1 . Protect the night sky
As a nature photographer, stars have always been one of my favourite elements in the photos. They offer an connection to a universe that is mysterious and grand, connecting our earthly lives to the heavens. Since the earliest recorded history, the night sky has sparked our imaginations and become deeply rooted in our cultures, traditions, artwork, and in later years, has inspired the development of technology with the hope of reaching beyond our blue planet.
With the development of the industrial (工业的) world, though, we have begun to lose the clarity (清晰) that thousands of generations of people and wildlife before us have enjoyed. Because of excesssive (过度) use of lighting, stars have become fainter (模糊的). For photographers hoping to capture the magic of the night sky, they must seek new places. Dark places are far from the reach of a city, and those place are becoming harder and harder to find.
Thanks to conservation groups, led by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), we have an opportunity to improve our night skies and recapture ancient magic. By holding the International Dark-Sky week, a yearly celebration of the night sky, the IDA is helping cities, communities and families do their part in helping make skies darker. Dark skies benefit more than just nature photographers; they are important to many wildlife species that also depend on them.
Here are some simple steps we all can do that are easy and inexpensive:
* Change your light bulbs to a dark-sky-friendly color, the closer the light is similar to “firelight” and the further it is away from a blue or white color, the better it is for the environment.
* Use a light fixture that channels the light down and instead of wide and open.
* Turn your lights off before bed!
1. Why does the author prefer photographing stars so much?| A．They inspire the author to learn cultures and art. |
| B．They are often paid little attention to by most people. |
| C．They are hardly seen due to the industrial development. |
| D．They build a close relation between universe and humans. |
| A．By looking for places without light. |
| B．By turning to government for help |
| C．By avoiding using any light bulbs. |
| D．By promoting industrial development |
| A．Blue and white are the dark-sky-friendly colors. |
| B．Many species of wildlife depend on dark skies. |
| C．Little efforts are needed to protect the night sky. |
| D．Joint efforts are needed to regain the darker sky. |
| A．To highlight the value of protecting the night sky. |
| B．To inform people of the current situation of night sky. |
| C．To call on people to take action to protect the night sky |
| D．To show author's great concern for the use of lighting |
2 . Nanako Hama gets a lot of mail, mostly from strangers who live in her home city of Tokyo. In light envelopes, they send locks of their hair, hoping to recycle it.
People generate a huge amount of hair waste. Nearly all of that waste ends up in landfill, where it can release harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
But hair possesses useful qualities that it’s a shame to simply throw it away. That’s why people all around the world, like Hama, have been collecting hair and finding innovative ways to recycle it, including making mats (垫子)out of it for removing oil leaks.
Hama is part of the nonprofit Matter of Trust (MoT) members working at more than 60 centers dotted across 17 countries, using machines to make hair donated from local salons and individuals into square mats, which are then used to clean up the floating oil.
Hair is particularly well-suited for this, says MoT co-founder Lisa Gautier. “That’s because its rough sort of outer layer lets oil stick to it.” MoT’s mats have been used in major oil leaks. including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon and 2007 Cosco Busan incidents.
In a 2018 study, Murray, an environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, in Australia found that mats made of recycled human hair could absorb 0.84 grams of oil onto its surface for every gram of hair—significantly more than polypropylene (聚丙烯), a type of plastic that’s typically used to clean up floating oil.
Besides, hair is also useful as fertilizer (化肥). Hair contains a relatively high nitrogen (氮), a chemical element crucial for plant growth, and each lock of hair is made of roughly 16 percent of this essential nutrient. Last year, more than 560 gallons of liquid fertilizer made from human hair was sold to farmers in northern Tanzania and the feedback from the farmers has been very encouraging.
“It’s just a great way to use hair in a productive way. Hair is an answer literally hanging in front of our eyes—for oil and soil,” Hama says.
1. How does the author introduce the topic in paragraph 1?| A．By detailing the background. | B．By presenting a scene. |
| C．By describing the feedback. | D．By supporting evidences. |
| A．Fertilize the soil. | B．Prevent oil leaks. |
| C．Clear the sea of oil. | D．Take in harmful gas. |
| A．Its color and strength. |
| B．Its length and amount. |
| C．Its weight and flexibility. |
| D．Its structure and component. |
| A．Debatable. | B．Applicable. |
| C．Irreplaceable. | D．Uncontrollable. |
3 . A couple has recently placed their garbage can out for collection for the first time in 14 months, all thanks to their recycling skills. Richard and Louise Arnold have established such an effective routine that they only need to put their garbage can on the side of the street once a year.
Louise explained that making small monthly changes in her life has resulted in her family producing very little waste. She said, “It’s not as difficult as you might think if you start with small steps. We began with soap, switching from bath cream to natural soap without packaging. These bars are large enough that we cut them in half, using one for the sink and the other half for the shower. It’s both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.”
“So it’s actually quite easy. Just go around your house and think of little things you can do gradually, and you’ll start noticing the difference,” Louise added. Currently, the couple takes recyclable waste to the tip, donates clothes to charity shops, and brings soft plastics and batteries to a shop that accepts them.
In 2017, the couple established No Waste Living, which initially started as a weekend stall at the local market and has since developed into a website. Louise regularly writes a newsletter for her hundreds of subscribers. They also started selling eco-friendly products, ranging from non-chemical household cleaning and washing solutions for a “less toxic home” to bamboo washing-up brushes. Louise mentioned, “I started No Waste Living because I wanted to show our achievement s and lead by example.”
Although the family occasionally faces criticism, Louise remains determined. She said, “The main point of contention(争论) for people regarding new waste rules is having to drive their waste to a recycling center, which adds to their already busy lives. However, in the long run, you will create more space in your home, save money, and spend less time dealing with garbage cans.”
1. How did the couple start their waste reduction journey?| A．By replacing small soaps with large ones. | B．By using a small amount of bath cream. |
| C．By using unpackaged soap bars. | D．By recycling soft plastics and batteries. |
| A．To bring eco-products to market. | B．To inspire others to follow in their footsteps. |
| C．To treat recyclable waste from the neighborhood. | D．To answer the call of their subscribers. |
| A．They mean more work to deal with garbage. |
| B．They increase the cost of garbage collection. |
| C．They establish a set time for waste management. |
| D．They limit the daily amount of garbage for collection. |
| A．A business - minded couple. | B．The “less poisonous home” concept. |
| C．The global trend in recycling. | D．A planet- friendly lifestyle. |
4 . In the forest of New Mexico, scientists are carrying two ten-day-old Mexican wolf pups (幼崽) riding in a backpack, searching for a Mexican wolf pair that has just given birth to six pups.
Mexican wolves were extinct in the USA by the 1970s, but there was a plan to bring them back. The first step was to trap five wild Mexican wolves and breed them with two caged ones. In 1998, the first caged-born adult Mexican wolves were released into forests.
The idea is that the caged pups will grow up and breed with wild wolves.
| A．The scientists were content with it. |
| B．So the experts came up with a new plan. |
| C．The wolf parents only care for their own pups. |
| D．In this way their healthy genes will be passed down. |
| E．The population slowly grew, but scientists were still worried. |
| F．After that, the wolf parents won’t mind taking care of the new pups. |
| G．The wolf mum and dad don’t know it, but they’re about to adopt two more! |
5 . When you think of a new place for growing food, you might think of Mars. But one Italian family believes one possible place is right here on the Earth: the ocean.
Nemo’s Garden is the world’s first underwater system of land plants. Located off the coast of Noli, Italy, it consists of several greenhouses called biospheres, each of which is attached to the seafloor. “The aim of it is to change agriculture, and add a possibility for growing produce in the ocean,” says co-founder Luca Gamberini.
His father Sergio Gamberini came up with the idea by combining his two passions — diving and gardening. In 2012, the project began with planting basil (罗勒) underwater. Now Nemo’s Garden is growing strong.
“Our limited number of resources can not promise sustainable (可持续的) development,” Luca says, “and we believe that underwater gives us some advantages over traditional agriculture.”
Floating six to ten meters underwater, plants in Nemo’s Garden are separated from any outside pathogens (病原体). Also, the temperature of the ocean water is an ideal environment for plant life. Besides, Nemo’s Garden uses a technique that uses water-based nutrients (养分) instead of soil. “Also, there is little interaction with the underwater environment and related ecosystems, which means no harm is caused to sea creatures,” adds Luca.
Everything is monitored on land through cameras and sensors, and settings can be adjusted. When it’s time to harvest, a diver will cut the vegetation, place it in bags and float them to the surface.
The team at Nemo’s Garden has plans for even bigger biospheres in the future, as well as other locations. Luca believes the future of Nemo’s Garden will be mostly along the coastlines where communities could benefit from the added space it offers.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The greenhouse. | B．The seafloor. | C．Underwater system. | D．Nemo’s Garden. |
| A．To combine his two hobbies. | B．To feed the growing population. |
| C．To seek sustainable farming. | D．To develop healthy ways of life. |
| A．The advantages of Nemo’s Garden. | B．The construction of Nemo’s Garden. |
| C．The structure of Nemo’s Garden. | D．The techniques used in Nemo’s Garden. |
| A．A research paper. | B．A science magazine. | C．A journal entry. | D．A science fiction. |
6 . The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has released the first global blueprint to save the world’s forests. The WWF is a global conservation charity. Its Forest Pathways Report details the state of the world’s forests and what governments can do to better protect them. The report focuses on the commitments that were made at COP26 ——a conference on the climate emergency held in the UK in 2021. At COP26, more than 140 countries, covering around 90% of the world’s forest, promised to end deforestation by 2030. However, the WWF says that this target is in danger of being missed.
In 2022, 66,000 square kilometres of forest around the world was lost. About two-thirds of this was from tropical forests. This is having an effect on wildlife, with the WWF’s blueprint noting a decline in the populations of species that depend on forests, such as gorillas, hornbills, orangutans and black-headed squirrel monkeys.
However, the report also highlights some conservation success stories. For instance, the Khata Conservation Area in Nepal has grown by a size amount to 3,000 football pitches, providing a home for tigers and other species. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Wild Ingleborough project, a partnership between the WWF and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, is restoring 15square kilometres of land in the Yorkshire Dales back to its natural wild state, complete with woodlands. Mary Gagen, author of the Forest Pathways Report, says, “There are pockets of success where countries are approaching deforestation, and we know what needs to be done to grow those.”
The report includes a list of recommendations for world governments, providing a blueprint to save forests. This includes toughening up rules against deforestation as well as recognizing the rights of indigenous (当地的) peoples who live in the forests. They are the descendants (后代) of those who lived somewhere before another culture arrived and took over.There are also some specific suggestions for the UK Government, such as bringing in environmental standards for food that is bought and sold in the UK, so that none of it contributes to deforestation.
1. What do we know about WWF?| A．It may fail to meet its goal. | B．It focuses on protecting our earth. |
| C．It offers proposals to governments. | D．It approves of COP26’s commitments. |
| A．By listing some statistics. | B．By clarifying a concept. |
| C．By citing some examples. | D．By pointing out similarities. |
| A．The blueprint lays down food criteria for countries. |
| B．Concrete tips will help the UK government save forests. |
| C．The blueprint doesn’t acknowledge the rights of natives. |
| D．The native people are succeeding generations of another culture. |
| A．The Keynote of Forest Pathways Report. | B．A Conference on the Climate Emergency. |
| C．The Worldwide Effort for Deforestation. | D．Successful Stories of Tackling Deforestation. |
7 . For outdoor enthusiasts, it is crucial to be prepared for any sort of natural disaster in the open air.
While you’re planning, the essential thing to consider is the things you should pack for your trip. Any disaster that may separate you from civilization for a period of time will require you to provide your own food, water, and shelter for at least a few days.
Once you complete your survival plan, it’s better to review it periodically. When a natural disaster strikes, you probably won’t have time to go over a document or go online to seek advice.
If a natural disaster strikes while you are in the wilderness, you should put your survival plan into effect immediately.
| A．But this is not always the case. |
| B．It’s also a good idea to bring light sources. |
| C．That means having a disaster response plan. |
| D．It’s also great to consult with the specialists in person. |
| E．Consequently, revising it frequently is strongly recommended. |
| F．Different kinds of disasters are likely to occur in different areas. |
| G．Stay calm, act decisively, and begin working to keep yourself alive. |
1. What is the conversation mainly about?
| A．Fighting fires. | B．Detecting fires. | C．Using fires. |
| A．Around 50. | B．About 400. | C．Over 8600. |
| A．Size of a car. | B．Size of a plane. | C．Size of a sports field. |
| A．Saving animals. | B．Saving the trees. | C．Saving humans. |
9 . Are you sure you know how to protect the environment? Many of us believe that we lead lives that respect nature but our consumption habits give us away.
Eating too much meat and fruit
These foods are essential for our diet, although they are not very healthy for the natural environment. In a 2018 report, Greenpeace warned that 14.5% of all greenhouse gas (GHG ) emissions come from industrial stock farming. The meat industry, for example, negatively affects land use as between 75 and 80% of the world’s agricultural land is used for stock breeding. But if the same land was used for growing vegetables, there could be food for 4 billion people more.
Using paper bags
We think that because they are made of paper they are not as harmful as the plastic bags that we use around the world, according to the UN.
Drinking bottled water
Plastic bottles are a clear example of environmental pollution.
| A．Many little practices that seem to be sustainable are in fact polluting |
| B．According to Greenpeace, they take about 500 years to break down |
| C．What’s more, you can be a responsible fruit consumer by choosing seasonal varieties |
| D．A good replacement for them are long-lasting, washable and reusable cotton ones |
| E．There is only one Earth and everything that we do for it counts, and you can eat less by controlling yourself |
| F．But the reality is very different: they are rarely reused and tend to end up in the organic waste bin |
| G．By reducing bottled water consumption we save more than 600 million euros every year |
10 . Manchester City are the current champions of the English Premier League, and now they’re championing the cause of landfill waste by offering edible (可食用的) coffee and tea cups at their 55,000 seater Etihad Stadium. They played their first home match of the season, drumming Norwich City 5-0 while producing 0 pounds of disposable (一次性的) hot drinks cups--a disaster in a coffee loving country where a shocking 2.5 billion disposable cups are used every year.
“It is the first time that an ‘edible coffee cup’ has been introduced. This fantastic and innovative solution provides an amazing solution to waste, just eat your cup,“ reads a statement from the Etihad Stadium.
The cup is made by a Scottish startup called BioBite, and is essentially a 100-calorie biscuit in the shape of a cup．Made with wafer (薄脆饼) in much the same way as an ice cream cone，the cup will stay leak-proof for 12 hours, and even more amazingly, crunchy for one-half the duration of a “football” match. According to the company’s website, the cup is fully recyclable, but the taste of coffee-soaked cup is actually delicious.
There are several problems with making an edible coffee cup, however; and it’s why there still isn’t one today in the largest drinking chains.
Edible cups truly might be the best solution, provided firms like BioBite can bring the cost-per-unit down. 240 of their biscuit cups cost $111, about 14 cents more than what Starbucks pays for the cup, the plastic lid, and the wood stirrer.
Another limiting factor is that a wafer is not exactly the fuel of a healthy society. If there were a company that could make the wafers out of some kind of vegetable fiber, something many western diets are nutritionally short of, then you’re talking about a real revolution.
1. What is the purpose of writing the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the Manchester City. |
| B．To arouse the awareness of preserving the environment. |
| C．To put forward the subject of using edible cups. |
| D．To cover a football match of Manchester City. |
| A．The popularity of the cup. | B．The advantages of the cup. |
| C．The ways of using the cup. | D．The process of making the cup. |
| A．Western diets are short of nutrition. |
| B．Wafers are made from vegetable fibers. |
| C．The revolution for making cups is carried on. |
| D．Western eating habits need improving. |
| A．Stubborn. | B．Carefree. | C．Supportive. | D．Objective. |
