1 . Several years ago, Jason Box, a scientist from Ohio, flew 31 giant rolls of white plastic to a glacier (冰川) in Greenland. He and his team spread them across 10,000 feet of ice, and then left. His idea was that the white blanket would reflect back the rays of the sun, keeping the ice cool below. When he came back to check the results, he found it worked. Exposed ice had melted faster than covered ice. He had not only saved two feet of glacier in a short time. No coal plants (煤炭工厂) were shut down, no jobs were lost, and nobody was taxed or fired. Just the sort of fix we’re looking for.
“Thank you, but no thank you.” says Ralph King, a climate scientist. He told Grey Childs, author and commentator, that people think technology can save the planet, “but there are other things we need to deal with, like consumption (消费). They burned $50,000 just for the helicopter to bring the plastic to the glacier. ”This experiment gives people false hope that climate change can be fixed (解决，处理) without changing human behavior. . It can’t. Technology won’t give us a free ride (搭便车).
Individuals respond to climate change differently. Climatologist Kelly Smith is hardly alone in her prediction that someday soon we won’t be climate victims; we will be climate choosers. More scientists agree with her that if the human race survives, the engineers will get smarter, the tools will get better, and one day we will control the climate. But what then? "Just the mention of us controlling the climate sent a small shiver (颤抖) down my back”, Grey Childs writes, “Something sounds wrong about it.”
Me? I like it better when the earth takes care of itself. I guess one day we will have to run the place, but for the moment, sitting at my desk. looking out at the trees bending wildly and the wind howling. I’m happy not to be in charge.
1. What does Ralph King think of Jason Box’s experiment?| A．It’s a possible solution to climate change. |
| B．It’s a misleading attempt to fix the climate. |
| C．It’s a successful experiment on saving the glacier. |
| D．It arouses people’s attention to the problem of global warming. |
| A．The fight against climate change will not succeed. |
| B．Humans will succeed in controlling climate in the future. |
| C．Technology is not the final solution, let alone its high cost. |
| D．Jason’s experiment plays a significant role in fixing climate change. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Tolerant (容忍的). |
| C．Sceptical (怀疑的). | D．Unclear. |
| A．Should we fix the climate with technology? | B．Is climate change a threatening problem? |
| C．Why is the earth climate getting worse? | D．What if all the glaciers disappeared? |
2 . Every year, an average American produces more than 250 pounds of plastic waste. Recycling is part of the solution, but many of us are confused about what can be recycled and what can’t.
Plastic film
At the store we find it covering vegetables, meats and cheeses. It’s common, but it can’t be recycled because it’s hard to deal with at the MRF (材料回收厂). The thin and soft film gets stuck around the equipment and can bring it to a stop.
Plastic bags
Plastic bags — like those used for bread, sandwich as well as grocery bags — create similar problems for recycling machines as thin plastic film. Therefore, most of the plastic bags end up in landfills and oceans.
Yogurt and butter cups
These containers often mix with other kinds of materials. It’s not possible to separate them. In addition, this type of packaging flattens out on the MRF’s conveying belt and can bring the equipment to a stop, too.
Beverage (饮料) bottles
These containers are firm. They don’t flatten out like yogurt cups and they’re made from one kind of plastic that recyclers can easily sell for making products such as carpet, clothing or even more plastic bottles.
Warning: Be aware that we cannot recycle as much as we want. For example, plastic bottles are a highly desirable product for recyclers, but just about a third finds their way into the MRFs. Therefore, it’s more important for us to reduce packaging.
1. What do the first two kinds of packaging have in common?| A．They are used for the same products. | B．They are mixed with other materials |
| C．They are too thin and soft to be recycled. | D．They are usually recycled in special MRFs. |
| A．Plastic film. | B．Beverage bottles. | C．Plastic bags. | D．Yogurt and butter cups. |
| A．Reduce packaging. | B．Try to build more MRFs. |
| C．Use recyclable bags. | D．Separate the waste properly. |
3 . Environmental restoration projects in Shaanxi province! Qinling Mountains were not conducted in a timely manner, a central government inspection team has revealed, urging provincial government departments to better shoulder their environmental protection responsibilities.
The Qinling Mountains are a geographically important north-south boundary in China and home to more than 2, 600 plant species and 300 animal species including giant pandas. In the last couple of decades, the Qinling Mountains have attracted many investment projects due to their rich natural and historical resources, dotting the area with hundreds of small coal and mineral mines, which led to serious damage to the local environment.
In December 2019, the provincial government banned all exploring and mining activities in key protected areas of the mountains and told enterprises already established there to gradually leave. “After 169 mining companies departed, environmental restoration was conducted slowly, “the inspection team told the provincial government. “The target of restoring 1,000 hectares of abandoned mines by 2020 has yet to be achieved.”
It said 64 tailings ponds in the area have not been closed as required, while the soil and rocks removed from some abandoned mines are illegally occupying nearby forests or grassland. The inspection team also noted other environmental problems in Shaanxi, such as the illegal us of underground water and pollution along the Yellow River due to the improper treatment of pollutant discharges from nearby mines and factories.
“The provincial government should maintain a firm attitude to safeguard Qinling, the bio-safety barrier in northern China, and put environmental protection work into practice, “the team said. It also stressed the important role environmental protection along the Yellow River plays in the country’s high-quality development and urged the provincial government to better perform its duties in protecting water resources.
1. What is a major cause of the environmental problem in Qinling Mountain?| A．Massive mining activities. | B．Poor geographical conditions. |
| C．Illegal discharge of pollutants. | D．Improper use of underground water. |
| A．Removing soil and rocks. | B．Banning investment projects. |
| C．Departing mining companies. | D．Limiting pollutant discharges. |
| A．Effective but slow. | B．Timely and efficient. |
| C．Illegal and unreliable. | D．Costly but successful. |
| A．The importance of wildlife conservation. | B．An introduction to an eco-friendly policy. |
| C．An expectation for local economic development. | D．The measures on provincial mountain restoration. |
4 . In the oceans, concrete is the main construction material, accounting for more than 70% of coastal and marine construction such as ports, coastal defense structures and waterfronts. “Concrete is damaging the ocean because, to put it in place, natural ecosystems are destroyed,” says Alex Rogers, director of a nonprofit company studying ocean health and raising awareness of global impacts on the marine environment. “Concrete is a conventioal material, and it is low cost. But we should be looking at alternative materials.”
Those alternatives might already be here. Among them is a substance called ECOncrete. It produces bio-enhancing concrete products intended to protect coastlines and marine resources. This is achieved by using a mixture made almost entirely of by-products and recycled materials, and is thus nearly carbon neutral. The overall result is a low-carbon concrete.
Furthermore, unlike traditional concrete, which is highly alkaline (碱性的), the specially designed concrete has a PH value near to that of sea water, which helps to promote the growth of marine species such as crabs,clams, mussels, and oysters. ECOncrete is already in use across eight countries and six different areas.
However, Beth Strain, a project leader for Australia’s National Center for Coasts and Climate, says the evidence for the concrete as a better surface for marine organisms is very mixed. “It can be location specific. We did an experiment in 13 harbors around the world with the same type of concrete surface complexity. Largely, the results were positive, but in Penang, Malaysia, for example, using the concrete that would theoretically preserve moisture (水分) and be better for organisms to survive made no difference.” Strain thinks this is because of the area’s typhoons, which make the area very wet already, so the features of the concrete aren’t a big help. “There is a degree of difference and each location has its own environmental chanllenges,” says Strain.
Nevertheless, from multiple perspectives, it appears that nature-based solutions are definitely the way forward.
1. What do we know about ECOncrete from the text?| A．It is a substance that is highly alkaline. |
| B．It is a company aiming to keep marine life safe. |
| C．It is a substance that has a lower impact on oceans. |
| D．It is a mixture which is combined with low-carbon concrete. |
| A．Negative | B．Indifferent | C．Objective | D．Supportive |
| A．The climate of the area. | B．The PH value of the sea water. |
| C．The researchers of the project | D．The diversity of the marine organisms. |
| A．Invent a new artificial material. | B．Install monitors under the oceans. |
| C．Use stone in coastal constructions. | D．Pull down current coastal constuctions. |
1、活动目的；
2、活动内容；
3、表达期待。
注意：1、词数80左右；
2、可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Notice
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6 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution for two of the country’s persistent problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip eaters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lay’s, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they clean the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use liners (活衬里) from old coats to line the insides.
It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof, lightweight, and portable,” Oleita told the Detroit News.
Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and it created 110 sleeping bags last December.
Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita — whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life — and her fellow volunteers. “We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she says.
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of saving bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental injustice and poverty are often closely related. As Oleita told hourdetroit.com: “I think it’s time to show connections between all of these issues.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The final goal of Chip Bag Project. | B．The basic rules of Chip Bag Project. |
| C．The main work of Chip Bag Project. | D．The significance of Chip Bag Project. |
| A．Its size is adjustable. | B．It is easy to carry around. |
| C．It has the function of heating. | D．It is only made of old coats. |
| A．Making sleeping bags is easier than buying new ones. |
| B．Poverty and environmental problems go hand in hand. |
| C．Making sleeping bags is the best way to help the homeless. |
| D．Environmental problems have little impact on the homeless. |
| A．Caring and creative. | B．Brave and optimistic. | C．Honest and determined. | D．Talented and easy-going. |
7 . Before the Aswan high dams were built, the river Nile would flood every year during the late summer months.
Now with better control over the water movement, there is more consistency in crop growth.
The Aswan Dam produces a lot of electricity.
The Aswan Dam powers 12 generators（发电机组）. Each of them is rates at 175 megawatts.
Fishing has always been a way of life for many in Egypt along the Nile River. When the construction of the dam was finished, it changed how commercial fishing was handled. Every year, more than 25,000 tons of seafood are harvested from the waters in and around the dam.
The loss of sediments(沉积物) has created coastline erosion（腐蚀）.
The Aswan Dam, because it prevents the Nile River from leaving sediments, has increased the pace of coastline erosion that occurs around the Nile Delta. It is estimated that the erosion proceeds at over 550 feet every year.
| A．The Aswan Dam created a new fishing industry. |
| B．The Aswan Dam promotes local economy. |
| C．Here are some of the other environmental impacts that have been created. |
| D．These floods would bring high water levels, but it would also create fertile soils along the delta. |
| E．The high dam has bad influence on the climate. |
| F．The Aswan Dam environmental impact has had positive and negative outcomes over the years. |
| G．At one point, these generators were producing about 50% of the electricity that Egypt was using. |
8 . The yogurt that’ s past its sell-by date. The banana in your lunch that turned brown. The leftovers in the fridge that you forgot to eat. For most people, all that food goes right into the garbage can.
Eight to ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (放) are related to food waste, according to a report by the U. N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “When you throw away an egg or a sandwich,” says Yvette Cabrera, food waste vice director at the Natural Resources Defense Council ( N. R. D. C. ) ,“you’ re also throwing away all the resources that went into producing those things.”
That includes not only all the water, land, and fertilizer (化肥) that went into producing that food, but also the massive amounts of fossil fuels used to power the farms, transport the food, and create the packaging.
Then there’s the issue of what happens to food after it’s thrown out. More food ends up in U.S. landfills than any other type of trash. Food rotting in landfills produces methane (甲烷), a greenhouse gas that’s roughly 25 times more powerful at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, which is produced by burning fossil fuels.
Food waste is a difficult problem to solve, though, in part because it happens for different reasons depending on the country. In developing nations,40 percent of food is lost before it ever reaches people’s homes, because many of those countries lack the technology and tools to preserve food.
It's another story in wealthier countries, where most of the food is wasted in people’s kitchens. Americans, for example, throw out a quarter of their groceries each year, on average, according to the N. R. D. C. That's like going to the grocery store, leaving with four bags of groceries, and then throwing one of them into the garbage before you get home.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．The problem of food waste. | B．The awareness of food saving. |
| C．The necessity of food diversity. | D．The ways of preservation. |
| A．The leftovers in the fridge. | B．The packaging for products. |
| C．The thrown egg or sandwich. | D．The resources to produce food. |
| A．Provide a persuasive example. | B．Add more background information. |
| C．Discuss a more serious consequence. | D．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| A．Storage. | B．Transportation. |
| C．Processing. | D．Consumption. |
When I worked as a nurse, I was on day duty while my workmates were on night duty. On one shift, I sensed something just before going off duty at 11 am. I put down the tray(托盘） on the table and suddenly it fell off the table. At first I thought I had accidentally knocked it over, but then I felt the whole building shaking and heard patients were screaming.
I realized that an earthquake was happening. I quickly caught hold of a nearby patient, who was terribly frightened and pushed her under a bed. And then, I got under another bed myself. As soon as the earthquake stopped, I decided to try and get the patient safely outside. I carried her out and helped her down to the grassland, where several other people had gathered.
Afraid that my other workmates were in danger, I went back inside the building again. When I met Lucy ,our ward sister(护士长），I found her patient couldn't walk. We made a seat for the patient by linking our hands and arms, and carried her outside together. We went back through the building to check no one was left behind in our ward(病房）.
Just then, we saw that a man doctor was calling for volunteers to go down to other wards with him to help more people. So we went together. The doctor went ahead of us and found one of the nurses partially covered with rubble（碎石），luckily still alive. Suddenly, the aftershock (余震）struck and the doctor ordered us to leave. The brave doctor intended to stay alone and risk his own life to save the nurse.
注意：续写字数应为150词左右。
Paragraph 1: However, without any hesitation, we made up our minds to stay with the doctor and save the nurse together.
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Paragraph 2: Later in the afternoon, I had time to look around and saw some destroyed buildings.
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Many years ago in a small village, an old man
Years passed. One evening the town leaders thought
For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the leaves began to fall
Quickly, the leaders held a special meeting. Realizing their decision to fire the man was not
So,
