1 . If you’d like to go sightseeing, the following World Heritage sites (世界遗产保护地) may be your best choices.
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Jiuzhaigou Valley, which lies in the northern part of Sichuan Province, China, reaches a height of more than 4,800m, with a series of different forest ecosystems (生态系统). It’s particularly famous for its narrow landforms and excellent waterfalls. Some 140 kinds of birds also live in the valley, as well as a number of endangered plants and animals, including the giant panda. Jiuzhaigou Valley was recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1992.
Khami Ruins National Monument
The city of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological (考古的) interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time. It joined the World Heritage List in 1986.
Henderson Island
Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls (环礁) in the world whose ecology (生态) has been untouched by humans. It is particularly famous for the 10 plants and 4 birds that can only be seen on the island. It was recorded in the World Heritage List in 1988.
Old City of Jerusalem
As a holy (神圣的) city for three different religions in the Middle East, Jerusalem has always been of great religious importance. It was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the “World Heritage in Danger List” the following year.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about Jiuzhaigou Valley?| A．Wonderful waterfalls can be seen there. |
| B．It is famous for many ancient objects. |
| C．It has been untouched by human beings. |
| D．It lies in the southern part of Sichuan Province. |
| A．was ruined in the mid-16th century |
| B．was once business center for trade |
| C．has over 140 kinds of birds living there |
| D．is a holy city for three major religions |
| A．Henderson Island. | B．Khami Ruins National Monument. |
| C．Old City of Jerusalem. | D．Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area. |
2 . The National Parks Service has confirmed the discovery of an ancient crab (螃蟹) fossil (化石) found along the shores of Assateague Island National Seashore.
Sharon Conn, a visitor to the area, found the fossil in early October on the shore of Assateague Island. “It is very uncommon to find fossils of this nature. We have a very small number in our museum collection. That is what makes this discovery very exciting,” Liz Davis chief of Assateague Island National Seashore said.
The parks service identified the rare blue crab fossil with the help of the Department of Paleobiology. Matthew Mille, museum specialist at the National Museum of Natural History, tested the fossil to find out how it is. He concluded it was likely from the Pleistocene age, about 2 million years ago. “The extra rock around it is such a well tough ground that it can’t be easily eroded (腐蚀),” he said. “The claw did erode a bit though — which is why it isn’t immediately recognized as a claw. Gone are the tips and parts of the infilled area where the original flesh would have been through, making the whole fossil looks a bit strange.”
The fossil was found on public land and is protected by law. Davis told the Daily Times it was currently at the National Parks Service Toms Cove Visitor Center in Virginia. “We hope to have a small collection of fossils on display at the NPS Assateague Island Vistior Center in Maryland later in 2022,” said Davis.
1. What does Liz Davis think of the ancient crab fossil?| A．It is invaluable. | B．It is very old. | C．It is imperfect. | D．It is rare. |
| A．Around 2 million years old. |
| B．2 million years old. |
| C．3 million years old. |
| D．Less than 2 million years old. |
| A．Sharon Conn. | B．The country. | C．Liz Davis. | D．The National Parks Service. |
| A．A Lucky Visitor. | B．Assateague Island. |
| C．An Ancient Blue Fossil. | D．An Important Discovery. |
On the north bank of Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province sits a straw-hat-shaped mountain
Scientists have obtained a large number of research results on Chengjiang Fossil Site. The reason why Chengjiang fauna (动物群) is
Up to now, more than 20 phyla and more than 280 species
The UNESCO evaluation says the Chengjiang Fossil Site is one of the
4 . The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland has suffered several mass bleaching events due to the impacts of climate change. The Australian government turned down a proposal for a new open-cut coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef, considering environmental laws and the risk of “irreversible damage”. It was the first time the government had used its powers under environmental laws to reject a mine.
In turning down the project, Tanya Plibersek, the minister for the environment and water, cited significant potential environmental dangers to the reef, which is already heavily threatened by climate change.” The risk of pollution is real and the damage to the reef, once done, will never be repaired. “The project would have had unacceptable impacts on freshwater in the area and potentially on fragile seagrass meadows,” Plibersek said in a video posted on social media. She said that during the public consultation period, her department had received 9,000 public comments about the mine in just 10 business days.
The government has been under pressure from UNESCO to better protect the reef and in 2022, it pledged one billion Australian dollars for efforts to protect the fragile ecosystem, including climate adaptation measures and water quality programs. Last year, the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for more than 2,300 kilometers, experienced its sixth mass bleaching event, due to warming waters caused by climate change.
The government, elected in 2022, came to power promising stronger action on the climate in a country still heavily depending on fossil fuels. But its climate policies are rated “insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker, which found Australia is not on course to meet targets to limit warming to 1. 5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The government has rejected calls from the country’s Green Party to turn down all new fossil fuel projects.
1. Which of the following can replace “irreversible” in paragraph 1?| A．Permanent. | B．Gradual. | C．Severe. | D．Significant. |
| A．The reef is in good condition now. |
| B．9,000 people made good comments on the mining project. |
| C．The mining project has drawn the attention of the public. |
| D．The mining project has had bad effects on freshwater in the area. |
| A．Fossil fuels are not in demand in Australia. |
| B．The government has made effective climate policies. |
| C．The government failed to carry out its previous promises. |
| D．The Green Party reached an agreement with the government. |
| A．The Great Barrier Reef is faced with mass bleaching events. |
| B．Australia is on the way to protecting the Great Barrier Reef. |
| C．The Great Barrier Reef calls for help due to climate change. |
| D．Australia says “No” to a mine near the Great Barrier Reef. |
5 . The following properties which the World Heritage Committee has decided to include on the List of World Heritage are in danger according to Article 11 (4) of the Convention (公约).
Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Virunga National Park, covering an area of 790,000 ha., includes an outstanding diversity of habitats, ranging from swamps and steppes (沼泽和平原) to the snowfields. Mountain gorillas are also found in the park.
Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan)
The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley stand for the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria. The area contains a number of Buddhist monastic ensembles (佛教寺院), as well as strong buildings from the Islamic period.
Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
The Okapi Wildlife Reserve occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reserve contains threatened species of primates and birds surviving in the wild. It also has some amazing scenery, including waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers. The reserve is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters.
Historic Center of Vienna (Austria)
Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a Medieval and Baroque city, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It played an important role as a leading European music center, from the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century.
1. Which of the following world heritage sites is located in Afghanistan?| A．Virunga National Park. | B．Historic Centre of Vienna. |
| C．Okapi Wildlife Reserve. | D．Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley. |
| A．It’s closely related to Buddhism. | B．It has some fascinating natural scenery. |
| C．It has an outstanding variety of habitats. | D．It plays an important role as a leading music center. |
| A．They are all in danger. | B．They are open to the public. |
| C．They are inhabited by local people. | D．They are to be removed from the World Heritage List. |
6 . John “Charlie” Veron-widely known as “the Godfather of Coral Reef (珊瑚礁)”-is a celebrated expert who has personally discovered nearly a quarter of the world’s coral species and has spent the past 45 years diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. But now the 73-year-old is raising the alarm about its future. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders, is 2, 300 kilometers long and is the only living organism that can be seen from space. It is considered a World Treasure Site due to its biodiversity (生物多样性)with 30 species of whales, dolphins and sharks. Within the reef itself, there are also a number of tiny organisms and fishes.
However, its health is threatened. After the recent mass bleaching (白化)events, Veron dived in many areas of the Great Barrier Reef to see the damage for himself. “I was seeing and feeling it and it was absolutely shocking, ” he says.
Veron says the mass bleaching events in the past few years-and the possibility of losing one of nature’s greatest treasures-were a wake-up call for the world in the wider battle against climate change, which, together with the rising sea temperature, is considered the greatest threats to the reef.
Fortunately, earlier this year, the Australian government announced nearly 400 million dollars in new funding towards scientific projects designed to help the reef.
There has been criticism in Australia about the slow process for the funding. “It won’t be wasted, though,”Veron says. “As scientists will be able to create a sort of seed bank to protect the species until the climate is good enough to rebuild the reef. What the scientists hope to do is to help nature along a bit after the big carbon dioxide increase is over and it starts to come down.”
1. Why is the Great Barrier Reef considered a treasure site?| A．It is a natural wonder. |
| B．It can be seen from space. |
| C．It has a rich variety of species. |
| D．It is home to a great many fishes. |
| A．Climate change is threatening biodiversity. |
| B．The Great Barrier Reef is in danger of extinction. |
| C．Scientists have found major factors in the reef’s blenching. |
| D．Veron has made great contributions to environmental protection. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Positive. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A research plan. | D．A journal entry. |
7 . Humans are responsible for 25% to 40% more of the total share of methane emissions(甲烷排放)than previously estimated, according to a new study in Nature.
Methane is one of the most powerful and effective greenhouse gases: about 28 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. It's responsible for about a quarter of global warming. It's produced naturally by animals, volcanoes, and wetlands, but it's also a byproduct of oil and gas production. It's this last form of methane that the study focused on.
Researchers used ice core measurements from Greenland from 1750 to 2013, plus previous data from Antarctica. They melted the ice to let the small quantities of ancient air trapped inside come out. These act a bit like time capsules,allowing us to learn about the methane in the atmosphere at the time. They used carbon-14, which comes from living things, as a substitute(替代物)to determine whether the methane they found came from biological sources. Until 1870, around the time when we started using fossil(化石)fuels, almost all methane came from these sources. After that, there was a rise in methane that didn't have any carbon-14, from ancient fossil sources in which carbon-14 had disappeared. That allowed the researchers to compare natural methane with methane caused by human activity.
If more methane is created by humans, there's an even bigger opportunity to control how much we release. Methane stays in the atmosphere for only a decade(compared with 200 years for carbon dioxide). So efforts to cut methane, which mostly comes from the production and transportation of gas and oil, could bring great benefit right away.
1. Which methane source does the study focus on?| A．Animals. | B．Wetlands. | C．Volcanoes. | D．Fossil fuels. |
| A．Methane comes mainly from animals and wetlands. |
| B．There is more methane than carbon dioxide in the air. |
| C．Fossil fuels have been used about a century and a half. |
| D．Methane will remain permanently in the atmosphere. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Skeptical. | C．Disappointed. | D．Unconcermed |
| A．Fossil Fuels Cause Global Pollution |
| B．Humans Produce More Methane than We Thought |
| C．Methane Is the Biggest Cause for Global Warming |
| D．Carbon Dioxide Has Less Impact on Climate than Methane |
8 . Four Most Amazing Cultural World Heritage Sites
Acropolis of Athens
As the name suggests, one of the most amazing cultural world heritage sites Acropolis of Athens has the location of Athens, Greece. It is a heritage site since 1987. The site is an ancient castle that is on a high rocky outcrop over the city of Athens containing the remains of the Parthenon and other ancient important structures. It is one of the most famous monument (遗迹)in Europe.
Rapa Nui National Park
One of the most amazing cultural world heritage sites, it is in the Easter Island. You know it as the heritage site since 1995. These are a Monolithic (庞大而单一的)human figures that are carvings by the Rapa Nui people from rock between the years 1250 and 1500. These have overly large heads three-eighths the size of the whole statue and Paro which is the tallest, almost 10 meters high with 75 tonnes of weight.
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a place in Mexico. It is a heritage site since 1988. One of the most amazing cultural world heritage sites, Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city. It is a gift by the Maya people. Being a major focal point in the northern Maya lowlands for centuries, it was one of the largest Maya cities. Today, Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico. It receives around 1.2 million visitors each year.
Taj Mahal
You will find this one of the most amazing cultural world heritage sites in Agra, India that has bagged a place in the heritage site since 1983. It is white marble mausoleum (陵墓)which was built between 1632 and 1653 under the order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
1. How long has Acropolis of Athens become a heritage site？| A．Since 1987. | B．Since 1995. |
| C．Since 1988. | D．Since 1983. |
| A．Acropolis of Athens. | B．Rapa Nui National Park. |
| C．Chichen Itza. | D．Taj Mahal. |
| A．The Rapa Nui people. | B．The Maya people. |
| C．Shah Jahan | D．Mumtaz Mahal. |
Every day we use energy. We use it for cooking, for heating and for lighting our cities. The energy comes from many different
These fuels come from the remains of plants and animals. It takes millions of years
We need to have a strong sense of
What about turning off anything
Cars consume a lot of fuel, but there
10 . One billion people in the world are short of water. How can this problem be solved. Some suggestions have been to desalinate ocean water or to build enormous water pipelines from areas where water is abundant. (Suggestions such as these prove extremely expensive when they are actually used.) One possibility that scientists are considering is pulling icebergs from either the North Pole or the South Pole to parts of the world with a water shortage. Although many questions must be answered before such a project could be tried, moving icebergs seems a reasonable possibility in the future.
Engineers, mathematicians, and glaciologists from a dozen countries have been considering the iceberg as a future source of water. Saudi Arabia is particularly interested in this project because it has a great water shortage. Scientists estimate that it would take 128 days to transport a large iceberg (about 1/2 square mile) to Saudi Arabia. Yet the iceberg would be completely melted by the 104th day. Therefore, insulation would be essential, but how to insulate the iceberg remains an unsolved problem.
The problems in transporting an iceberg are numerous. The first problem is choosing the iceberg to pull. The icebergs that form in the North Pole are quite difficult to handle because of their shape. Only a small portion extends above the water — most of the iceberg is below the surface, which would make it difficult to pull. South Pole icebergs, on the other hand, are flat and float like table tops. Thus they would be much easier to move.
How can a 200-million-ton iceberg be moved. No ship is strong enough to pull such enormous weight through the water. Perhaps several ships could be used. Attaching ropes to an iceberg this size is also an enormous problem. Engineers think that large nails or long metal rods could be driven into the ice. What would happen if the iceberg splits into several pieces during the pulling. Even if an iceberg with very few cracks were chosen, how could it be pulled through stormy waters. Furthermore, once the iceberg reached its destination, very few ports would be deep enough to store it.
All of these problems must be solved before icebergs can become a reasonable source of water. Yet scientists estimate that it will be possible to transport them in the near future. Each year, enough icebergs form to supply the whole world with fresh water for a full year. In addition, icebergs are free and nonpolluting. As a solution to the world’s water problems, icebergs may be a workable possibility.
1. What is a problem in transporting iceberg?| A．The size of the iceberg. |
| B．The colour of the iceberg. |
| C．The salt in the iceberg. |
| D．The movement of air and water. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Objective. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It is hard to use iceberg. | B．Iceberg are a good choice. |
| C．There are problems with iceberg. | D．Man finds no other ways to solve water shortage. |
| A．Shortage of water. | B．Icebergs for water. |
| C．Scientists and icebergs. | D．Iceberg—scientists headache. |
