Mays’ teacher. |
10 . We appreciate your interest in giving animals a hand! While helping others, volunteering gives you a way to learn, have fun and give back to your community. There are many ways to care for the animals at PAWS.
Youth Work Party
If you are ten years or older, you can join the Youth Work Party Team with a parent to work on different projects around PAWS in Lynnwood, WA. For example, you can build boxes for frightened, injured wildlife to hide in. Ask your parent to sign up to join a work party. If you are eighteen years or older, you can join the Youth Work Party Team independently.
PAWS walk
PAWS walk is our biggest fundraising event of the year, held at the end of the summer to raise money to care for the animals. You can collect money with the help of your family, friends and school, and then walk in the event.
Cookie Sale
Selling homemade dog cookies is a wonderful way to help the animals. PAWS can provide brochures to give out when you sell the cookies prepared by you and your parents, so people can learn about PAWS at the same time. You can find homemade dog cookie cooking instructions on the Internet or by checking out cookbooks for dogs at the library.
Movie Night
Invite friends, family, neighbors and classmates to watch your favorite animal movie, like Babe or Charlotte's Web. Ask them to bring an “entrance fee” of donations or supplies for the animals.
Thanks again for your interest in PAWS and helping animals. Share your ideas with your parents and invite a few friends to join you in helping make a difference for animals. If you have any questions, call 425-787-2500-261.
1. Who is the advertisement meant for？________| A．Young people who want to help animals. | B．Animal owners who need help. |
| C．Parents who have small animal lovers. | D．Those who work for PAWS. |
| A．sell cookbooks for dogs | B．sell cookies made by PAWS |
| C．offer brochures about cookies | D．cook and sell dog cookies |
| A．A TV series about animals. | B．An animal movie. |
| C．An organization helping animals. | D．A fundraising website. |
| A．a skill training program for youths | B．a series of cookbooks for dogs |
| C．an animal protection organization | D．a community center for grownups |
