1 . From Dec 7 to 19, delegates from around the world met at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (also known as COP15), in Montreal, Canada. After two weeks of intense debate at COP15, delegates agreed on Dec 19 to adopt a landmark plan to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. “Finally, we reached our destiny. We adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” Huang Runqiu, COP15 president and China’s minister of ecology and environment, announced on Dec 19.
The new framework is a commitment by 196 parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to conserve at least 30 percent of the Earth’s land and ocean area by the next decade. It also will increase the expected annual financial assistance from developed countries through 2030 to help developing nations with biodiversity protection.
The aim of COP15 is to ensure biodiversity loss is changed by 2030, and that humans are able to live in harmony with nature by 2050.To realize these objectives can be very challenging. At COP10 in Nagoya, Japan in 2010, the parties agreed on the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets (爱知生物多样性目标). But, as of now, none of the 20 objectives has been fully realized.
It is important to turn consensus into effective actions. Yet, as recent talks have shown, an aspect of effective international action on stopping climate change is the cooperation of developed countries. Developed countries, however, have fallen short of their responsibility as they have failed to fulfill the obligations according to the COP convention to provide funding and technology to poorer nations who lack the means to combat climate change.
To solve this problem, the framework creates a new biodiversity fund within the UN’s existing Global Environment Facility. This came about as a compromise between developing nations, which wanted a new fund, and developed countries, which did not. In addition, a global youth initiative (倡议) was also released, hoping young people to be leaders and advocates for biodiversity conservation.
1. What is the aim of COP15?| A．To save at least 30 percent of the Earth’s land and ocean area by next decade. |
| B．To stop biodiversity loss and promote harmony between man and nature. |
| C．To strengthen the cooperation between developed and developing countries |
| D．To provide funding and technology to poorer nations to fight climate change. |
| A．To show the parties didn’t fulfill the obligation |
| B．To show the objectives were too high to realize |
| C．To show it is difficult to realize the objectives of COP 15 |
| D．To show Japan didn’t hold the meeting successfully. |
| A．Statistic. | B．Emotion. | C．Intervention. | D．Agreement. |
| A．International cooperation is important. |
| B．A new framework is made in the COP15. |
| C．Joint efforts are needed to fight climate change. |
| D．Historic COP 15 deals are released on biodiversity. |
Leonora, a 51-year-old from the Philippines,
In Asia, there is plenty of waste material for Leonora to apply. Most of the world’s ocean waste
“The dresses are really
Most of her dresses are used in the beauty
3 . 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. |
| A．The last decade. | B．The superhighway. | C．The climate crisis. | D．The decline. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
In their spare time, most young people like to enjoy
In college, Li actively took part in field research. After graduation, he joined a gibbon protection organization where what he mainly needs to do is
Like Li, Chu Wenwen, 27, has also worked to protect animals. As her father is engaged
According to Fan Pengfei,
5 . Many poor children in Africa struggle on tuition for an education. However, a new school has been asking their pupils to pay for classes with
Every week, students
Parmita and Mazin, the couple
Now, the plastic is being collected and recycled at the school’s own recycling center. The school
Furthermore, the school’s older students can work part-time at the center as an additional source of
Now the school owns over 100 students
| A．working hours | B．farm products | C．plastic waste | D．burned trash |
| A．leaving | B．attending | C．finishing | D．damaging |
| A．taking in | B．spreading out | C．attached to | D．filled with |
| A．collected | B．borrowed | C．explored | D．counted |
| A．anxious | B．grateful | C．responsible | D．qualified |
| A．changed | B．inspired | C．prohibited | D．recommended |
| A．stand | B．enjoy | C．observe | D．control |
| A．as if | B．although | C．because | D．in case |
| A．consequently | B．obviously | C．eventually | D．commonly |
| A．buries | B．removes | C．throws | D．recycles |
| A．single | B．straight | C．large | D．twisted |
| A．income | B．credits | C．scores | D．trash |
| A．of | B．at | C．between | D．from |
| A．efficient | B．creative | C．skillful | D．respected |
| A．teachers | B．beggars | C．partners | D．students |
6 . By 2050, 68% of the global population will live in cities. That’s 2.5 billion more people than today. In Europe, three out of four of us already live in urban areas, and the consequences of that are becoming clear. Researchers estimate that nine million people die every year as a direct result of air pollution. As our cities grow and more people move into already crowded spaces, what do we need to do to transform our urban areas into healthy places to live? An increasing body of research tells us that we should be letting nature back in.
Green spaces in cities mitigate the effects of pollution and can reduce a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, which refers to heat trapped in built-up areas. The effect appears in towns and cities where the heat generated by people, transport and industry is trapped in the narrow roads and concrete structures, unable to escape to the atmosphere. This can bring the temperature in urban areas up 3 — 4°C higher than the surrounding countryside, and with that comes a severe cycle. Increased temperatures in summer lead to an increased demand for cooling. This expands our energy consumption, which in turn build up fossil fuel consumption, increasing pollutants in the air and harmful smog on our streets.
Planning cities to include green spaces wherever possible is the first step in making our urban areas healthier. For example, adding a layer of vegetation to rooftops and creating green roofs has proven to reduce the urban heat island effect. Trees in our streets also play their part, and a variety of tree species can have a profound effect. Simply having access to green spaces in cities can do wonders for our stress levels and concentration at work. “People need to interact with nature whenever the opportunity arises. Something as simple as a five-to-ten-minute break during the workday can improve well-being and boost productivity,” Cecil, an expert studying nature in cities says.
1. How does the author bring in the topic in Paragraph 1?| A．By presenting facts. | B．By listing examples. |
| C．By comparing numbers. | D．By questioning an estimate. |
| A．Overcome. | B．Change. | C．Ease. | D．Shift. |
| A．Lower temperature. | B．Energy regeneration. |
| C．Fuel shortage. | D．Air pollution. |
| A．How to Let Nature Back In |
| B．Why We Need Green Spaces in Cities |
| C．Heat Effect: An Unavoidable Urban Trouble |
| D．Green Roofs: Tiny Urban Forests |
7 . Masks that helped save lives are proving a deadly danger for wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in the shocking number of thrown-away facial coverings. Single-use masks have been found around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose. “Face masks aren't going away any time soon—but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals,” Ashley Fruno of animal rights group PETA said.
In Britain, a gull was rescued by the RSPCA after its legs became tangled in the straps of a mask for up to a week. The animal welfare charity took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment before its release.
The biggest impact may be in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6,200 extra tonnes of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group Oceans Asia.
Conservationists in Brazil found one mask inside the stomach of a penguin after its body was washed up on a beach, while a dead pufferfish was discovered caught inside another off the coast of Miami. French campaigners found a dead crab trapped in a mask near the Mediterranean. Masks and gloves are “particularly problematic” for sea creatures, says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO Ocean Conservancy. “When those plastics break down in the environment, they then enter the food chain and impact entire ecosystems.” he added.
There has been a shift towards greater use of reusable cloth masks as the pandemic has worn on, but many are still using the lighter single-use varieties. Campaigners have urged people to bin them properly and cut the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming trapped. Oceans Asia has also called on governments to increase fines for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.
1. What's Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The problem of littering masks. | B．The long time to break down masks. |
| C．The threat of masks to wildlife. | D．The protective use of masks to people. |
| A．They gave first aid to the bird. | B．They released the bird at once. |
| C．They kept the bird for about a week. | D．They sent the bird to hospital. |
| A．By providing examples. | B．By giving explanations. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Forbidding the use of single-use masks. | B．Wearing reusable cloth masks. |
| C．Cutting the masks up before throwing. | D．Increasing fines for binning masks. |
8 . Food waste contributes to ever-growing landfills (垃圾堆).
Don’t buy too much food whenever you go grocery shopping.
Always make a shopping list.
Use the “First-In-First-Out” method. For example, placing the newly bought foods at the back of the fridge or cupboard will encourage people to use the ones that are in the front row. This will ensure that you know what you have and reduce food waste.
| A．It can help keep your grocery trips short. |
| B．Having a fully filled fridge may look nice. |
| C．Your fridge may be too crowded to function well. |
| D．It is a waste of your money, as well as your effort. |
| E．Some people like to store up food for emergencies. |
| F．Foods need proper storage to prevent them going bad. |
| G．If you can’t see what foods you have, you’ll forget them. |
9 . Buildings, pollution, poor soil, insects, and even car crashes can add to tree loss. However, between 2016 and 2021, the city of Seattle in Washington state was reported to have lost about 255 hectares of tree covering, for which climate change was blamed. Then came the driest summer on Seattle’s record books in 2022. The drier conditions and hotter temperatures have left many trees with brown leaves, naked branches, and extreme seeding. These are all signs of tree stress.
According to Nicholas Johnson, a tree expert for Seattle City Parks, if this warming climate continues we are going to have a lot of trees die. Just like people, under the heat trees get weak.
Researchers from France and Australia studied the effect of hotter temperatures and less rain on more than 3,100 trees and plants in 164 cities across 78 countries. They found about half the trees in the cities were experiencing climate conditions beyond their limits. They also found that by 2050 nearly all trees planted in Australian cities will not survive.
It’s not the gradual change but these extreme swings of too much water, too little water, too much wind, and terrible storms that are going to cause these rapid changes. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed about 10 percent of the trees in New Orleans, Louisiana. And in 2021, Hurricane Ida uprooted many new tree plantings.
To settle the problem of tree loss, non-native trees have been brought to cities for some time. In the city of Bellevue, Washington, experts are growing different kinds of trees specifically for climate change. On city grounds, they are planting baby giant sequoias, just a few centimeters tall. The giant sequoias are not native to the Pacific Northwest area. But the trees can deal with the lack of rain and insects. Once these trees are established, they grow incredibly fast. Having many different kinds and ages of trees is important to keeping urban forests alive.
“Life always finds a way,” said Nicholas Johnson. “And in Seattle, people are helping life find a way.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The bad condition of trees in Seattle. |
| B．The terrible climate in Seattle in recent years. |
| C．Natural reasons for tree loss. |
| D．The signs of tree stress. |
| A．Buildings. | B．Pollution. |
| C．Extreme climate. | D．Car crashes. |
| A．By improving planting methods. |
| B．By changing the kinds of trees. |
| C．By treating trees as babies. |
| D．By improving the soil quality. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Negative. | C．Skeptical. | D．Positive. |
There was a job vacancy for taking care of the Great Barrier Reef!
Ben did a lot during his time
