1 . A student-led push to get solar panels installed at a middle school in Tacoma is receiving national recognition from a clean energy nonprofit organization called Generation 180. The girls involved are advocating and fundraising for the project.
Sammy Firkins, Gwen Newport and Annie Son will talk about their idea to generate solar electricity at Jason Lee Middle School in a panel discussion organized by Generation 180. In 2019, the three of them teamed up with their science teacher, Kathy Hall, to push for solar panels to be installed. Hall, who uses solar power at her own house, said it’s long been a dream of hers. The school would be the first in the Tacoma district to use solar energy.
The girls presented their idea to Gov. Jay Inslee’s STEM Education Innovation Alliance meeting in early 2019 and received enthusiastic support. They then spoke to the Tacoma school board and obtained buy-in from the district, though they were told the district did not have the roughly $ 200,000 for the 277 solar panels and that they would have to fundraise. They’ve since raised more than half that amount through grants and individual donations.
Gwen Newport said she’s always cared a lot about environmental issues and that she’s troubled that climate change does not get the attention it deserves. “At this point, I feel like it’s kind of been given to my generation almost as our responsibility now and so being able to be a part of this project and take action is really important to me,” she said.
The solar panels have not been installed at the school yet. But Hall said she estimates that the project will reduce the school’s power costs by about $ 14,000 a year, and that it also will serve an educational purpose. “We will have live data always streaming available so that people can see how the panels are working and how they relate to the amount of electricity we’re using, and it will be an incredible learning tool,” she said.
1. What is Generation 180?| A．It is the name of the girls’ team. |
| B．It is a project to use solar power. |
| C．It is a nonprofit environmental group. |
| D．It is a student-led push to install solar panels. |
| A．The girls raised enough money for the project. |
| B．The Tacoma school board rejected the project. |
| C．The girls made great efforts to fulfill the project. |
| D．The district covered the expenses of solar panels. |
| A．Confident. | B．Concerned. | C．Relieved. | D．Content. |
| A．To advocate for donations. |
| B．To serve as a learning tool. |
| C．To protect the environment. |
| D．To cut down the school’s expenses. |
2 . The Great Wall, China
Stretching over 21,000 kilometers, the Great Wall was built to prevent invasions and has a history of more than 2,000 years. UNESCO in February 2019 calls it an absolute masterpiece, not only because of the ambitious character of the undertaking but also the perfection of its construction.”
But perfection isn’t protection. 51.2 percent of the Great Wall had either already disappeared or is at a significant risk of disappearing. Besides for wind and rain erosion, the main reasons for the destruction of the Great Wall are human factors such as tourism, construction, human contact and so on.
Pamukkale，Turkey
Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish, is famous for its shining white calcite terraces (方解石阶地)with warm and mineral-rich waters overrun.
Before being listed as a World Heritage Site in 1988, Pamukkale had been severely damaged by human activities. People used hot spring water to fill swimming pools, some visitors stood on the rocks and some even bathed in the hot springs with soap and shampoo. To protect the terraces, the Turkish government has decided to pull down the hotels and require all tourists to visit this site barefoot.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Home to 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of fish, the Great Barrier Reef draws visitors to Australia from all over the world.
However, the Great Barrier Reef is expected to suffer from increasingly frequent bleaching events, cases in which corals turn white and may die, according to a UNESCO report. The heat waves caused by global warming have killed half of the coral here in the two years, according to a CNN report. Pollution from industry developments and harmful fishing practices are also big concerns.
The Dead Sea, Jordan
At 423 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean, meaning that the water is so dense, even tourists who can9t swim will be able to float.
But the seaside resorts built in the 1980s now sit kilometers away from the water’s edge, which has lost half of its surface area in the past 40 years. The damage is irreversible due to the nature of the mineral industry and the type of agricultural use that has drained the water.
1. Which are you required to visit without shoes?| A．The Great Wall, China. |
| B．Pamukkale, Turkey. |
| C．Great Barrier Reef, Australia. |
| D．The Dead Sea, Jordan. |
| A．Main reasons for the destruction of the Great Wall come from wind and rain erosion. |
| B．Pamukkale was damaged by human activities after 1988. |
| C．Pollution and the heat waves caused by global warming kill much coral in the Great Barrier Reef. |
| D．Half of the Dead Sea surface area has disappeared in the past two decades. |
| A．They are all famous endangered natural spots. |
| B．They’re damaged only from human activities. |
| C．They all draw the attention of the governments. |
| D．They’re all seriously damaged. |
3 . Off the coast of Formentera, an island, lives seagrass that stretches 15 km. The seagrass, covering several kilometers, is made up of a single organism. The grasses are also long-lived, for tens or hundreds of thousands of years. Along with two other kinds of coastal ecosystem—mangrove swamps and tidal marshes—seagrass fields are particularly good at taking carbon dioxide from the air.
This role was highlighted in a report published on March 2nd by UNESCO, on “blue carbon” —the carbon stored by Earth’s oceanic and coastal ecosystems. In total around 3,300 million tons of carbon dioxide (about three-quarters of the world’s emissions in 2019) are locked away in the planet’s blue-carbon sinks. Research by Carlos Duarte, the report’s author and an ecologist, has shown that one hectare of seagrass can suck as much carbon dioxide each year as 15 hectares of rainforest.
One reason that blue-carbon ecosystems make such effective sinks is that underwater forests are thicker than the land-based woods. They can also trap floating pieces and organic matter, which settles on the sea floor and can double the amount of carbon stored away. They possess another advantage, too. Climate change is leading to more wildfires around the world. As forests burn, their carbon stocks are sent back into the atmosphere. Unlike forests on land, blue-carbon ecosystems do not burn.
Blue-carbon ecosystems may not be fired, but they remain affected by other sorts of disasters. In May 2020 cyclone Amphan destroyed 1,200 square kilometers of mangrove forests. A marine heatwave in Australian waters in 2010 and 2011 damaged around one third of the world’s largest seagrass field in Shark Bay. Mangrove forests can weaken or control waves and provide natural barriers to storm surges. Protecting and expanding them, then, appears to be a must.
1. What do the blue-carbon ecosystems consist of?| A．The carbon stored in coastal ecosystems. |
| B．Seagrass living off the coast of Formentera. |
| C．A single organism, seagrass fields and forests on land. |
| D．Seagrass fields, mangrove swamps and tidal marshes. |
| A．The concrete role of “blue carbon”. | B．The special features of the seagrass. |
| C．The storage ability of the blue-carbon sinks. | D．The findings about the blue-carbon ecosystems. |
| A．Because they aren’t influenced by disasters. | B．Because there is more carbon in water than on land. |
| C．Because their carbon stocks are released back. | D．Because they have greater absorbing ability. |
| A．To add background information. | B．To give suggestions. |
| C．To list influential examples. | D．To offer scientific data. |
4 . Thanks to Earth, we have fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink and warm sunshine to enjoy. But it seems that we may have taken these things for granted and not realized that our planet is getting “sick”.
Among those environmental challenges, global warming sits at the top. Global average temperatures have risen by more than 0.5℃since 1992.
Scientists say that we are experiencing the sixth mass extinction in history. More than two-thirds of the world’s wildlife could be gone by the end of the decade if action isn’t taken soon.
However, we have made some progress. That’s because we gradually stopped using chemicals that can break down ozone, a gas that protects Earth.
| A．The change is a big deal |
| B．Now, scientists have given us a warning |
| C．But this is not the only problem people are facing |
| D．We can make a big difference when we act right now, the letter says |
| E．Scientists also conclude that global warming will continue for centuries |
| F．Some rare animals, like black rhinos, might just appear in the pictures soon |
| G．All the countries in the world should take action on behalf off future generations |
5 . Washing machines are one of the greatest inventions of the last few centuries.They have made life easier. Unfortunately, washing machines also contribute to the environmental issues of energy use and micro-plastics flowing into the oceans. That is why the washing machine manufacturer (制造商), Samsung, and the outdoor-wear company, Patagonia, are working together to make a change.
For Patagonia, the issue of micro-plastics has been on its mind for years — its woolen jackets release many microfibers. As for Samsung, new requirements throughout the world have forced many producers to start thinking about ways to help reduce the number of micro-plastics. There are currently more than 14 million tons of micro-plastics floating in the oceans. Though people previously think of things such as plastic bottles and fishing lines when it comes to plastics in the ocean, thousands of micro-plastics are released into seas with every wash.
The issue is a sort of catch-22. In order to reduce energy costs, manufacturers try to make their machines more efficient. These machines use hotter water and are designed to create more friction (摩擦) between the clothing in the machine. However, both of these things lead to the release of more micro-plastics. So, using Patagonia clothes as test cases, Samsung came up with a two-fold solution: One is a technology called Eco-bubbles, which creates more bubbles to make the detergent (洗涤剂) more powerful, and the other is a water purifier that can filter (过滤) out more micro-plastics.
The cooperation between the two companies is proof of how complicated protecting the environment can be. On the one hand, clothing that is well-constructed and durable is a weapon in the fight against fast fashion. On the other hand, the material used to make those clothes and the way they are washed can also add pollutants to the environment.The same goes for washing machines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The fight against climate change requires creative thinking and learning how to attack a problem from many angles. This will certainly lead to even more strange and fruitful cooperation between the environmentally conscious companies.
1. What is Samsung’s purpose in partnering the outdoor clothing company?| A．To limit the use of micro-plastics. |
| B．To solve the issue of energy waste. |
| C．To find a solution to micro-plastic pollution. |
| D．To produce high-efficiency washing machines. |
| A．A tricky situation. | B．A questionable fact. |
| C．A possible dream. | D．A practical method. |
| A．Using hotter water. |
| B．Creating more friction. |
| C．Using powerful detergents. |
| D．Adding a water purifier to washing machines. |
| A．The difficulty in fighting against fast fashion. |
| B．The complexity of environment conservation. |
| C．The influence of humans’ active action. |
| D．The importance of creative thinking. |
“I just want a normal birthday party,” April told Bailey as they walked home from school.
Bailey knew what April meant. April’s parents loved the environment. And because April happened to be born on Earth Day, all her parties had an Earth Day theme. “Remember when you turned seven?” Bailey said.
“How could I forget the Throw-Out Blowout?” said April.
“We helped out at your garage sale and donated the money to charity. And when you turned eight—”
“It was a Tree Spree,” finished April. “We planted maples.”
“Last year, we all collected newspapers to recycle,” said Bailey.
“The Print Sprint?” April groaned.
Bailey giggled. “I thought it was fun.”
Later that night, as April loaded the dishwasher, she said, “I’d like to plan my own party this year.”
“Sure,” said Mom, “We could have a Compost(堆肥) Carnival.”
“Great idea!” said Dad.
April cleared her throat “Pd like to go to Maze Craze(疯狂迷宫) instead.”
“Really?” said Dad, surprised.
“I guess we could do that,” said Mom.
April couldn’t wait for her birthday! She and her friends would have so much fun. And they wouldn’t have to think one bit about the earth.
The following weekend, everyone gathered in the parking lot outside of Maze Craze. “Thanks for coming,” said April “I’ve been so excited about my party. No shovels. No collecting recyclables. Nothing earthy about it.” She shifted her feet. “Then I got here this morning and saw this parking lot.”
April’s friends glanced around. Plastic bottles bounced across the cement. Newspapers and fast-food sacks blocked the storm drain. Shopping bags rustled in the trees.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Looking at the mess, April frowned(皱起眉头).
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April looked at the bags with bottles, cans and paper to recycle and smiled.
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7 . If the three Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) is a guideline to save the planet, garbage-sorting is where the efforts start. Since May 1, Beijing has started to carry out mandatory garbage-sorting in new efforts to better protect the environment. Under the new regulation, residents are required to classify household waste into four categories: kitchen, recyclable, hazardous and other waste. People who fail to sort their garbage properly can be fined from 50 to 200 yuan, reported Xinhua.
Some residential communities in Beijing have introduced rewards to encourage residents to sort their garbage. According to Xinhua, residents can earn points by classifying their domestic waste correctly and then exchange the points they accumulate for daily necessities such as soap.
Garbage sorting practices have reached over 70 percent of housing estates in 18 cities, including Shanghai, Xiamen and Hangzhou, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Shanghai first enacted a mandatory garbage-sorting regulation in July 2019 and has had a 90 percent compliance (服从) rate among its housing estates.
According to a report by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, over 90 percent of the public believe that garbage-sorting is important for the protection of the environment. However, garbage-sorting is still a big problem in China. Only 30 percent of participants said they think they are completely sorting their waste, the report noted. According to Xinhua, it’s partly because many people lack the willingness to sort their own waste. Also, some previous garbage regulations didn’t include fines for people who failed to obey them.
“It’s a must to have a legal guarantee to promote garbage sorting,” Liu Jianguo, a professor from Tsinghua University, told China Daily, “Aside from China, many countries like Germany, Spain and Britain, also ask people to sort waste into specific categories. In Japan, there is a fixed time for the sorting of each kind of garbage and littering.”
1. What can we learn about the new regulation in Beijing?| A．It hasn’t been put into use yet. |
| B．Residents can sort the garbage as they like. |
| C．People can get money if they classify their domestic waste correctly. |
| D．Those who can’t sort the garbage as the new rule requires shall be fined. |
| A．Most people are unaware of its importance in protecting environment. |
| B．Some people don’t want to take the trouble to sort the garbage. |
| C．Only residents in big cities can sort the trash correctly. |
| D．The government doesn’t have enough money to support garbage sorting. |
| A．It’s difficult to carry out garbage sorting in China. |
| B．Some laws in garbage-sorting are needed. |
| C．People in developed countries can better sort the garbage. |
| D．We should learn from Japan. |
| A．Garbage sorting, a new start in China | B．New regulations in Beijing |
| C．Argument on garbage sorting | D．How to sort domestic garbage |
1. 环境保护的重要性；
2. 你在活动中的表现；
3. 你的感受。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Lucas,
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Yours,
Li Hua
9 . In the past five years, about 2.8 billion of school textbooks were sold per year, with total spending of 20 billion yuan ($3 billion), news magazine Outlook Weekly reported, citing data released recently by the National Press and Publication Administration.
If these textbooks are reused for one year, the costs saved can be used to help build around 40,000 Hope Schools in impoverished regions.
The figures show that in 2018, the number of retailed textbooks for primary and secondary schools was 2.93 billion copies, totaling 25.99 billion yuan. If all of them are reused, a total of over 20 billion yuan will be saved per year.
Zhao Dehua, in charge of a company recycling resources, said many college graduates sell the textbooks they have accumulated over the years at an average price of 1 yuan per kilogram. As these textbooks are mostly used to produce recycled paper, the cost is even higher than that of raw paper as the processing procedure of recycled paper is complicated.
At present, free textbooks related to music, art and P.E for the nine-year compulsory education have been reused, but account for less than a fraction of the total number of textbooks. Because of the supply chain obstruction, which increases the costs to match supply with demand, the lack of sound platform and service supporting system for the second-hand textbook trade, most of the textbooks used for compulsory education and higher education end up as waste.
“Every year, second-hand booksellers collect textbooks at a price of about 4,000 yuan a ton, which is more than twice the price of ordinary waste paper, but the number of people who come to collect second-hand books is still few,” Zhao Dehua said.
Besides, the incomplete policies and regulations might bring second-hand book sales platforms and sellers to legal risks.
“Establishing the system of textbook recycling can not only save resources, but also help to cultivate students’ consciousness and sense of responsibility,” said Zhu Pin, deputy head of a school of nine-year compulsory education in Jiangxi province. The school has set up a system for reusing the textbooks and the books are disinfected every week.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 4?| A．College students sell textbooks in order to make profits. |
| B．Recycled paper is mainly used for environmental considerations. |
| C．The cost of recycled paper is greater than that of raw paper. |
| D．Certain groups of collectors tend to choose second-hand textbooks. |
| A．It is blocked because of lack of funds. |
| B．The supply of recycled textbooks is not adequate to meet the demand. |
| C．The regulation of second-hand textbooks has not been carried out yet. |
| D．A large number of second-hand textbooks are not used properly. |
| A．The school frees recycled textbooks from bacteria regularly. |
| B．The school proposes regulations for wasting second-hand textbooks. |
| C．The school calls on students to participate in the system of textbook recycling. |
| D．The school requests the government’s support. |
| A．Textbooks recycled for less waste |
| B．Recycled textbooks used for compulsory education |
| C．Reusing textbooks good for environment and wallet |
| D．Reusing textbooks good for collection |
10 . The convenience plastic offers has led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side. Many of its products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a service life of mere minutes to hours.
Plastic has been the biggest threat to ocean life for decades. Sunlight, wind and wave action break down plastic waste to a certain extent, but it only succeeds in reducing it to smaller pieces.
Tests have also confirmed cell damage and trouble with animals’ reproductive systems caused by plastic-eating. Some species, such as oysters, produce fewer eggs if they wrongly take too much plastic.
Fortunately, solutions are being found. Many scientists agree the top priority is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas.
| A．Nearly every species of seabird eats plastics. |
| B．This makes plastic waste even harder to notice. |
| C．Millions of animals are killed by plastic every year. |
| D．Some pieces have even been found blocking their organs. |
| E．Half of all plastics ever produced have been made in the last 15 years. |
| F．It could be done with improved waste management systems and recycling. |
| G．However, they may remain in the environment for hundreds of years and cause a lot of harm. |
