1 . It happens in every disaster (灾难): For those in need, people often donate (捐赠) things that turn out to be more of a trouble.
Juanita Rilling remembers it happened in 1988 when she was a disaster expert trying to help people suffering from a hurricane (飓风) in Honduras. “One morning I received a call from one of our logistic operators (物流运营商), and he explained to me that there was a plane carrying medical supplies that needed to land,” says Rilling. “But the ground was full, with lots of donations that no one had required. The plane—full of needed supplies—had to find someplace else to go. And it ended up stopping everyone’s plans by about 48 hours, which is important time in a disaster.”
Rilling now runs the Center for International Disaster Information, which is trying to make sure things like that don’t happen again. So when Superstorm Sandy hit, Rilling’s group started a project to encourage money donation. “Even a small donation can make a big difference and can quickly become exactly what people affected by a disaster need most,” Rilling says. But despite this, donators do that over and over. About 60% of the things donated after a disaster couldn’t be used. Often it’s old clothing or food.
Meghan Hara, who deals with kind donations for the American Red Cross, says she knows that some people are careful with giving money. And she doesn’t think that the need to give something concrete (实物) should be completely stopped.
“Part of what people are doing is that they’re helping, and they’re trying to help. What we need to work out is how to effectively deal with that,” Hara says.
1. What caused needed supplies to be put off after the hurricane in 1988?| A．Workers on the plane. | B．A weather report. |
| C．Useless donations on the ground. | D．The call from the operator. |
| A．Clothing. | B．Money. | C．Medicine. | D．Food. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncaring. | D．Worried. |
| A．Studies on natural disasters. |
| B．The benefits of helping others. |
| C．Tips on choosing useful donations. |
| D．The ways of managing people’s donations. |
It has been estimated that rapidly growing modernization is leading to ignorance towards the environment. Humans have created a situation in
Over the years, scientists researching on this topic
It is known that the rapid industrial growth has led to
3 . The endangered pandas in the Qinling Mountains might face a new threat: the loss of their food, bamboo, which makes up 99% of their meals.
Adult pandas spend most part of the day eating bamboo and have to take in at least 40 pounds a day to stay healthy. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change warned that they may soon find their food gone because most of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains might disappear by the end of the century as a result of rising temperature worldwide.
A team made up of researchers from Michigan State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has studied the effects of climate change on the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. They have found that bamboo is very sensitive to climate changes. “80% to 100% of the bamboo would be gone if the average temperature rises 3.5 degrees worldwide by the end of the century,” said Liu Jianguo, one of the report’s authors.
He added, “This is how much the temperature would rise by 2100 even if all countries will keep their promises in the Paris Agreement. But you know what is happening all around the world.”
In recent years, China has been trying its best to protect the endangered pandas by setting up more and bigger natural reserves.
“But it is far from enough and the endangered pandas need cooperation from the rest of the world, because their future is not just in the hands of the Chinese,” said Shirley Martin from the World Wildlife Fund but not a member of the team.
The Qinling Mountains, in the southwest of China, are home to about 260 pandas. That is about 13% of China’s wild panda population. In addition, about 375 are living in research centers and zoos in China.
1. How many wild pandas are there in China?| A．About 260. | B．About 635. |
| C．About 2,635. | D．About 2,000. |
| A．China needs more help from the World Wildlife Fund. |
| B．It is difficult to control the temperature rise within 3.5℃. |
| C．Bamboo is sensitive to the changes of temperature. |
| D．China is making great efforts to protect the pandas. |
| A．The Qinling Mountains can provide enough bamboo for the pandas. |
| B．Pandas in the Qinling Mountains are only threatened by the loss of food. |
| C．Lots of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains will probably disappear. |
| D．Pandas have already eaten 99% of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. |
| A．The Disappearance of Bamboo |
| B．Necessity to Change Pandas’ Food |
| C．A New Threat Faced by the Pandas |
| D．Efforts Made to Save Pandas |
4 . Efforts to preserve the Amazon rainforest, which supports immense biodiversity and locks away tons of climate threatening carbon, are growing more urgent as the ecosystem’s destruction speeds up. Indigenous (当地的) peoples have been trying to protect the region by patrolling (巡逻) their territorial boundaries for illegal activities. But rapid deforestation continues.
A recent study shows that combining on-the-ground monitoring with satellite data and smartphone technology could help put the brakes (刹车) on Amazon deforestation —and potentially that of forests elsewhere.
Illegal logging, agriculture and coca cultivation particularly threaten the Amazon in the Peruvian Indigenous communities and outsiders are often the culprits (罪魁祸首). The research team wondered if providing training for local people to use satellite based “early deforestation alerts (警报)” could help. The scientists cooperated with 76 Indigenous communities, 36 of which participated in using these alerts to watch over the forest. Over the next two years these trained participants were paid to work as forest monitors and received monthly alerts via the app when satellite data indicated local forest losses. Monitors investigated alerts, patrolled for deforestation in other areas and reported confirmed tosses back to their communities, which decided whether to deal with the culprits on their own or inform state authorities.
The researchers analyzed the same forest-loss satellite data from the given time period in all 76 communities. They found the early-alert program reduced forest loss by 8.4 hectares in the first two year — a 52% reduction compared with the average loss in the control communities.
Experts say this approach to tackling Amazonian deforestation looks promising. “Would this work in all communities that have high risk of deforestation? Given the results, it’s worth a try,” says Catherine Tucker, a researcher at the University of Florida. “But some communities may not have access to the resources needed for such a program, or their territories may hold valuable minerals that would increase the risk of deforestation by outsiders despite monitoring efforts,” wrote Francisco Hernandez Cayctano, a community member involved in the research, “we as Indigenous peoples ask the world for support.”
1. Why did the research team conduct the program?| A．To stop carbon being locked away. | B．To tackle Amazon deforestation. |
| C．To monitor satellite movement. | D．T control illegal activities. |
| A．By offering locals training in using a smartphone app. |
| B．By combining local monitoring with smartphone alerts. |
| C．By organizing native people to fight against the outsiders. |
| D．By equipping local forest with satellite data and monitors. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Objective. | C．Approving. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．Local Monitors Trained for Forest Loss. | B．Satellite Data Cure Deforestation. |
| C．Outsiders Are to Blame for Forest Loss. | D．Smart Patrol Fights Deforestation. |
5 . Imagine driving down a 10-lane highway and knowing that, high above your head, a mountain lion is quietly going along its way. This remarkable image could soon be the reality for drivers on one of California’s busiest roads, as the world’s largest wildlife overpass(天桥) begins construction in April.
The history-making project will comprise a green bridge built across the 101 highway near Los Angeles, creating a passage between two parts of the Santa Monica Mountains. The overpass will allow safe passage for lizards, snakes, mountain lions, etc. with an acre of local plants on either side and vegetated sound walls to dampen light and noise for night-time animals as they go across.
The project, nearly a decade in the making, comes at a crucial time. Beth Pratt, a conservation leader with the National Wildlife Federation, feels as if she is running the last mile of a marathon. Pratt has spent most of the last decade planning the project, persuading transportation officials of its importance, and bringing donors to fund it.
The project is breaking records in many ways: not only is it the largest crossing in the world, but it’s also an engineering wonder. Robert Rock, a landscape architect who led the design, says this nature-centered type of construction makes it unusual among other wildlife bridges and underpasses around the world, which are typically made of cement(水泥)and steel. This one is designed to integrate into the environment on both sides — and send a message to the people driving below.
About 300,000 cars pass through this area each day, and Pratt calls it an opportunity for millions of Angelenos to see how humans can live more harmoniously with nature.“Someone could be in rush-hour traffic, and there could be a mountain lion right above them,”she says. “I think that’s such a helpful image, and one that inspires me that we can right some of these great wrongs.”
1. Why is the overpass built?| A．To attract visitors to watch the wildlife. |
| B．To help animals cross over a highway. |
| C．To bridge two mountains near Los Angeles. |
| D．To allow more traffic during rush hours. |
| A．It is a long journey. |
| B．It comes a little late. |
| C．It has little official support. |
| D．It has brought economic benefits. |
| A．It stands out among similar structures. |
| B．It does harm to the local environment. |
| C．It has got little attention from engineers. |
| D．It has inspired constructions worldwide. |
| A．It’ll transform the image of the state. |
| B．It’ll provide pleasant habitats for animals. |
| C．It’ll be a reminder for us to care about nature. |
| D．It’ll create job opportunities for the local people. |
6 . A Dutch city will become the first in the world to ban meat advertisements from public spaces in an effort to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.The ban also covers holiday flights, fossil fuels and cars that run on fossil fuels.The ban is delayed until 2024 due to existing contracts with companies that sell the products.
Haarlem, which lies to the west of Amsterdam and has a population of about 160,000,will bring the ban into effect from 2024 after meat was added to a list of products deemed to contribute to the climate crisis. Advertisements will not be allowed on Haarlem’s buses, shelters and screens in public spaces, prompting complaints from the meat sector that the government is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them”.
Recent studies suggest global food production is responsible for one-third of all planet-heating emissions,with the use of animals for meat accounting for twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods. Forests that absorb carbon dioxide are cut down for the food of animals while fertilisers used for growing their feed are rich in nitrogen(氮)，which can contribute to air pollution，water pollution and climate change. Livestock also produces large quantities of methane(甲烷)，a powerful greenhouse gas.
Zlggy Klazes,a councillor from the GroenLinks party, said she had not known the city would be the world’s first to enforce such a policy when she proposed it. She told the Haarlem105 radio channel:“We are not about what people are baking and roasting in their own kitchen;if people want to continue eating meat, it’s fine. We can’t tell people there’s a climate crisis and meanwhile,encourage them to buy products that are part of the cause. Of course, there are a lot of people who find the decision shocking and unreasonable,but there are also a lot of people who think it’s fine.”
1. What does the meat sector think of the ban?| A．Disapproving. |
| B．Neutral. |
| C．Indifferent. |
| D．Positive. |
| A．Nitrogen is harmful to the environment. |
| B．Methane mainly comes from livestock. |
| C．Meat consumption causes more pollution. |
| D．People cut down trees for human habitation. |
| A．She is the first to ban meat advertisement. |
| B．She is in favor of banning meat advertising. |
| C．She emphasizes the advantage of eating meat. |
| D．She cares about what people cook in the kitchen |
| A．Fossil fuels are banned in Dutch city. |
| B．Dutch city decreases meat production. |
| C．Dutch city bans meat advertisements in public. |
| D．Greenhouse gas emissions are limited in Dutch city. |
The world witnessed what was described
On August 17, a historic heat wave caused forest fires
In the following days, numerous stories, pictures and videos regarding this fire rescue
Among them, Generation Z, classified as those born in the mid-90s to early 2000s, played a
8 . Wax (蜡) paper can’t be recycled with other paper items because the wax coating interferes with the recycling process. However, there are still plenty of different options to dispose of your wax paper in an environmentally friendly way.
Wax paper is parchment paper that’s been coated with a thin layer of wax on each side. This makes it resistant to wetness and provides a non-stick surface. The majority of wax paper is coated in a food-safe wax, which is made using vegetable oil. Some brands of wax paper also use soybean oil.
The coating in wax paper is water-resistant, and paper needs to be torn with water as one of the first steps in recycling. This makes it unsuitable to be processed alongside most other paper waste. It’s also often covered with additional oils from foods, which are not accepted by recycling facilities.
While it can’t be recycled, the good news is that some wax paper can be composted at home. If you use wax paper made with vegetable or soybean oil, it can be added in small quantities to your compost. The wax is quite hard for the microbes (微生物) in compost to break down, so rip your wax paper into small pieces and add it to your compost a little at a time. Wax paper should biodegrade at around the same rate as leaf mulch. If you do use wax paper, the best sort to buy is one with unbleached, natural paper, and a wax coating made using vegetable or soybean oil.
Reusing an item as many times as possible is always a good, environmentally friendly option, especially if it can’t be recycled afterward. Rather than throw away your wax paper after one use, you can sometimes use it multiple times to extend its useful life.
1. What does the author intend to show in paragraph 2?| A．What exactly wax paper is. | B．How functional wax paper is. |
| C．Why wax paper can’t be recycled. | D．How we can dispose wax paper. |
| A．Make. | B．Press. | C．Shake. | D．Tear. |
| A．Alternatives to wax paper. | B．Ideas for reusing wax paper. |
| C．Items wrapped with wax paper. | D．Ways to choose wax paper. |
| A．Deal with Wax Paper in Environmentally Friendly Ways |
| B．The Importance of Wax Paper’s Being Recycled |
| C．Is Wax Paper Environmentally Friendly? |
| D．What Can Be Used Instead of Wax Paper? |
9 . More and more birds are flying to settle at Qinghai Lake, one of the highest inland lakes in China, thanks to the protection efforts of local governments. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers. Qinghai Lake is also the country's biggest saltwater lake. Located in Northwest China's Qinghai Province, the lake is famous for the two islands at its northwest point--Cormorant Island and Egg Island. The two islands have plenty of floating grass and various schools of fish, offering rich food sources for birds. The islands have become a paradise(天堂) for different kinds of groups of birds and have been called"Bird Islands".
Each March and April, when ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau starts to melt, over 20 kinds of birds fly to the Bird Islands to lay eggs. During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and birds eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the singing of birds from miles away. These have become a world famous symbol of the lake.
To protect this paradise for birds and support calls for ecological protection, China set up the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone at the end of 1997. Meanwhile, the State has pointed out the Bird Islands and Spring bay of the Qinghai Lake as central protection zones.
Inspection(视察) officials and management employees often patrol（巡逻） the lake, improving local residents' knowledge of related laws and spreading knowledge about animal protection to visitors. They are making great efforts to call on people to love and protect the birds. At the same time, they have built special fences around the island area to prevent wolves, foxes and other carnivorous(食肉的) animals, as well as illegal hunters from breaking up the birds’nest building,egglaying and breeding. As a result, more and more birds are coming to the islands for sheltering and breeding.
1. Why are more and more birds coming to the biggest salt-water lake in the Great Northwest?| A．Because it is getting warmer and warmer. |
| B．Because it is being reformed. |
| C．Because environments there are getting more and more agreeable for them to live in. |
| D．Because the people there are becoming richer and richer. |
| A．floating fish and various grass. |
| B．grass moving on the water surface and different kinds of fish. |
| C．salt water and plenty of grains. |
| D．corn from the local farmers. |
| A．The ice and snow covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau doesn't change into water. |
| B．Flocks of birds fly up to the whole sky over islands to lay eggs. |
| C．Visitors can listen to the singing of birds from miles away, but they couldn't see any bird. |
| D．"The ice on the Plateau begins to change into water" means spring is coming. |
| A．let the farmers there know the animal protection law. |
| B．tell the farmers there some knowledge about animal protection. |
| C．call on people to love and protect the bird. |
| D．all of the above. |
10 . On an island in northern Norway, the sun doesn’t set from May 18 right through to July 26. The locals, having spent the long polar night from November to January, when the sun doesn’t rise at all, make the most of these months, with no regard to conventional timekeeping. The island intends to exchange its watches for flower garlands (花环) and declare itself the world’s first time-free zone.
“There’s constant daylight, and we act accordingly,” says islander Kjell Ove Hveding in a statement. “In the middle of the night, which citizens might call ‘2 am’, you can spot children playing soccer, people painting their houses or mowing their lawns, and teens going for a swim.”
Now they want to make it official. Islanders gathered at a town hall meeting to sign a petition (请愿) for a time-free zone and on June 13, Hveding met with a Norwegian member of parliament (国会) to hand over the locals’ signatures and to discuss the practical and legal challenges.
“To us, getting this in writing would simply mean formalizing the lifestyle we have been living for generations,” he says.
Islanders hope to be free of traditional opening hours and to introduce flexibility in school and working hours. Fishing and tourism are the main industries on this island with a population of little more than 300 people. Local fisher and women often spend days on the ocean for their catch, with little regard to timetable.
It’s clear that they mean business. When visitors cross the bridge to the island from the mainland, they aren’t greeted with padlocks (symbolizing love locks) like on similar bridges worldwide. The bridge is covered with watches, as people prepare for entry to the land time forgot.
1. What do the islanders normally do at midnight from May 18 to July 26?| A．Do daily work or have fun. | B．Sleep like outside people. |
| C．Struggle with strong light. | D．Turn watches into flowers. |
| A．It is difficult to describe. | B．It has been a long tradition. |
| C．It is a new kind of lifestyle. | D．It proves practical and legal. |
| A．Visitors actually prefer watches on bridges. | B．Visitors are ready to enter a time-free island. |
| C．The islanders intend to treat tourism as business. | D．The islanders are serious about being free of time. |
| A．An island wants to be a time-free zone officially. | B．Islanders in Norway have been free from time. |
| C．It’s time to lead a life without the limit of time. | D．An island won’t be open to the world any longer. |
