A. replacing B. tolerate C. extremes D. experiencing E. average F. estimates G. impact H. reserved I. assess J. cover K. continued |
Urban Trees Are Threatened by Climate Change
By 2050, about three-quarters of the species will be at risk as a result of climate change, a study has found. Cities around the world may need to start planting different types of trees and shrubs that can
“By ‘at risk’, we mean these species might be
City trees have many benefits, from making urban spaces look beautiful and providing a refuge for wildlife to keeping places up to 12°C cooler than they would otherwise be in summer. Losing tree
To
By 2050, 76 per cent of these species will be at risk from rising
The study doesn’t take account of
“Our
2 .
A.The harm done by single-use plastics. |
B.The topic for the woman’s composition. |
C.Environmental issues. |
D.Some recent hot news. |
3 .
A.She agrees with the man’s plan. |
B.She is concerned about the weather. |
C.She considers it unwise to go outside. |
D.She has a better plan than having a picnic. |
A.The Hawaii volcano eruption was destructive. |
B.What the man said is not currently relevant. |
C.The man should read newspapers of last year. |
D.The locals in Hawaii suffered a great deal. |
A.Birds’ physical characteristics. | B.The migrating patterns of birds. |
C.The size of bird population. | D.The behavior of migrating birds. |
A.They become tired of their partners. | B.They can’t reach home at the same time. |
C.They are likely to find new mates. | D.They have conflicts during the flight. |
A.They are able to keep pace with their partners. |
B.They migrate shorter distances than other birds. |
C.They do not have to migrate for food. |
D.They have little chance to meet new mates. |
Are we greening our cities, or just greenwashing them?
Architecture and urban design is chasing a green fever dream. Everywhere you look, there are plans for “sustainable” buildings, futuristic eco-cities and aquaponic farms on the roof, each promising to add a green touch to the modern city.
All of these are surely good ideas at some level. They are trying to repair some of the damage our lifestyle has done to the planet. But, despite the rhetoric of reuniting the city with nature, today’s green urban dream is too often about bringing a technologically controlled version of nature into the city and declaring the problem solved, rather than looking at the deeper causes of our environmental and urban problems.
One of the most striking examples is Apple’s “spaceship” campus now under construction in Silicon Valley. Though it seems to be sustainable and energy efficient—80 percent of its 175-acre site is preserved for landscaping, it is by any measure a huge, expensive and massively resource-intensive project. As a suburban white-collar workplace, it must include vast garages for 13,000 Apple employees. Thus, it will leave no smaller environmental footprint than a traditional office park.
Designing a perfect green building or eco-city isn’t enough to save the world. Although our buildings, like our cars, have been inefficient environmentally, architecture isn’t directly responsible for humanity’s disastrous environmental impacts. An economic system based on the destruction of nature is the real problem. No green building can help us repair the ecological damage we have caused, nor can any number of aquaponic farms bring us back to the real nature.
Instead of adding “nature” to the urban lifestyle, architects may work to design better relationships between our cities and nature, and to promote just relationships between the people in them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What is one suggestion for reducing waste during Christmas gift-giving, according to the passage?
A.Canceling all the gifts. | B.Applying a “one-gift” rule. |
C.Giving children less time to play. | D.Encouraging buying second-hand gifts. |
A.Buying a rare and expensive souvenir. | B.Buying a hand-made craft product. |
C.Giving something that won’t cost money. | D.Giving an experience of something new. |
A.The waste caused by Christmas gifts. |
B.The importance of buying gifts for children. |
C.The creative ideas of giving gifts to avoid waste. |
D.The negative effects of receiving too many gifts. |
A.Its regular driving practices and poor vehicles. |
B.Its lack of green spaces and air cleaners. |
C.Its excessive water pollution and rubbish. |
D.Its high air pollution and crowded roads. |
A.Establishing a high interest loan scheme. |
B.Removing outdated black and white taxis. |
C.Encouraging customers to create new ideas. |
D.Making advertisements on old vehicles. |
A.Because customers are more friendly and richer. |
B.Because all new cabs provide air-conditioning. |
C.Because all new cabs are equipped with meters. |
D.Because car manufacturers can earn extra money. |
1. Why do animals evolve to have long body parts?
A.To detect potential danger in cold places. |
B.To generate more heat within their bodies. |
C.To keep their babies warm in breeding seasons. |
D.To get rid of extra heat with bigger skin surface. |
A.Wood mice. | B.Bats in warm climates. |
C.Bird species. | D.Kangaroos in Australia. |
A.Animals cope with body changes. | B.Joel Allen’s rule is out of date. |
C.Climate change poses threat to species. | D.Animals adapt to a warmer world. |
6 QUESTOINS FOR VANESSA NAKATE
Vanessa Nakate is a climate activist from Uganda, and a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Q1: What does it mean
I get to meet people on the front lines of the climate crisis. I see my role as
Q2: You’ve given speeches about the impact
One that has been very powerful for me was when I spoke at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Glasgow, Scotland. I
Q3: What’s the hardest part of being an activist?
One of the hardest things is having to see the consequences of climate change. For example, the drought in the Horn of Africa, the flooding in Pakistan, or the recent hurricanes in the United States. It’s very sad to see all those events
Q4: What keeps you motivated to fight climate change?
You’re interviewing me, and I think that’s so
Q5: What’s the most recent climate-related project you’ve worked on?
In 2019, I launched a project,
Q6: Climate change can feel frustrating and scary for some kids. What advice do you have for them?
To address this big issue, just find one thing you can do,