1 . Japan said Tuesday that it would start pouring treated radioactive water (放射性废水) from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean within two years. Officials in Tokyo said the water would be filtered and diluted (稀释) to safe levels first, but most locals remain firmly opposed to the plan. Protesters gathered outside Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s residence in downtown Tokyo to criticize the government’s decision.
More than a million tons of radioactive water is currently being stored at the Fukushima power plant in a massive tank farm big enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The wastewater comes from water pumped in to cool the plant’s damaged reactors (反应堆). The government says it has simply run out of room to store all the water. The plan to dump the water into the ocean first came to light in the autumn of last year, when Japanese news reported anonymous (匿名的) officials said the decision had been taken.
On Tuesday, Suga said that after years of study, his scientific advisors had concluded that ocean discharge was the most possible way to cope with the wastewater. But the decision to pour Fukushima wastewater into the ocean has drawn fire from neighboring Asian countries and local fishermen along Japan’s coast.
China called the decision “extremely irresponsible,” and South Korea summoned (召唤) the Japanese ambassador in Seoul over the matter. “They told us that they wouldn’t release the water into the sea without the support of fishermen,” Kanji Tachiya, who leads a local cooperative of fisheries in Fukushima, told national broadcaster NHK ahead of the announcement on Tuesday. “We can’t support this move to break that promise and release the water into the sea unilaterally (单方面地).”
The actual release of water from the Fukushima plant will take decades to complete. Critics have called on Japan’s government to at least ensure that independent monitoring is in place to check the level of radiation in the poured water is safe for the environment.
1. How do most of the local people react to the plan?| A．Indifferent. | B．Uncertain. | C．Supportive. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．The wastewater is being stored in 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. |
| B．It was last year that the plan was exposed to the public. |
| C．Ocean discharge is the only way to deal with the wastewater. |
| D．The plan has aroused anger in all the Asian countries. |
| A．The plan is to pull the whole world into the disaster. |
| B．It’s imperative that the plan should be carried out immediately. |
| C．It’s safe and easy to pour the wastewater into the ocean. |
| D．It’s unacceptable to pour the water into the ocean without fishermen’s permission. |
| A．The Japanese government has checked the level of radiation in the poured water. |
| B．Neigboring Asian countries agreed the decision to pour Fukushima wastewater into the ocean.. |
| C．It will actually take the Fukushima plant long to release treated radioactive water. |
| D．Independent monitoring of the water from the Fukushima plant aren’t necessary. |
2 . Putting more green space around a school may help students develop some mental abilities, a study suggests. Researchers tested students repeatedly over the course of a year on attentiveness (专注力)and working memory, which is the ability to keep something in mind temporarily for performing a task. On the whole, students whose schools were surrounded by more green space improved more than pupils from schools with less green space.
The study tracked more than 2,000 students in 36 primary schools in Barcelona, Spain. The pupils were in the second to fourth grades when the study began. Green space may help mental development by reducing air pollution from vehicles, according to an article by the researchers that included pollution data from the schools. It may also help by reducing noise and encouraging physical activity, researchers said.
Policy makers should know that “more green around the school is better for cognitive development and that they should make sure that kids can see and play in green areas,” one author Mark Nieuwenhuijsen said. “Existing urban schools should think about replacing concrete or other hard surfaces with green space,” he suggested, “and even a few trees may help.”
The researchers used satellite images to group schools according to how much green space appeared on the school grounds and within about 55 yards of the school property. Their analysis showed that differences in socio-economic factors between schools did not account for the study outcome.
Sally Augustin, a psychologist, said the results made sense to her. She said the results fit with previous findings that views of nature help children and adults lower stress and perform mental tasks better.
1. What does the text mainly tell us?| A．Green space makes schools more beautiful. |
| B．Schools are lack of green space for students. |
| C．Students’ mental abilities need to be improved. |
| D．Green space is good for students’ mental abilities. |
| A．Moved. | B．Helped. | C．Followed. | D．Found. |
| A．More trees should be planted for kids. |
| B．Noise should be cleared near the school. |
| C．Kids should be encouraged to play more sports. |
| D．Air pollution should be reduced from vehicles. |
| A．To show a different opinion. |
| B．To introduce another interesting study. |
| C．To present Augustin’s view about the study. |
| D．To make the findings of the study more convincing. |
| A．Health. | B．Education. | C．Nature. | D．Technology. |
3 . Be a Green Guest
When people take a vacation, they often take vacation from responsibility, too. Our behavior at hotels is one of the biggest problems. We have our linens(纺织品) washed daily for us, and are provided with an endless stream of hot water — what’s not to love about that? But all of this luxury equals serious consequences for the environment. More and more hotels are becoming eco-friendly. They offer programs and facilities that save water and energy. That’s a good start,
•Just say “no” to hotel shampoos
In America alone, there are about 50,000 hotels. Hotel management normally leaves out two small bottles for each hotel room every day.
•Turn off the lights.
•
Sure, it’s a luxury to have sheets and towels cleaned every day, but that’s all it is. Washing a set of bed sheets and a pair of bathroom towels requires about 12-16 gallons of water. See if there is a policy for requesting that your towels and linens get washed weekly.
| A．You do it when you’re at home, right? |
| B．Don’t shower too many times in hotels. |
| C．Don’t have your linens washed every day. |
| D．but they can do more to reduce these energy waste. |
| E．The little plastic bottles may not even get recycled. |
| F．but there is a lot more you can do to cut down the amount. |
| G．In some hotels, it’s as simple as hanging towels back up on a hook. |
4 . Joseph Dituri hasn’t seen the sun for days. The biomedical engineer has been underwater, with the goal of spending 100 days there in the name of
The submerged stay, if
During the project, Dituri is attempting to
Beyond research, the project is also a chance to promote ocean
“
| A．reputation | B．freedom | C．science | D．entertainment |
| A．publish | B．conduct | C．advertise | D．review |
| A．necessary | B．convenient | C．accessible | D．successful |
| A．forecast | B．document | C．imagine | D．relieve |
| A．extended | B．busy | C．early | D．essential |
| A．informed | B．persuaded | C．monitored | D．satisfied |
| A．sensitive | B．subjected | C．familiar | D．restricted |
| A．remember | B．realize | C．suppose | D．admit |
| A．cautiously | B．intentionally | C．fearlessly | D．groundlessly |
| A．costs | B．difference | C．practicality | D．benefits |
| A．make for | B．hold over | C．refer to | D．depend on |
| A．conservation | B．expansion | C．tourism | D．transport |
| A．dampen | B．express | C．stimulate | D．appreciate |
| A．Now that | B．In case | C．Provided that | D．Even if |
| A．win | B．burden | C．shame | D．lesson |
5 . We all have an idea about the common types of environmental problems. However, light pollution may be a new term to many of us. But, the fact is that it does affect mankind, other living forms and the environment as a whole.
What is light pollution? It presents all forms of misused man-made light. The obvious cause of light pollution is the use of outdoor lighting products improperly. It can be office lighting, car headlights, station lights, streetlights and many more.
Light pollution is harmful to both animals and plants. Upon studies, it is found that obvious effects are observed in the behaviour of animals that are active at night. Needless to mention, bright light at night makes it difficult for these animals to hunt, wander and perform their regular activities. Light pollution is directly or indirectly responsible for causing several diseases. Its effects are related to disturbance in the physical rhythm (节奏). It contributes to risks of developing cancerous cells. So, it’s nothing less than a threat to human health.
You have already seen the negative effects of light pollution on animals and human health. Apart from this, the actual cost of misused light is about millions of dollars every year. It also leads to the release of greenhouse gases and global warming. After all, coal or gas is used for producing electricity.
While outdoor lighting and using man-made lighting products are part of our modern lifestyle, some simple ways will surely help in reducing light pollution. For example, while installing (安装) outdoor lighting, make sure that they are pointed downwards. Also, use only the required lighting equipment for both home and offices. Believe it or not, many people living in the urban areas cannot view clear sky and stars at night. Let’s contribute our part in reducing the pollution.
1. What can we learn about light pollution?| A．It has little effect on plants. |
| B．It contributes to most cancers. |
| C．It is a negative fruit of light technology. |
| D．It affects animals’ behavior during the day. |
| A．It increases the temperature at night. |
| B．It creates clouds in parts of the Earth. |
| C．It stops the release of greenhouse gases. |
| D．It is related to the burning of coal and gas. |
| A．Forbid the use of outdoor lighting. |
| B．Use clean energy to produce electricity. |
| C．Avoid unnecessary lights at home and offices. |
| D．Reduce money spent on light in urban areas. |
| A．Citizens should be banned to install outdoor lighting. |
| B．Only simple ways can help reduce light pollution. |
| C．There is no clear sky or stars over the urban areas. |
| D．Light pollution needs to be dealt with urgently. |
6 . Wildfires lit by humans have been found to be sending huge amounts of carbon into our oceans via rivers every year.
When trees and other vegetation are incompletely burned, they release black carbon into the air, which can last for centuries on land and even longer in oceans. Now we have the best global picture of how much of the stuff is making its way to the sea: around a third of all the black carbon produced by fires.
Unlike the two-thirds that stays on the land, the carbon ending up in the oceans will stay there much longer, says Matthew Jones at the University of East Anglia in the UK. “Once it reaches the oceans, it has potential for storage over tens of thousands of years. That’s why we care about it. It’s almost locked up for the distant future,” he says.
Jones and his colleagues looked at 409 measurements of black carbon dissolved in the waters of 34 major rivers globally, plus many smaller rivers, including far more data from the tropics. They then modeled how it would travel to the oceans. “It’s quite breathtaking how long-lived this material is and how much ends up in the environment,” says Jones.
The team found that the amount of black carbon being carried by rivers varies generally around the world, with the rivers in the tropics carrying twice what those in cooler regions do.
When compared with emissions from humanity’s fossil fuel use, the actual amount reaching the oceans is relatively small. However, says Jones, understanding how black carbon is being moved around is important for building better climate models and for our understanding of the global carbon cycle.
The amount being produced by fires has been relatively stable for the past two decades, with forest fires being offset by Savannah being turned into farmland, which reduces the amount of vegetation available to burn. But Jones points out that more fires are expected as the world warms, which will deliver more black carbon into the oceans.
1. What happens to the black carbon produced by forest fires?| A．One third will turn into fires. | B．It will disappear in few years. |
| C．The ocean covers two-thirds of its total. | D．It has more lasting storage underwater. |
| A．The research deals with 409 rivers in all. |
| B．Black carbon finally ends up in the ocean by rivers. |
| C．The research focuses on different varieties of black carbon. |
| D．The rivers in the tropics have less black carbon due to temperature. |
| A．Better climate models will be built soon. |
| B．The carbon produced by humans is small. |
| C．The amount of carbon produced by forest fire is falling. |
| D．The amount of carbon reaching the ocean won’t be reduced. |
| A．Environment. | B．Science. | C．Entertainment. | D．Health. |
7 . The world produces around 359 million tons of plastics each year. Plastics are certainly a big problem, but they don’t necessarily have to be. There are many ways we could set plastics on a different lifecycle. One that I have been working on is turning plastics into a hardy, reliable and sustainable building material.
Most people believe that plastics recycling is severely limited: only a few types can be recycled at all. This is unsurprising. The proportion(比例)of plastics that are recycled is minimal. But all polymers(聚合物)are, technologically, recyclable. Some of them can be used again and again to produce the same goods. Some can technically be reprocessed into new materials for different applications.
The problem is that recycling much of this plastic waste is currently unprofitable. But the amount of these materials all over the world is large and keeps on growing. What if this plastic waste could be used to produce something useful to the society? Many universities and business people are attempting to do this. Most solutions target mixed plastic waste and suggest applications different from the original ones. For example, several groups have developed building materials made of plastic waste. Plastics are strong, durable, waterproof, lightweight and recyclable—all key properties for construction materials. So what if all of this plastic waste could be turned into building materials for low-income populations? Existing initiatives are promising, but not yet reproducible on an industrial scale.
I study plastic waste with the aim of finding interesting ways to remove it from the environment. From agricultural waste to concrete waste, mixed with recycled plastics, there are many ways to obtain materials to produce bricks and other useful elements for buildings. So perhaps plastics are not necessarily the problem. They can be part of a pathway towards a more sustainable way of living.
1. What’s people’s common belief about plastic recycling?| A．Almost all plastic waste can be reused. | B．The methods are quite limited. |
| C．Not many kinds of plastics are recyclable. | D．The amount is unbelievably large. |
| A．Plastic waste is on the decline globally. |
| B．Recycling plastics doesn’t make money now. |
| C．Plastic buildings have been largely constructed. |
| D．New applications of plastics haven’t been found. |
| A．They can resist water and won’t last long. |
| B．They can be reproduced in large quantity. |
| C．They satisfy the needs of low-income people. |
| D．They meet most demands of building materials. |
| A．Positive. | B．Anxious. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
Kim Cobb, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, is one of a small but growing minority of academics
Cobb, for her part, started to ask conference organizers who invited her to speak
9 . The first Earth Day was an inspiration. On that day in 1970, 20 million people turned out to demand the protection and restoration of the Earth, air, water, forests, natural lands, and species that support, sustain and enrich every aspect of our lives. But in recent years, Earth Day hasn’t had quite the same impact.
| A．Let’s change that. |
| B．It is our common sense to recycle. |
| C．Bring your own cups, bottles and bags. |
| D．Was your bottled water in a plastic bottle? |
| E．Switch from disposable paper to reusable cloth. |
| F．Have you ever thought about the reason for its insignificance? |
| G．It also comes at a price: loss of trees, use of water and the generation of greenhouse gases. |
It was a pleasant morning. Meena was leaning out of her window and feeding the birds. The roads were empty because of COVID-19 lockdown. Just then a strong blow of wind came and Meena saw something flying in the air from distance. “Is it a kite?” Meena thought. As it came closer, Meena saw that it was a mask.
Curious to know where the mask came from, she ran to catch the mask and finally ran to the beach nearby. The mask fell into the sea water. As Meena looked around, she saw many masks floating in the sea and lying on the beach. She wondered where they came from.
Suddenly Meena heard a low voice nearby so helpless as if crying out for someone for help. She went closer to the voice – it was a huge turtle from the sea, with something stuck into his mouth. Apparently the turtle was choking (噎住) and in great pain. Meena moved closer to him, without wasting any time pulling it out of his mouth – it was a mask! The turtle finally recovered from the pain and seemed to express relief from his eyes as if to say “thank you” for her kindness.
Meena was sad to see so many masks thrown around. Just then she saw a man dumping rubbish here, with many single-use masks poured out. “Stop!” she screamed. “Please don’t throw the waste here. The turtle might swallow the mask again and fall sick!” The man stopped at once. He was sorry for his actions and decided to help clean the beach. He called a few people from the village to help them clean it. In no time the beach was free of rubbish.
Meena was happy and couldn’t wait to go home and tell her mother about it. Her mother was very proud of her, and told her the importance of throwing single-use masks into a rubbish bin so that animals wouldn’t swallow them. Yet Meena was still worried. She didn’t want the turtles to fall sick again due to people’s ignorance.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Shouldn’t I stop wearing a mask?” asked Meena.
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The next day Meena and her mother gave out their homemade cloth masks around the village.
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