1 . On Feb. 23, an environmental advocacy group “Grassroots” led by students hosted its monthly clothing exchange. The clothing exchange is a free activity on campus where students can donate clothes in exchange for new ones.
“One of the key things about sustainability (可持续性) is to reuse,” Crystal Tynon, Co-president and Clothing Exchange Chair, said. “Instead of throwing away old clothes and buying new clothes, you can donate them and give them a new purpose. You might be done with those clothing items, but someone else might not be.”
According to Tynon, “Grassroots” is hoping to expand the activities to other schools. In order to do so, the team is brainstorming new ways to get the word out about donations, hours and events. Now, the clothing exchange is one of the club’s most well-known activities. “Throughout the semester when people realize we have these exchanges, they genuinely bring clothes and participate a lot more. So it does make a difference to clothing sustainability and it does create a community where everyone can share their clothes,” she added.
As “Grassroots” is an initiative dedicated to sustainability, paper advertisement is not an option. Instead, the center relies mostly on word-of-mouth and e-mail announcements. It is bringing speakers to campus to talk about sustainability and environmental advocacy. It also has partnerships with local organizations such as “the Sunrise Rochester”, working together to have volunteers become more involved in local sustainability.
Chloe Mendoza has been a volunteer since her freshman year. Not only does Mendoza appreciate the intended mission of promoting sustainability, but she also thinks the center has transformed into a safe and accepting community space for all students. Those who have come in looking for something practical often end up leaving with an armful of clothing and a heart full of warmth.
“My favorite part about working there is that we get to help people find things that they need for free. Just providing a place for students to go where there isn’t pressure to spend money is really important. A lot of students love saving, so it’s something that students can relate and engage with easily, so I think it’s a really easy way to get students more involved in sustainability,” says Mendoza.
1. Which of the following best describes Tynon’s feelings about their clothing exchange?| A．Impressive. | B．Innovative. |
| C．Demanding. | D．Rewarding. |
| A．It relies heavily on paper advertisements. |
| B．It cooperates with local institutions. |
| C．It invites speakers to be volunteers. |
| D．It earns instant fame in the community. |
| A．It brings spiritual comfort. | B．It widens the circle of friends. |
| C．It reduces academic pressure. | D．It gives a sense of achievement. |
| A．Saving Up Through Clothing Exchange |
| B．Engaging Students in “Grassroots” Events |
| C．Clothing Exchange Is the Only Way for Sustainability |
| D．Environmental Advocacy — “Grassroots” Catches On |
2 . Every year, people all around the world come together to celebrate Earth Day with lots of different activities. Earth Day events typically have one theme in common: the desire to show support for environmental issues and teach future generations about the need to protect our planet.
The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22,1970. The event, which some consider to be the birth of the environmental movement, was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson.Nelson chose the April date to coincide (同时发生) with spring while avoiding most spring break and final exams. He hoped to call for college and university students for what he planned as a day of environmental learning and activism.
Participants(参与者) from 2, 000 colleges and universities, roughly 10,000 primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States got together in their local communities to mark the occasion of the very first Earth Day. Almost 20 million Americans filled the streets of their local communities on that first Earth Day, demonstrating in support of environmental issues.
Earth Day is now observed in 192 countries,and celebrated by billions of people around the world. Events can be found everywhere from tree planting activities at your local park to online parties that share information about environmental issues. In 2011, 28 million trees were planted in Afghanistan by the Earth Day Network. In 2012, more than 100 ,000 people rode bikes in Beijing to raise awareness about climate change and help people learn what they could do to protect the planet.
How can you get involved? The possibilities are endless. Pick up trash in your neighborhood. Make a commitment to reduce your food waste or electricity use. Plant a tree. Talk to your friends and family about environmental issues.The best part? Make every day Earth Day and help to make this planet a healthy place for all of us to enjoy.
1. What is the purpose to celebrate Earth Day?| A．To take part in activities. | B．To protect our earth. |
| C．To pay attention to education. | D．To gather worldwide people. |
| A．Teachers. | B．Officials. | C．Students. | D．Researchers. |
| A．Its participants. | B．Its motivation. | C．Its history. | D．Its influence. |
| A．Take specific action. | B．Reflect on our behavior. |
| C．Come up with good ideas. | D．Answer some questions. |
3 . The amount of sea ice surrounding Antarctica has reached its lowest level since modern records began, for the second year in a row. Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on the ocean’s surface around the planet’s polar regions. It forms at much lower sustained temperatures than freshwater ice does, at around-1.8 degrees Celsius. Sea ice builds up during the winter until it reaches its maximum extent, and then melts (融化) away in the spring and summer until it reaches its minimum extent.
In Antarctica, where summer and winter are relative to the Northern Hemisphere, sea ice normally reaches its maximum extent in September when sea ice covers around 7 million square miles. At its minimum extent at the end of February, historically only around I million square miles remains. Last year the minimum sea ice extent was less than 772, 000 square miles, the lowest total since scientists began recording sea ice extent with satellites in 1979. On 21 February this year, that number had reduced to just 691, 000 square miles, which is roughly 40 per cent less than the average between 1981 and 2010.
The record-breaking minimum was expected after an extraordinarily hot January which was the seventh-warmest since records began 174 years ago. “By the end of January, we could tell it was only a matter of time until the record was broken,” said Will Hobbs, an Antarctic sea ice expert at the University of Tasmania and the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership. Antarctica’s minimum sea ice extent will likely continue to decrease in the coming decades as global temperatures rise as a result of human-caused climate change and more multiyear ice, which acts as a seed for new ice growth, melts away.
Sea ice is crucial for polar predators(捕食性动物) such as penguins in Antarctica and polar bears in the Arctic, which use the ice as a platform for hunting. But the sea ice also helps stabilise ice on Antarctica. “Lower sea ice extent means that ocean waves will pound the coast of the giant ice sheet，further reducing ice shelves around Antarctic,” said Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
1. What can we know about sea ice?| A．It can be seen on any ocean’s surface. | B．It forms at about -1.8 ℃. |
| C．It melts all the year round. | D．There is more sea ice than freshwater ice. |
| A．There are two seasons in Antarctica. |
| B．Scientists have been recording the change of sea ice. |
| C．Sea ice in Antarctica has been on decline in the past decades. |
| D．The ecology in Antarctica needs to be improved. |
| A．The earth becomes warmer. | B．Multiyear ice disappears completely. |
| C．Ocean waves destroy the giant ice sheet. | D．Human beings occupy Antarctica. |
| A．Human activities have caused global warming |
| B．Measures should be taken to stop sea ice decreasing |
| C．Sea ice is significant for polar animals |
| D．Antarctica’s sea ice reaches its lowest level since records began |
4 . Lately, I have been struggling to connect with my dad because our conversations have seemed unimportant to him. In a half-hearted attempt to find something that
“Did Mom tell you I got a bunny?” It was a strange question. To my surprise, my dad’s
I shouldn’t be
A few months later, I came prepared with more photos and videos of Jay on my laptop so my dad could see them more
Our love for animals is the
| A．connects | B．comforts | C．inspires | D．interests |
| A．gifts | B．photos | C．videos | D．posters |
| A．spirits | B．feelings | C．eyes | D．hands |
| A．point at | B．glance at | C．go over | D．watch over |
| A．unexpected | B．unfinished | C．unimportant | D．unsuccessful |
| A．disappointed | B．annoyed | C．satisfied | D．surprised |
| A．chat | B．routine | C．bridge | D．fog |
| A．Plus | B．Thus | C．Meanwhile | D．Instead |
| A．Respecting | B．Loving | C．Researching | D．Catching |
| A．easily | B．gradually | C．patiently | D．quickly |
| A．pleased | B．ashamed | C．worried | D．discouraged |
| A．cheered | B．stood | C．gave | D．looked |
| A．trick | B．privilege | C．bond | D．routine |
| A．need | B．help | C．harm | D．chance |
| A．hope | B．joy | C．success | D．freedom |
5 . It’s a sweet moment, as a chimp reaches up to kiss his mother’s face. The touching photo was taken by the famous conservationist and activist Jane Goodall in 1993 in Gombe National Park in northwest Tanzania where she has studied chimpanzees for more than six decades.
The image is part of Vital Impacts consisting of a group of 100 photographers. The women-led non-profit was founded by award-winning photographer Ami Vitale and visual journalist Eileen Mignoni. They are selling fine arts images, most of which focus on wildlife and nature, with earnings benefiting conservation organizations including Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program.
“Our purpose is to use photography to create awareness and understanding; to help us see that the survival of the planet is closely connected with our own survival. As photographers, we have a huge opportunity to inform and influence change, but pressing the shutter (快门) is just the start,” Vitale said.
“For an image to have significance, it needs to reach people. To this end, we are working to get the photographs of Vital Impacts photographers and our students into high-profile media and exhibitions around the world.”
The organization gives special attention to photographers who are committed to the planet. Funds will be used to support global conservation and environmental initiatives and the group will offer two $20,000 environmental storytelling awards.
Vital Impacts has raised more than $1.5 million from the sale of fine art prints since the organization was set up in late 2021. Some of its profits were donated to the organization Direct Relief, which shipped more than 1,400 tons of medical supplies value d at $545 million to support 351 healthcare equipment in disaster zones. Other profits were able to provide fuel and vehicle assistance to support wildlife corridors (廊道), a monitoring program, and the restoration of the Snake River in the Pacific Northwest.
1. How did the author begin the text?| A．By sharing an image. | B．By introducing Jane Goodall’s hobby. |
| C．By recalling sweet memories. | D．By describing chimps’ unusual behavior. |
| A．To help non-profits in the world. | B．To call on people to donate. |
| C．To sell images to benefit conservation. | D．To pick out excellent photographers. |
| A．Those who love nature. |
| B．Those who are award winners. |
| C．Those who mainly take photos of animals. |
| D．Those who are devoted to the environment. |
| A．Its funds. | B．Its sponsor. | C．Its contributions. | D．Its future plan. |
It’s really nice to see a lot of Tibetan antelopes (藏羚羊) on the green grass. However,
In order to save this species from extinction, the Chinese government placed it under
Gradually, the antelope population has recovered and
In a word, if we want
7 . The earth has many mysteries for people to explore and we live on the earth for protection. Do you know that the earth has two North Poles? There’s the geographic North Pole, which never changes. And there’s the magnetic (有磁性的) North Pole, which is always on the move. Over the past 150 years, the magnetic North Pole has casually wandered 685 miles across northern Canada. But right now it’s racing 25 miles a year to the northwest. This could be a sign that we’re about to experience something humans have never seen before: a magnetic polar flip (翻转). And when this happens, it could affect much more than just your compass.
Right now on the surface of the planet, it looks like it’s just a bar magnet. Our compasses are just pointing to one pole at a time because there’s mainly a two-pole system. But sometimes, the earth doesn’t just have a single magnetic North and South Pole. Evidence suggests that, for hundreds to thousands of years at a time, our planet has had four, six, and even eight poles. This is what has happened when the magnetic poles flipped in the past. And when it happens again, it won’t be good news for humans.
Now you might think, eight poles must be better than two. But the reality is that multiple magnetic fields would fight each other. This could weaken the earth’s protective magnetic field by up to 90% during a polar flip.
The earth’s magnetic field is what protects us from harmful space radiation which can damage cells and cause cancer. With a weaker field in place, some scientists think this could expose planes to higher levels of radiation, making flights less safe.
This could also interrupt the internal sense of direction in many animals that use the magnetic field for navigation (导航). Even worse, it could make certain places on the planet too dangerous to live in. But what exactly will take place on the surface is less clear than what will undoubtedly happen in space.
Satellites and space missions will need extra shelter that we’ll have to provide ourselves. Without it, intense universal and solar radiation will fry circuit boards and increase the risk of cancer in astronauts.
1. Which of the following can best describe the earth’s magnetic field?| A．The focus of scientific research. | B．The navigation of satellites. |
| C．The center of the universe. | D．The protective umbrella of humans. |
| A．Losing the ability to hunt for food. |
| B．Bearing very loud noise day and night. |
| C．Being unable to find directions exactly. |
| D．Being unable to protect themselves from danger. |
| A．Astronauts are more likely to suffer from cancer. |
| B．The magnetic North Pole is moving faster than before. |
| C．Flights aren’t allowed to travel as usual when the magnetic poles flip. |
| D．There are always more than two magnetic poles on the earth at a time. |
| A．What will happen when the poles flip? | B．The ways that scientists research poles |
| C．How and when will the poles flip? | D．The reasons why scientists research poles |
8 . What would you say if you had to eat no food for a whole season? It sounds like a conundrum for humans, but ground squirrels, a common species from North America, however, achieve this very easily every winter. A new discovery has revealed why, and the finding can really help astronauts with their physical health during long missions.
Long periods of inactivity are known to lead to muscle wastage in most animal species. But for hibernating (冬眠) animals, things happen in a different way. Not only can they survive without eating, but they also use minimal levels of energy while preserving their muscle mass and function during and after the whole winter.
It was Matthew Regan, an animal physiologist from the University of Montreal, who discovered why. In his research published in Science, he confirms a theory from the 1980s called “urea nitrogen salvage” (尿素氮回收) through the study of ground squirrels.
According to the theory, the gut microbes (肠道细菌) from these cute hibernators can recycle the nitrogen inure a and reuse it to build new proteins. In short, they can take advantage of waste, and turn it into something vital.
“Urea nitrogen salvage may help with the hibernating squirrels’ muscle function and contribute to their reproductive success during the mating season,” Regan said. “This way, when squirrels recover from hibernation, they are in good shape to deal with the intense physical activity that a successful reproduction demands.”
Regan’s findings could have a meaningful impact on the future of space travel. According to the researcher, if astronauts manage to copy the salvaging of urea nitrogen, they will be able to prevent muscle loss, a common issue among space travelers.
“Because we know which muscle proteins are prevented during spaceflight, we can compare these proteins with those that are enhanced by urea nitrogen salvage during hibernation,” Regan said. The researcher continued, “If there are the same parts between the proteins in spaceflight and the ones from hibernation, then it suggests astronauts can gain health benefits by learning this process.”
1. What does the word “conundrum” underlined in the first paragraph probably mean?| A．Difficult problem. | B．Funny fact. | C．Daily routine. | D．Simple task. |
| A．Paragraph 1. | B．Paragraph 2. | C．Paragraph 3. | D．Paragraph 5. |
| A．eating disorders | B．muscle loss |
| C．sleeping issues | D．protein identification |
| A．How Do Hibernators Survive in Cold Winter? |
| B．Why Are Astronauts Faced With Muscle Loss? |
| C．What Can Ground Squirrels Teach Astronauts? |
| D．Can Humans Survive Without Eating in Space? |
9 . On Monday, August 21, millions of Americans across the country wore their protective eyeglasses to watch the highly expected total solar eclipse (日全食). Though eclipses, which occur about every 18 months, are not rare, this one was historic. It was not only the first total solar eclipse visible from the mainland US in more than38 years, but also the first to be seen coast to coast in almost a century.
The crowds were thrilled as the moon briefly blocked the sun, covering cities all the way from Oregon to South Carolina with darkness. Many people felt cold as the temperature dropped dramatically, by up to 12degrees Fahrenheit, during totality. Those fortunate enough to have clear skies not only saw the corona (日冕), the sun’s outer atmosphere, which is usually not visible in the sun’s glare, but also the bright stars and planets.
Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative everywhere. The crowds who gathered in Charleston, South Carolina, the last big city in the path of totality, had to struggle against a thick cloud cover when the partial eclipse began at 1:17 pm. It did thin out a little as totality took place at 2:46 pm, allowing for a good view of the eclipse, but not the sun’s corona! However, some spectacular flashes of lightning that occurred just as the moon covered the sun helped ease the disappointment somewhat.
The rare event, believed to be the most observed and most photographed eclipse in history, was a huge success. As Bill Nye or “the Science Guy” briefly put it, “Experiencing an eclipse changes the way we feel about space and how we are connected. This moment will remind us all that we share a common origin among the stars and that we are all citizens of the same planet.”
1. What can we know about the total solar eclipse?| A．People in Oregon were unable to see it. |
| B．Many Americans looked forward to it. |
| C．The temperature on that day went higher. |
| D．It last occurred in America 100 years ago. |
| A．The moon. | B．The corona. |
| C．A thick cloud cover. | D．Flashes of lightning. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Dangerous. | C．Boring. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．A weather report. | B．A travel magazine. |
| C．A news report. | D．A sightseeing guidebook. |
1. Who is the speaker talking to?
| A．Zoo keepers | B．Tourists | C．Biologists |
| A．Green grass | B．Fruits and nuts. | C．Dry leaves |
| A．In summer | B．In autumn | C．In winter. |
| A．They are very watchful |
| B．They are good at hiding |
| C．They run fast |
