1 . In order to meet growing food production and energy needs in low-and middle-income countries, solar-powered groundwater irrigation (灌溉) is rapidly gaining ground. More than 500,000 solar pumps (泵) have been set up in south Asia over the last few years and a major expansion is planned across sub-Saharan Africa.
Dustin Garrick, professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, along with an international team, examined the trend toward solar pumps as a clear opportunity for boosting agricultural yields and reducing poverty, but the opportunity comes with risks.
While replacing electric or gas pumps with solar-powered irrigation holds the promise of reducing carbon emissions (排放), it is not guaranteed. Farmers who have access to these pumps may expand production of crops or diversify into other activities, which are not emissions neutral. Solar pumps will increase groundwater pumping efficiency, which may be desirable in regions that support such increases, but this could worsen groundwater lessening in regions that are already stressed. The cheap clean energy of solar pumps may lead to increased groundwater development, without necessarily decreasing overall emissions.
Despite these challenges, the clean-energy boost can serve as a stimulus for positive change in water and energy management but will require enhanced regulation and planning in both low-and high-income settings. Garrick and his team advocate for improved data collection initiatives, with a shift from separated to integrated approaches. They suggest using technology to measure water pumping and collecting remotely sensed data to monitor land use changes. As well, regulatory improvements are crucial, with mounting limits for carbon emissions and groundwater lessening established at various levels.
With groundwater management already a difficult challenge, we must act fast to understand the implications of the clean energy boost and poverty reduction acts to avoid these gains being won away by wells running dry. The rapid adoption of solar irrigation intensifies the urgency, demanding adaptation from governments and institutions to sail through these complexities.
1. According to paragraph 3, there is a conflict between ________.A.poor farmers and solar-powered irrigation | B.human consumption and clean energy limits |
C.crop diversity and crop production expansion | D.pumping efficiency and groundwater exhaustion |
A.Integrating data collection and regulation. | B.Improving carbon emission monitoring. |
C.Separating data for land use changes. | D.Establishing groundwater levels. |
A.Perform as the authorities suggest. | B.Act based on further understanding. |
C.Quicken the adoption of solar irrigation. | D.Challenge the groundwater management. |
A.The Complexities of Adopting Solar Pumps |
B.Solar-Powered Irrigation: Farmers’ New Future |
C.The Promise and Risks of Solar-Powered Irrigation |
D.Balancing Clean Energy Boost and Poverty Reduction |
2 . Historical accounts often described the now-extinct California grizzly bears as huge beasts ready to attack humans and livestock at any time. But according to a new paper, scientists say the truth might have been less dramatic: The bears ate a mostly vegetarian diet and were smaller than previously described. California grizzly bears once roamed in the Golden State. But European settlers often hunted, poisoned and trapped the creatures. Over time, because of these human activities, the California grizzly population declined. The last reliable sighting of a California grizzly bear occurred 100 years ago in 1924, and the animals disappeared completely sometime after that.
Researchers wanted to get a better understanding of the factors that accelerated the bears’ extinction. They also hoped to gain more insight into the creatures’ behavior, size and diet. To do so, they turned to documents and California grizzly specimens in natural history collections. They measured the animals’ skulls and teeth and analyzed their bones and pelts. The researchers found that California grizzly bears were much smaller than the 2,000 pounds often reported at the time. Historical accounts might not necessarily have been wrong, but they might have only included the largest bears. In addition, analyses of the animals’ bones and skins suggest the bears were primarily eating plants, which stands in contrast to their fear some hyper carnivorous (超级食肉的) reputation. “The bears likely increased meat consumption due to landscape changes coupled with the arrival of livestock,” says study co-author Alexis Mychajliw. However, researchers found the animals still ate a majority vegetarian diet and killed far less livestock than historical accounts suggested.
By digging beyond the bears’ reputation, the researchers gained a more accurate understanding of the California grizzly’s biology and natural history. And since scientists and land managers often rely on historical accounts when reintroducing animals to their former habitats, the study serves as a reminder that those old newspapers and journals do not tell the whole story.
1. What does the underlined word “roamed” in paragraph 1 mean?A.Disappeared. | B.Declined. | C.Fought. | D.Wandered. |
A.They mainly fed on livestock. |
B.Their diet consisted mostly of plants. |
C.They ate a balanced diet of plants and meat. |
D.The absence of livestock changed their dietary habit. |
A.They are unique. | B.They are one-sided. |
C.They are accurate. | D.They are comprehensive. |
A.The natural habitats of California grizzly bears. |
B.The extinction process of California grizzly bears. |
C.The reveal of the truth of California grizzly bears. |
D.The significance of the arrival of California grizzly bears. |
A.It stays still. | B.It acts friendly towards them. | C.It tries to catch them. |
A.To eat the seeds. | B.To enjoy the flowers. | C.To sell the seeds. |
1. What probably happened around Fountain Hills during last winter?
A.All animals died off. | B.It didn’t rain much. | C.Many chemicals were used. |
A.They were eaten by birds. |
B.They were dying off themselves. |
C.They were killed by the government. |
A.To bring bees to the town. |
B.To tell people the importance of bees. |
C.To teach farmers how to grow food better. |
1.现状;
2.你的倡议。
要求:词数80左右(开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数)。
参考词汇:nuclear waste核废水
Dear students,
It’s my great honour to stand here to give a speech.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Thanks for your listening!
A.Ways to save water. | B.Schools’ facilities. | C.Cities’ water supply. |
1. What is the relationship between the speakers?
A.A couple. | B.Classmates. | C.Colleagues. |
A.Stop using paper cups. |
B.Prepare boxes for different waste. |
C.Reduce the use of paper, plastic and cans. |
Two disabled Chinese citizens who have planted trees
The vote
Jia Wenqi and Jia Haixia, both of
“I am his hands; he is my eyes,” says Haixia. “We are good partners.”
Fully
Despite their disabilities, they form a great team that makes a huge
10 . Growing up in coastal Maine, Lynda Doughty spent lots of time out on the sea. There she often saw whales, seals and other marine (海洋的) animals. She developed a(n)
“I remember being so amazed by them and
She also
So she became a marine
In 2011, she
When COVID-19 broke out, things became more difficult, but they couldn’t
“We were so nervous of how we would
When another New England-based marine animal rescue program
“We could no longer take any
“I feel this strong
A.habit | B.taste | C.love | D.approach |
A.dreaming | B.wondering | C.estimating | D.approving |
A.recognised | B.imagined | C.doubted | D.noticed |
A.protect | B.attract | C.evolve | D.prevent |
A.chemist | B.biologist | C.linguist | D.psychologist |
A.set out | B.gave out | C.set up | D.gave up |
A.go back | B.wipe out | C.come along | D.slow down |
A.already | B.still | C.even | D.just |
A.survive | B.capture | C.occupy | D.quit |
A.Normally | B.Hopefully | C.Naturally | D.Luckily |
A.started | B.stopped | C.continued | D.forgot |
A.generous | B.delightful | C.crucial | D.terrifying |
A.employers | B.partners | C.experts | D.animals |
A.assisted | B.encouraged | C.needed | D.impressed |
A.responsibility | B.ability | C.personality | D.chance |