1 . In the global effort to protect biodiversity, Mexico has been at the forefront. In particular, for more than 30 years. Mexico’s National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) has promoted research, compiled information on the biodiversity of Mexico and elsewhere, and connected academia, government, and society to guide decision-making. Unfortunately, last month, the Mexican government announced its intention to reduce CONABIO from a multi-ministry federal government agency to a branch within the environment ministry. This will rid CONABIO of its independent voice, credibility, and influence on national and international policy.

CONABIO was created in 1992, which aimed to promote international cooperation on environmental issues of the 21st century. Since then, CONAB1O has digitized tens of millions of records in national and foreign collections and has processed satellite data on vegetation cover and wildfires. It is not only a data base but a model for best practices in biodiversity management. All information is publicly available online, and contributors decide when the information they provide will be made public. In the past 5 years, CONABIO had an average of 1000 users per week, and it was consulted at least once per day by health, agriculture, environment, foreign affairs, and government agencies from Mexico and other countries. CONABIO has become a world-sought reference on how to effectively compile useful information and make specific policy for the benefit of the population and biodiversity.

The proposed change for CONABIO will likely eliminate the support it provides for the sustainable management, use, and conservation of biodiversity for Mexico and the world. Given that Mexico is home to 10% to 12%of the world’s species, there is much at risk. CONABIO is already very cost-efficient, and its capacity to influence political decisions depends directly on its multi-ministerial character. Burying the agency is a path to put it to an end.

Should this move become effective, it would be the end of the many essential benefits that CONABIO provides to address the environmental crises that threaten the future of all life on Earth. It is time for Mexico’s scientists, Mexico’s population, and the world to speak out against destroying this valuable institution.

1. What may happen to CONABIO according to paragraph 1?

A．It may be charged.	B．It may be dismissed.
C．It may be investigated.	D．It may be downgraded.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about concerning CONABIO?

A．Its original purpose.	B．Its bright prospect.
C．Its great contributions.	D．Its awkward situation.

3. What does the underlined word “eliminate” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Remove.

B．Improve.

C．Obtain,

D．Ignore.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Promote Mexico’s Biodiversity	B．Stand Up for CONABIO
C．Stick to Sustainable Biodiversity	D．Improve the Fame of CONABIO

2 . Look, let’s be honest-there’s no such thing as a “green” vacation. You’ll leave a carbon footprint, no matter what.     1     Here are a few questions to ask:

Is it a B Corp?

B Corps are businesses that meet a strict set of standards by the nonprofit B Lab. They include requirements for governance, workers, customers, community and the environment.     2     You’ll see some fairly well-known brands, like Intrepid Travel. But you won’t find the names of any major airlines, car rental companies or hotel chains-at least, not yet.

Does the company have any other environmental certifications?

Third-party certifications from Green Key, LEED and WELL can be signs that a travel company means business about the environment. Transportation companies may also offer verified certifications from organizations like Terrapass or the Gold Standard Foundation.     3     However, it’s a good start.

    4    

If the company claims to be green, don’t just take its word for it. Listen to what it says. If you see nothing but models on its Instagram channel or ads for online discounts on its site, perhaps it’s a shade of fake green. “A company’s social media strategy is generally a reflection of its current ethos and goals,” explained Julia Carter, founder of Craft Travel.

How deep is its commitment to the environment?

    5     For example, the Travel Corporation publishes an annual impact report that maps its progress against 11 sustainability goals developed by the United Nations. Many cruise lines also publish detailed reports that allow you to check their commitment to the environment against several objective standards.

A．But your trip can be green-ish.

B．What’s the company saying to everyone?

C．How can we find a reliable company online?

D．Don’t trust anything the company says to the public.

E．These certifications aren’t a guarantee the company is green.

F．Look for reliable reports on sustainability from a travel company.

G．You can search the directory of these forward-looking companies online.

3 . Aviation is a big polluter. Cutting the sector’s impact on global warming is high on the agenda. Although many governments are regulating emissions from cars and trucks, air transportation is technologically rooted in old patterns.

Facing the reality that the sector will keep emitting a lot, ICAO has established an international carbon-trading plan—Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or CORSIA. This encourages wide use of offsets (抵消) : aviation companies can buy emissions credits or invest in sectors that store carbon, such as forestry, to allow them to carry on as normal. CORSIA aims to keep CO2 emissions at 2019 levels through such purchases for emissions over that year’s baseline. ICAO predicts that increasing demand might reach 1. 7 billion tons by 2035, potentially making aviation the largest offset market in the world.

Yet offsetting faces a fundamental challenge: the size of the offset requires estimating flows of warming pollution that would have occurred if the carbon-removal project hadn’t existed, and comparing them against flows with the project in place. The former — a baseline that is unobservable — is a hotbed for shady accounting.

The vast majority of offsets today and in the expected future come from forest-protection and regrowth projects. The track record of reliable accounting in these industries is poor, because they lack convincing baselines. Even with oversight, forest projects are often troubled by wild assumptions, for example that trees would disappear completely from these areas in the absence of those projects, even when there are other forest protections in place. Such assumptions drive up baselines and flood the market with huge volumes of offsets. They make it easier for accountants to claim a net reduction in emissions even though the atmosphere sees little or no benefit. These problems are essentially unfixable. Evidence is mounting that offsetting as a strategy for reaching net zero is a dead end.

In our view, this approach could prove dangerously narrow. Removing aviation’s impact on global warming means upending the industry. The longer that reality is overlooked, the harder it will be to find effective solutions.

1. What does aviation refer to in the passage?

A．A project which needs revising.	B．A resource which needs trading.
C．A market which needs expanding.	D．An industry which needs reforming.

2. Why should aviation companies buy emissions credits?

A．To support the development of forestry.	B．To earn the largest profit in offset market.
C．To keep the levels of emission unchanged.	D．To make up for emissions over the baseline.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 4?

A．Too many offsets are filling the market now.

B．Some projects may cheat to create more offsets.

C．Offsetting contributes a lot to reducing emissions.

D．Trees would totally disappear without the projects.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the CORSIA?

A．Disapproving.

B．Confused.

C．Favorable.

D．Unconcerned.

4 . An ancient species of great ape likely disappeared hundreds of thousands of years ago when climate change put their favorite fruits out of reach during dry seasons, scientists recently reported.

The species is known as Gigantopithecus blacki. It once lived in southern China. It stood 3 meters tall and weighed up to 295 kilograms. It represents the largest great ape known to scientists.

“It’s just a massive animal — just really, really big,” said Renaud Joannes-Boyau, a researcher at Australia’s Southern Cross University. He helped write the study, which recently appeared in Nature. But its size may also have been a weakness. Joannes-Boyau said, “When food starts to be scarce, it’s so big that it can’t climb trees to explore new food sources.”

The huge apes likely looked similar to the modern orangutans (红毛猩猩). They survived for around 2 million years in Guangxi. They ate plants that included fruits and flowers — until the environment began to change. Starting about 600,000 years ago, Guangxi’s forests began producing fewer fruits. The area was experiencing more periods of dry weather. Researchers examined pollen (花粉) and sediment (沉积物) found in caves to learn more about the changes and their effects. The giant apes did not disappear quickly, the researchers say. They likely went extinct sometime between 215,000 and 295,000 years ago.

As the climate changed, smaller apes may have been able to climb trees to search for different food. But the researchers found that the giant apes ate more food that provided less nutrients. “When the forest changed, there was not enough food preferred by the species,” said Zhang Yingqi of China’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. He helped write the study.

1. What is Gigantopithecus blacki?

A．An ancient giant ape.	B．A recently found ape species.
C．A modern orangutan.	D．An endangered species.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “scarce” in the third paragraph?

A．dangerous.

B．rare.

C．important.

D．necessary.

3. How did Gigantopithecus blacki’s size become a weakness?

A．It made them easy to be sick.	B．It made them unable to find mates.
C．It made them difficult to climb trees for food.	D．It made them struggling in adapting to climates.

4. According to Zhang Yingqi, what caused Gigantopithecus blacki’s decline?

A．Competition for food.	B．Climate change.
C．Spread of diseases.	D．Human activities like hunting.

5 . We love our pets. In fact, for most people they are more than me re pets and become more like family members. It is likely then that their owners, at some point, are going to want photographs of their furry friends. However, pet photography presents its own special problems.     1     If you’re thinking of trying pet photography, here are a few pointers to get you started.

Find out about your subject’s personality and habits. Where does it nod off if the sun is out? What is its favourite toy?     2     It’s also worth spending a little time getting to know the animal yourself. Cats, dogs, horses, they all have personality, and you need to ensure they are comfortable being around you, and you around them.

    3     If the pet is comfortable with you, and if it isn’t too nervous, fill the frame with the pet’s face. Get the eyes nice and sharp. Just like humans, this is a natural point of focus, although focusing on the nose or mouth of a dog or cat can also make for an interesting image in its own right.

See the world from pets’ perspective. If you photograph a pet while you’re standing up, all you’re going to see is the top of their head and their backs, not what you want for a portrait. Get down to their eye level. Try pre-focusing your camera and just holding it at ground level so you can look up at the pet.     4    .

Bring a flash with the owner’s permission. While greeting or playing with a new pet, fire a couple of test flashes away from them to see their reaction. In daylight particularly, they never seem to mind the flash at all.     5    .

A．Think about getting in close to your subject.

B．It’s worth a try just for a new angle on things.

C．Animals can be unpredictable, lazy, aggressive and excitable.

D．A good photograph focuses on the subject and not the background.

E．If they do mind, then stick with natural light and use a white reflector.

F．The more you shoot, the greater your chances of hitting that perfect shot!

G．Take time to chat with the owner and observe your subject to gain some insight.

6 . With disastrous global warming already part of the climate system, today’s children face a future entirely unlike that of their parents. Unsurprisingly, children can have many feelings about climate change, such as being anxious, frightened, sad and angry. In a recent survey of American teenagers, 57 percent said that climate change made them feel scared and 52 percent said it made them feel angry.     1    .

The most important thing parents can give children is hope: there are solutions, and everyone has something to contribute, whatever their age. Parents can help them discover the facts, know that they are not alone and find ways to take action.     2    , which will help them manage their anxiety. It can also inspire constructive conversations that lead to collective action. However, that can feel hard for many parents.

    3    . But learning about the basics is “a critical first step in being able to talk”, according to Harriet Shugarman, who is the author of How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change. She is a nationally recognized influencer and trusted advisor to parents.     4    . Understanding the science equips them to make informed decisions.

Coverage includes:

·The realities of the climate emergency, where we are, and how we got here. It casts light on the historical progression of climate change.

·Strategies for talking to kids of different ages about the climate crisis. These include advice from experienced parents.

·How to keep our own hope and that of our children.

·A list of practical actions.     5    .

A．They tell families what they can do to deal with climate crisis

B．Use it as a chance to listen to their fears and hopes for the planet

C．Talking about climate change is key to preparing them for the future

D．Children can learn what a livable as well as green world looks like

E．These are very natural reactions to something uncertain and destructive

F．Parents needn’t be experts on climate science to explore the topic with children

G．This book offers both hope and practical ways to involve children in making a better world

7 . It takes almost two years to grow a pineapple before it’s ripe and ready for harvest. For rubber trees, it can take at least six years before latex (橡胶) can be collected. So you could imagine the frustration and heartbreak of seeing the fruits of a farmer’s patience and dedication destroyed in a matter of minutes. This has been the cruel reality for those living around Kui Buri National Park, where some of Thailand’s largest populations of Asian elephants hang out.

For years, these farmers have worked hard to make a living from their crops, only to witness it all damaged under the footsteps of the wild giants. But the elephants are not to blame; with their usual feeding spots now changed into farmland, there is little left for them to eat — except the massive fields of tempting, easily accessible juicy fruits, all lined up like a continental breakfast buffet.

While she felt angry about her damaged crops, farmer Nichakan Pongsarikit saw an opportunity that the mighty creatures offered. Embarking on a journey to become a local guide, she began learning more about the animals and their behavior, movement, and habitat, along with foreign language skills, with the support of the Kui Buri Conservation Association and WWF-Thailand.

“I used to never want to encounter the elephants,” she said, now entering her seventh year as a guide. “Now I want to see them every day.”

Like her, other affected farmers have also found innovative ways to embrace the situation. Some are now making handmade souvenirs from elephant-related products, such as natural dye (染料) and ‘poo poo’ paper from elephant dung (粪便), and selling them to tourists who come to visit the elephants in their natural habitat. While it does not come without challenges, this transformation demonstrates the economic benefits that conservation could bring to communities, and the vital role communities play in conservation.

1. What problem do the farmers face?

A．Asian elephants ruin their crops.

B．Domesticating elephants is challenging.

C．Kui Buri National Park gets damaged.

D．Thailand farmers have lost their land.

2. Why do the elephants come to the crop fields?

A．They are forced out of the park by the locals.

B．They have developed an appetite for crops.

C．They are fed by some local farmers.

D．They are losing their natural feeding grounds.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The farmers need to improve profits of their business.

B．No new elephant-related products will be launched.

C．Tourist-elephant conflicts will arise soon.

D．Economy goes hand in hand with ecological protection.

4. Which is most relevant to the message of the text?

A．Many hands make light work.	B．Misfortunes may be an actual blessing.
C．The early bird catches the worm.	D．Actions speak louder than words.

9 . A garden is a project that often requires a fairly large initial investment of both time and money from the start — as well as a commitment to maintain it.     1    . Those who like their home garden find it rewarding both as a place to relax, and as a fun and healthy hobby.

If you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, you can imagine the enjoyment you’d receive from changing that dusty, weedy dead space into a green, relaxing environment.     2    . With regular, low-level maintenance it will continue to thrive (茁壮成长）and provide you with pleasure.

So, how can you build a pleasant home garden? Some clever gardeners use drought-resistant plants such as cacti (仙人掌), and a little bit of watering and inspiration to produce spaces that are both relaxing and pleasing to the eye.     3    .

    4    . If you put in the plants and walkways yourself, it will be good for your health. Many people find that spending a while digging holes for trees or pulling weeds is easier to stomach than half an hour on a running machine, and who can blame them? It might take a while to see the fitness results, but a few days’ work can literally transform your yard.

There are many popular home garden books and magazines.     5    , as many books contain detailed plans for complex projects. Use these resources as a starting point and put together something uniquely yours — within the limits of your time and budget.

A．A trip to the library can help you get started

B．However, it is a deserving challenge for many people

C．A home garden can be a good workout as well as a place to relax

D．The shape of the space is often as important as its contents or size

E．Some do it for exercise and spend a little time outdoors on a sunny day

F．No matter what the circumstances, it’s possible to create a lovely home garden

G．Many gardeners also enjoy employing touches such as stone paths to create a nice atmosphere

10 . Having studied more than 400 groups of honeybees in Brazil for two years, a group of biologists led by Viviana Di Pietro report that, like humans, honeybees are capable of learning new traditions which are then handed down over generations.

“The most obvious example is that honeybees can build their homes according to different architectural traditions which are then handed down over generations,” they write. “We found that around 95% of the honeybees built their homes in a horizontal (与地面平行的) style, while 5% of them preferred a spiral (螺旋形的) structure. In each case, the tradition was passed down to the next generations.”

Since honeybees showed a strong preference for a horizontal structure, it was surprising that spiral structures occurred at all. “With the help of video cameras, we found that there was a noticeable difference in average building rate between the two styles.” the researchers add.

In order to rule out a genetic (遗传的) explanation for the different styles, the researchers took honeybees from the groups that built in spiral tradition close to the groups that built in horizontal tradition. The imported honeybees soon learned to build their homes in the local style, which was then passed down to their children as they eventually grew up. “It is very likely that the imported honeybees might have changed the style as a way of correcting the construction errors made by their ancestors.” the researchers suggest.

The findings have surprised observers of animal culture, as they suggest that honeybees can learn and hand down different building traditions over generations. This has changed the way of thinking about culture, which is often strictly defined as behaviour directly handed down from human parents to their children until it becomes a tradition in a group.

“Insect culture was thought impossible. Less than a century ago, culture was thought to be uniquely human,” says biologist Andrew Whiten of the University of St Andrews, who was not involved in the research. “But the new research has offered strong evidence pointing to the opposite.”

1. Why do most honeybees prefer a horizontal structure according to the research?

A．It is easier to be copied.	B．It is a bit stronger.
C．It is more comfortable.	D．It is faster to build.

2. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 5refer to?

A．Scientists.

B．Traditions.

C．Findings.

D．Parents.

3. Which word best describes Andrew Whiten’s attitude to the new research?

A．Favorable.

B．Disapproving.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Researchers Have Different Views on Animal Culture

B．Honeybees May Learn and Preserve Cultural Traditions

C．Honeybees Can Learn Building Skills From Their Neighbors

D．Researchers Have Misunderstood Honeybees for a Long Time