1 . The Greek historian Herodotus is said to have made one of the earliest lists of seven wonders of the world, including the still mysterious accomplishment of ancient horticulture known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. More recent times saw natural
As environmental consciousness has risen in the west,
Most of us, in the rich countries where people take most holidays, understand better than ever that there are costs as well as benefits
One recent survey found that Windsor Great Park and Kew have become Britain’s most
This is not to minimise the destruction of nature that is also
| A．limits | B．offerings | C．alternatives | D．superiors |
| A．attitudes | B．chapters | C．bans | D．restorations |
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．Consequently | D．However |
| A．conservation | B．transportation | C．admission | D．expression |
| A．focus | B．threat | C．pose | D．balance |
| A．in short | B．for example | C．by contrast | D．above all |
| A．compared to | B．particular about | C．associated with | D．distant from |
| A．local | B．remote | C．noble | D．overseas |
| A．paradise | B．exhibition | C．shortage | D．boast |
| A．genuine | B．fortunate | C．ignorant | D．popular |
| A．adapted | B．connected | C．held | D．restored |
| A．concentrating on | B．going away | C．taking place | D．figuring out |
| A．miraculous | B．cheerful | C．economical | D．disastrous |
| A．comfort | B．appreciation | C．splendor | D．behavior |
| A．matters | B．debates | C．reflects | D．approaches |
假设你叫李华，请你以“过低碳生活”为主题，向你的同学作一次演讲，号召同学们过低碳生活，为减少二氧化碳排放做贡献。你的演讲应包括以下内容：
1. 节能减排，低碳生活，人人可为
2. 改变以往的生活习惯（用电，用水……）
3. 出行使用公共交通
参加词汇： low carbon life 低碳生活
carbon emission 碳排放
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3 . The average age is rising around the world - a demographic (人口) shift that may pose a significant challenge to efforts to control climate change.
Hossein Estiri at Harvard University and Emilio Zagheni of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany have found that energy use rises as we get older and not just because we tend to get wealthier. The study suggests that a larger greying population would mean a greater proportion of society would be consuming more energy. They combined two decades worth of data from thousands of U.S. households and used this to build a model to reveal how energy use varied across 17 age groups between 1987 and 2009. They found that, on average, children’s energy consumption climbs as they grow up, before dipping slightly when they leave home. Consumption then rises again when people hit their 30s, before briefly dropping after 55, and then beginning to climb again.
The study controlled for factors such as income, local climate and the age, type and size of a person’s home. The increase in energy use at various points in our lifespan seems to be down to lifestyle and how our needs change as we age. Why does demand surge so much in our 30s? “We need more of everything. More space, a bigger TV, two fridges,” says Estiri. The study found that in warmer parts of the U.S. energy use intensifies in people over the age of 65 probably as a result of the increased use of air conditioning. This suggests that there is a feedback effect between climate change and an ageing population that will only make matters worse.
Heatwaves have become more common in the U.S. in recent years and are expected to become more frequent due to global warming. More older people using more electrical energy to keep cool as temperatures rise could add to emissions, and thus drive more warming until our energy supply becomes entirely fossil fuel-free. “This mix of population, ageing and climate change on energy demand is really important to start thinking about,” says Estiri Benjamin Sova-cool at the University of Sussex. U.K, says the work shows the importance of demographics when it comes to cutting carbon emissions. Most modeling of climate change mitigation assumes people’s energy consumption either stays the same or only changes by a small amount over time.
“This study directly challenges that entire body of research by forcing it to solve the temporality and complexity of the consumption of energy.” says Sova-cool. “Houscholds do not behave in ways easy to predict or comprehend.”
1. Which of the following graphs can best illustrate how people consume energy?A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．An ageing population is remotely connected with climate change. |
| B．Factors like people’s income have little to do with energy consumption. |
| C．Global warming would be reversed if more fossil fuel-free energy were used. |
| D．Demand for energy is high in regions with large populations of older people. |
| A．People’s energy consumption stays steady over time. |
| B．It is necessary to predict how households use energy. |
| C．The consumption of energy varies with circumstances. |
| D．Population structure matters the most in cutting our carbon footprint. |
| A．Seniors over 65 are to blame for the ever increasing carbon emissions. |
| B．Various factors should be taken into account to address global warming. |
| C．Climate change calls for a greater emphasis on the control of the birthrate. |
| D．Our ageing population could make it even harder to combat climate change. |
4 . You may think that an underground town with 3,500 residents is something out of a science fiction film. You may not believe that such a town has shops, car parks, hotels, restaurants, cafes, swimming pools, churches, galleries, museums, cinemas, a golf course and much more. We Coober Pedy in Australia’s Outback is just such a place. Although film makers sometimes use the town as a spot for science-fiction films, it is a real community full of people who enjoy living underground.
The name Coober Pedy comes from the Aboriginal (土著的) phrase kupa piti which means ‘white man in a hole’. Miners and their families choose to live like this, hoping to get rich looking for the precious stones that Australia is famous for — opals. Living underground is the only way to shelter from the sandstorms and the high temperatures above ground, where it can be up to 50 degrees C (122F). Deep down in the town far below the desert surface, the temperature is between 19 and 20 degrees C and life is cool.
Mary Deane believes that it’s the possibility of being poor one day and rich the next that makes Coober Pedy so addictive. She and her husband Jim are among the lucky ones. They live in a luxurious home, built with money from the opals Jim has found. “Whenever people hear we live underground, they always imagine a dusty cave,” says Mary, “but they are amazed when they sit in my spotless clean kitchen eating home-made apple pie. Everyone loves our pine furniture and I have every electrical appliance money can buy in here. Whatever I need I can have and whenever I·need more space we just dig out a few more rooms! I love my home.”
However, not everything is perfect in Coober Pedy. Mary has a tiny garden that she is very proud of, but the grass is not real. Plant life is rare. Water is also five times more expensive than overground residents pay. Recycling is a way of life, so Jim usually washes his car with bath water and they have a special system to re-use the water from the dishwasher and washing machine. “We must be very careful about how we use water,” he says, “it’s not quite as precious as the opals, but it’s still very scarce!”
1. What can be learned from the passage about Coobor Pody?| A．It was originally built for science-fiction films. |
| B．It provides residents with recreational facilities. |
| C．It is losing its appeal to young people in Australia. |
| D．It was designed by Aboriginals who used to live there. |
| A．To save money and get rich one day. |
| B．To make it possible to produce opals. |
| C．To keep away from the modern way of life. |
| D．To escape from the terrible weather conditions. |
| A．they have to be economical with water |
| B．they have to spend more money on food |
| C．they cannot use some electrical appliances |
| D．they cannot grow plants in the garden |
| A．Coober Pedy: Based on Recycling |
| B．An Unimaginable Film |
| C．Underground Mining |
| D．Life Down Under |
Why bees are finally getting a break
While people have been confined to their homes this spring, wildlife has faced less human disturbance, traffic and polluting fumes. One animal that could see a much-needed revival is the wild bee.
One of the biggest environmental impacts of the global shut down has been the significant reduction in air pollution. Less fumes from cars on the road makes it easier for bees to find food, as air pollution substantially reduced the strength and longevity of floral scents, making it harder for bees to detect food. This means they often end up flying further to find food and bring it back to their nests. In contrast, shorter and more profitable “shopping trips” help them rear more young.
And as governments are tightening their purse strings due to the pandemic, many have stopped maintaining road verges (绿化带) which have turned into lush habitats as a result. “This unexpected quantity of flowers may well be another benefit for bees, with the unexpected food they provide boosting bee populations,” says Mark Brown, a professor of revolutionary ecology.
But a break for wild bees doesn’t mean it’s a good time for honey. Commercial beekeepers depend heavily on importing queen bees from around the world to replenish (补充) their colonies. Usually the bees are transported by plane, but since flights have been grounded they are being driven across the continent.
This could have serious knock-on effects for farmers, as commercial traveling hive are often relied upon for crop pollination. Take the Californian almond. Almond trees flower in February and March, and by April the visiting commercial hived have usually been moved to other parts of the country to poll in ate different crops. This re location has taken longer this year as some drivers have been told to self-quarantine for 14 days when crossing state borders.
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6 . Since the start of the Space Age, privatesector (私营部门) leaders have been issuing warnings that a centralized model would damage progress on public and, especially, commercial priorities in space. For example, Ralph Cordiner, the onetime CEO of General Electric, foresaw much of the space development while forcefully arguing that, eventually, space’s “development shall be under our traditional competitive
The economic logic for the centralized model was clear, and for several decades it has
Under this model, the United States has been the leading space power and NASA has occupied the technological frontier. The success of the Apollo missions, including the 1969 moon landing, inspired grand
But after the last of the Apollo missions in 1972, NASA — and thus the US space sector — struggled to find a second
When NASA decided that its next emphasis would be on the Space Transportation System, better known as the Shuttle, it applied largely the same
After two tragic accidents, with the Challenger shuttle in 1986 and the Columbia shuttle in 2003, momentum(势头)turned away from the Shuttle and the centralized model of space it
An instructive contrast is provided by the
| A．enterprise | B．employment | C．electricity | D．justice |
| A．drafted | B．attained | C．recognized | D．estimated |
| A．underprovided | B．underfounded | C．overpriced | D．overused |
| A．investment | B．acquisition | C．friction | D．objective |
| A．evolution | B．conversions | C．visions | D．industrialization |
| A．recovered | B．thrived | C．ceased | D．failed |
| A．act | B．planet | C．interpretation | D．animation |
| A．closeup | B．warmup | C．followup | D．dressup |
| A．centralized | B．popularized | C．coined | D．mystified |
| A．stuffed | B．admitted | C．demonstrated | D．overtook |
| A．accessed | B．rejected | C．wrinkled | D．represented |
| A．senior | B．navigable | C．embarrassing | D．harsh |
| A．risk | B．routine | C．approach | D．advantage |
| A．legal | B．technical | C．equal | D．financial |
| A．partnership | B．debate | C．meditation | D．horizon |
In a bid to control the nation’s growing problem with food wastage, the South Korean government has started a unique initiative – “Pay as You Trash”. As of now, the South Korean government has three methods
The second billing method is through pre-paid garbage bags. These specially designed bags are priced based on volume. There’s also an electronic management system,
Every household in South Korea is subject to one of these payment systems.
And it’s working. Residents like Seoul housewife Ms. Kwan have found it necessary to adopt innovative methods to avoid food waste. She picks
8 . The woods are turning orange. Drifts of dry leaves are growing on forest floors and flying into street corners. From a distance, it is beautiful. But the air is still warm and summery. This turning and leaf fall is not the usual gradual preparation for winter in temperate zones(温带) but a stress response by trees trying to preserve water. We are now in a false autumn, caused by heat and drought. And it feels wrong.
There is, therefore, something deeply disturbing about such a graphic alteration of familiar rhythms, Droughts are not unknown to the UK, of course, and too many parts of the world are certainly familiar with far more severe versions. But increasingly they are occurring in the context of a climate emergency, and record-breaking heat. And the beauty of a false autumn, specifically, has an emotional effect, a deep weirdness, something mysteriously suggestive of evil or danger
Cultures across the world contain ceremonies for the propitiation(宽恕) of the weather; a sense of responsibility for the natural world—and the belief that it will punish us if we fail it—is as old as humanity. One of the reasons why the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is so effective is the directness with which it links the shooting of an albatross(信天翁)—the destruction of innocent wildlife—to a terrible change in the weather: no rain, just burning, death-dealing sun. We may not understand the mechanism, but at an instinctual(本能的) level it feels right.
And in a similar way it has not really been a surprise to hear that birds are struggling. In London, young swifts (雨燕) were seen falling out of the sky. Fewer—and too early—nuts and berries mean some animals will not live through this winter. Older trees, with their longer roots, will hopefully survive, but young trees may not—all that promises further warming. There will always be a degree of uncertainty about the causes of specific weather events, but we cannot deny that we have not taken care of the albatross. Now we must hope we are doing enough to make sure that these fearful golden days are pot an autumn of autumns.
1. According to the passage, what is a disturbing sign of “a false autumn”?| A．Tree leaves are turning orange and fall gradually in winter. |
| B．Birds are struggling to fall out of the sky in London. |
| C．People worldwide are careless of droughts and heat in the UK. |
| D．Nuts and berries-ripen earlier but yield less than before. |
| A．Because people across the world sympathize with the albatross. |
| B．Because it directly links destruction of wildlife to extreme weather. |
| C．Because we are certain about how the weather shifts instinctually. |
| D．Because he is an established Romantic poet curious about nature. |
| A．This autumn must be seen as a warning to take instant action. |
| B．Plants and animals are bound to survive in spite of their fear. |
| C．The writer appreciates and looks forward to such golden days. |
| D．Abundant environmental protection has already been ensured. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Concerned. | C．Humorous. | D．Ironic. |
| A. trafficking B. disregarding C. prospect D. secure E. sheltering F. shortage G. shrink H. suspended I. lining J. vulnerable K. leading |
Sixty years after the start of her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees in the wild, the primatologist looks for a silver
Chimpanzees have no
To prevent transmission, scientists have
But the new’s isn't all bad she hastily adds. Befitting someone who used the word “hope” in the titles of three of her past four books. Dr. Goodall isn’t above squinting (斜视) to find a silver lining. “I think people are seeing that we brought this pandemic upon ourselves by
“I think this is waking people up,” she says.
If cities were people, Chengdu would be a “happy drifter (流浪汉)
It’s the leisurely and slow-paced lifestyle
One of the greatest pleasures in Chengdu is its food. Famous for the use of the tongue-numbing Sichuanese pepper corn and hot chillies, Chengdu dishes are an obsession for locals. “
In fact, according to Wang Xudong, editor-in-chief of Sichuan Cuisine magazine, Chengdu has the highest density of restaurants of any city in the world - there are around 40,000. No wonder it became the first Asian city that
Another important part of daily life is the city’s teahouses,
“Feet
