3 . If you’re looking for something fun to do, pack a picnic dinner and take your family or friends to a beautiful place to eat. However, there’s a wrong trend to view picnics as an excuse to transport food in single-use plastic containers. Sure, it means the cleanup is easy at the moment, but it just puts it off to a later point, when it takes the form of volunteer cleanups and landfill management.     1     What follows is advice on how to pack such a picnic.

●Use food containers smartly

Using reusable containers is the easiest way to reduce waste.     2     For example, to reduce packaging, you can take along things like a loaf of bread, a whole watermelon, whole vegetables, a knife and a board to cut your food when you’re ready to eat. It doesn’t all have to be done and sealed (密封) before you leave the house.

●Choose real cutlery (餐具)

Using washable dishes and cutlery for a picnic does not require much more work than single-use ones.

You’d have to carry the waste out anyway in a trash bag, so why not pack your dirty plates and cutlery into a bag and put them in the dishwasher at home?     3    

●Think about the drinks

Forget the single-use, single-serve drink bottles.     4     Fill a large thermos (保温瓶) or personal water bottles with water, juice or lemonade at home. Compared with a single-use plastic cup, they have the added advantage of keeping your drinks colder for longer.

●Put cloth bags to good use

Cloth bags are amazing. I use them for so much more than just buying food at the store. They’re perfect for packing sandwiches, dried or whole fruit, and other snack foods. You can use them to pack glasses or plates to prevent breaking. They can also work as a napkin, tea towel, or trash bag if needed.     5    

A．Be sure to add a few to your picnic basket.

B．There are some healthy dishes you can make or buy.

C．To avoid this, a plastic-free picnic can be a brilliant idea.

D．If you’re worried about breaking, take some light camping plates.

E．Instead, just bring along a cloth tablecloth to spread on the ground.

F．These create a huge amount of waste, which can be easily avoided.

G．In addition, keep in mind that you don’t have to pre-pack everything.

4 . In the summer of 2021, an unseasonal event took place. More than 100 miles of Florida’s coast around Tampa Bay became an oxygen-depleted (缺氧的) zone containing dead fish along the nearby shoreline.

Much of the conversation around our climate crisis highlights the emission of greenhouse gases and their effect on warming, sea-level rise and ocean acidification (海洋酸化). We hear little about the effect of climate change on oxygen levels, particularly in oceans and lakes. But water without adequate oxygen cannot support life. For the three billion people who depend on coastal fisheries for income, declining ocean oxygen levels are devastating.

As ocean and atmospheric scientists focus on climate, we believe that oceanic oxygen levels are the next big victim of global warming. To stop the situation from worsening, we need to expand our attention to include the dangerous state of oceanic oxygen levels — the life-support system of our planet. We need to accelerate ocean-based climate solutions that boost oxygen. Examples include nature-based solutions such as those discussed at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow.

Enhanced monitoring of oxygen and the establishment of an oxygen-accounting system are a must. Putting oxygen into the climate story motivates us to do the work to understand the deep systemic changes happening in our complex atmospheric and oceanic systems. We celebrated the return of humpback whales in recent years to an increasingly clean New York Harbor and Hudson River. However, dead fish blocked the Hudson in the summer as warmer waters carried less oxygen.

Ecosystem changes connected to physical and chemical system-level data may point the way to new approaches to climate solutions. It includes an enhanced understanding of the life-support system of our planet. Roughly 40 percent of the world’s people depend on the ocean for their livelihoods. If we do not save marine life from oxygen starvation, we starve ourselves.

1. What is the result of less ocean oxygen according to the text?

A．A rise in the coastal fisheries.	B．The warming of the atmosphere.
C．The emission of greenhouse gases.	D．An increase in deaths of sea animals.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．Attention to oceans is necessary.	B．Global warming effects are serious.
C．Oceanic oxygen levels are dangerous.	D．Ways to boost oceanic oxygen are urgent.

3. Why does the author mention humpback whales in Paragraph 4?

A．To bring in an oxygen-accounting system in climate.

B．To explain the urgency of oxygen levels in atmosphere.

C．To call for more attention to oxygen starvation in waters.

D．To show the achievements in reducing air pollution.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Save Marine Life.	B．Make Oceans Safe.
C．Let Oceans Breathe.	D．Keep Marine System.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Leonora, a 51-year-old from the Philippines,     1    (make) women’s dresses out of waste materials in recent years since she believes     2    (wear) such clothes can be cheap and look good. To make her dresses, she uses     3    foot-operated sewing (缝纫) machine to join together the waste materials, including recycled newspapers, plastic wrappers and rice bags,     4    which Leonora makes her designs. The bubble (泡沫) wrappers from delivery packages are nice-looking and suitable for a good design,     5    (particular) for making wedding dresses. They are also used for everything from wedding decoration to birthday     6    (party).

In Asia, there is plenty of waste material for Leonora to apply. Most of the world’s ocean waste     7    (carry) by Asian rivers. And her country, the Philippines, is responsible for one third of Asia’s ocean plastic pollution.

“The dresses are really     8    (impress). It’s important to recycle such materials so we can help our earth,” said Lalaine     9    buys clothes from Leonora.

Most of her dresses are used in the beauty     10    (compete) and are popular with young girls. “I get delighted whenever they win. The designs are simple, but they still win,” she said.

8 . How did Cape Town, South Africa, get into a Day Zero situation—when the city’s taps would go dry because its reservoirs (水库)would become dangerously low on water? The city gets its water from six reservoirs in Western Cape province, which usually ____________ during the rainy season, from May through August. But since 2015 the region has been suffering from the worst drought (干旱)in a century, and the water in those reservoirs____________ tremendously. Compounding the problem, Cape Town’s population has grown substantially, increasing ____________ . The city actually did a pretty good job by reducing leaks in the system, a major cause of water waste, and has even won awards for its ____________ policies. But the government of South Africa was slow to declare a national disaster in the areas hit hardest by the drought, paving the way for the recent ____________.

Cape Town is not ____________ . Since 2014 southeastern Brazil has been suffering its worst water shortage in 80 years,___________ decreased rainfall,   forestation and other factors. And many cities in India do not have access to municipal water for more than a few hours a day, if at all.____________ , the city of Shimla ran out of drinking water in May, urging locals to beg tourists to stay away from the popular Himalayan summer resort.

In the U.S., the situation is somewhat better, but many urban centers still ____________ water problems. Californians recent multiyear drought led to some of the state’s driest years on record. Since about half of the state’s urban water usage is for landscaping, it was able to cut back on that fairly easily. But cities that use most of their water for more essential uses, such as drinking water, may not be so ____________ .

____________ , steps can be taken to avoid urban water crises. In general, a “portfolio approach” that relies on multiple water sources is probably most ____________ . Cape Town has already begun implementing a number of water projects, including tapping groundwater and building water-recycling plants. Many other cities will need to repair existing water infrastructure (基础建设)to cut down on leakage. City leaders should be thinking about meeting long-term needs rather than just about ____________ requirements. Good organization and financial accountability are equally critical. And planning efforts should include diverse stakeholders (利益相关者)from the community. One major challenge is providing services to informal areas, which develop without any government foresight. Such regions often ____________ basic resources一a well-planned water supply among them. The global community has an opportunity right now to take action to prevent a series of Day Zero crises. If we don’t act, many cities may soon face a time when there isn’t a drop to ____________ .

1.

A．take over

B．fill up

C．make off

D．set out

2.

A．decreased

B．rose

C．remained

D．drowned

3.

A．likelihood

B．proportion

C．demand

D．efficiency

4.

A．architecture

B．agriculture

C．economy

D．conservation

5.

A．policy

B．growth

C．crisis

D．change

6.

A．enough

B．possible

C．difficult

D．alone

7.

A．making up for

B．resulting from

C．taking advantage of

D．looking into

8.

A．In a word

B．By comparison

C．What’s worse

D．For example

9.

A．avoid

B．solve

C．discuss

D．face

10.

A．passive

B．purposeful

C．adaptable

D．reliable

11.

A．Similarly

B．Fortunately

C．Initially

D．Alternatively

12.

A．questionable

B．memorable

C．effective

D．confusing

13.

A．daily

B．legal

C．maximum

D．normal

14.

A．neglect

B．lack

C．provide

D．find

15.

A．drink

B．pour

C．place

D．record

9 . Roads and railways have made it easy for people to travel around the UK, but have had the precisely opposite effect for insects. Alongside housing developments, transport infrastructure (基础设施) has separated insect habitats, leaving many pollinators (传粉昆虫) stuck on decreasing islands of biodiversity.

A new conservation project aims to address that by creating a network of wildflower superhighways across the UK. The B-Lines network aims to join the dots between meadow habitats, enabling pollinators and other wildlife to move freely between them. Ten years in the making, the B-Lines initiative was launched by the insect charity Buglife on Tuesday and has already generated interest from unexpected quarters. “After the launch, some house builders rang up asking how they could include the network into house building, so it could have a really positive effect,” said Buglife’s Paul Hetherington.

Buglife has spent the last decade mapping potential routes for the insect superhighway. Hetherington said the proposed highway could give the UK’s weak insects a boost and a route out of habitats that become too hot due to the climate crisis and it can make a huge difference in easing declines. “The things that have really hammered pollinators are habitat loss, loss of connectivity of habitat, climate change and pesticides—this deals with everything except pesticides,” said Hetherington.

The B-lines network is not just a concept. Pilot sections have already been completed, including the South Wales B-Lines near Cardiff. “Since that was done, there have been recordings of one of our rarest bees in Cardiff town centre, which shows this connectivity can work,” said Hetherington. And in Norwich, Buglife has been working with Network Rail to plant wildflowers along the track. Anyone living along the proposed route can get involved in the project. All they need to do is let their lawns grow, or even just create a small herb garden, which Hetherington likened to creating a “motorway service station for bees”.

1. What can we learn about the B-Lines network from paragraph 2?

A．It will separate insect habitats.	B．It can help insects to pollinate.
C．It is still being planned now.	D．It hasn’t caused any attention.

2. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The last decade.

B．The superhighway.

C．The climate crisis.

D．The decline.

3. How can people in Norwich participate in the project?

A．By recording the tracks of bees.	B．By cooperating with Network Rail.
C．By planting herbs in their own gardens.	D．By creating a motorway service station.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Roads and railways have caused bad effect on insects.

B．Transport infrastructure prevents housing developments.

C．Pollinators are stuck on decreasing islands of biodiversity.

D．Conservationists are creating “superhighways” for insects.