1 . What would you think is the most plentiful man-made material on earth? Steel, plastic, glass? The answer is concrete.
And while it’s an incredibly useful material existing everywhere, the energy intensive process of making concrete releases massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, and its main component, which is a mixture of rocks, sand, water and most importantly, cement (水泥) to glue it altogether, is responsible for 7 percent of global CO2 emissions, leaving a huge carbon footprint. But without cement, concrete doesn’t hold up skyscrapers.
What if there was a way that instead of releasing carbon dioxide, concrete could trap it forever? Carbon Cure is kind of the brains of the technology. This innovation puts carbon dioxide into the concrete as it’s being mixed. When the concrete hardens, those otherwise harmful emissions are trapped forever, before they even reach our atmosphere. Christie Gamble, part of the team behind Carbon Cure’s technology, explained ,“ We actually transform the CO2 into a mineral, and the real selling point is that the mineral itself improves the compressive (压缩的) strength for the concrete, which means producers like Thomas Concrete can use less cement in their mixtures and still achieve the same strength with fewer emissions.
Compression tests prove that the concrete made with Carbon Cure is just as hardy as the traditional stuff. If we can reduce 5 percent of the carbon footprint of the concrete industry, that’s a significant change from where we’re right now. Ultimately, if this technology was employed across the globe, we could reduce about 700 megatons of CO2 every year, which is the same as taking 150 million cars off the road every year.
It’s going to change the way the concrete industry does things. Though companies pay to use Carbon Cure and buy CO2 from a factory, they save money by using less of their most expensive cement.
1. What’s the main focus on concrete in paragraph 2?| A．Its makeup. | B．Its serious air pollution. |
| C．Its daily use. | D．Its producing process. |
| A．By adding a new mineral to CO2. | B．By hardening the concrete more quickly. |
| C．By improving the quality of the cement. | D．By trapping carbon dioxide in the concrete. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By analyzing cause and effect. | D．By providing evidence. |
| A．To present a problem. | B．To explain a process. |
| C．To advocate an action. | D．To introduce a solution. |
2 . Earthquakes happen without warning. They can happen any time of a day, at any point during the year. But don't worry because most are so weak that they cannot be felt. Only a few big ones hurt people. However, it's important to know what to do when an earthquake is happening.
Do not go outside. You could get injured from falling glass or parts of buildings. If you are outside, stay away from buildings and power lines (输电线).
Stay under a desk, table, or other strong furniture. Hold on to it. Or stay in a corner of the building. Cover your face and head with your arms and cover your mouth with a towel or clothing. Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside.
Keep away from windows, pictures or advertisements on the wall or the building, and anything else that could fall and hurt you. Most people get injured by falling things during an earthquake, not by the shaking itself.
Also keep away from a fire. You could fall down and burn yourself on the fire.
If you are driving when an earthquake happens, stop the car if it's safe. Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops, and don't drive near bridges. Try not to stop by power lines or trees. These could fall and hurt you.
1. Most earthquakes are too________ to hurt people.| A．strong | B．weak |
| C．dangerous | D．heavy |
| A．stay under a big building | B．stay under a strong furniture |
| C．stand by windows | D．drive near a big bridge |
| A．run out of the building | B．stay in a corner of the building |
| C．cover your head with your arms | D．cover your mouth with a towel |
| A．How Earthquakes Happen | B．How to Drive a Car |
| C．What We Should Do in Earthquakes | D．Why Earthquakes Happen. |
3 . As we all know, too much trash is a big problem for our environment. A woman in Indonesia’s Java island has come up with a great idea—lending books to children in exchange for trash.
Raden Roro Hendarti, nearly 50 years old, is a librarian in Muntang village. She started a “trash library”, hoping to make children read more as well as make them realize the importance of environment protection. Each weekday, Raden puts all kinds of books on the back of her three-wheeler (三轮车) and rides to Muntang village. There, children line up to exchange plastic cups, bags and other trash for books from Raden’s mobile library. After finishing the exchange, Raden carries back all the trash.
In the library where Raden works, there are thousands of books. Every time she shows up, children run to her “trash library”. They all carry trash bags, and Raden’s three-wheeler quickly fills with trash as the books fly out. Raden collects about 100 kg of trash each week. It is then sorted out (分类) and sent for recycling or sale. She is happy that children spend less time on online games because of the books.
Raden plans to take the mobile library service to neighboring areas as well. She says, “We all should take care of our trash in order to fight climate (气候) change and save the earth. ”
1. What does the underlined word “trash” mean?| A．plastic | B．rubbish | C．paper | D．information |
①She rides to Muntang village.
②She carries back all the trash.
③Children line up to get books for their trash.
④She puts books on her three-wheeler.
| A．④→①→③→② | B．④→①→②→③ | C．①→③→④→② | D．①→②→③→④ |
| A．About 100 kg. | B．About 50 kg. | C．About 25 kg. | D．About 20 kg. |
| A．To ask her neighbors for help. | B．To give the mobile library to her neighbors. |
| C．To exchange books for trash in more villages. | D．To tell children to spend less time on online games. |
4 . For every goal that Lesein Mutunkei scores, trees get planted. It’s a simple yet effective message that appeals, and leads to a satisfying way of motivating us to promote environmentalism in our own way.
Born in Nairobi, Lesein is in his late teens, and his Trees4Goals is the means with which he intends to make the world greener. It unites two of his passions in life: love of the outdoors and love of football. Lesein enjoyed walking in the forest. He recognised his country was experiencing a serious loss of tree cover. Between 2001 and 2020, Kenya lost an estimated 11% of trees, releasing 176 million tons of CO2.
In a blog post for WWF Kenya, Lesein revealed that, once he started the Trees4Goals initiative, he originally planned to plant one tree per goal. In 2020, he wanted to take his efforts even further. What started as one tree planted per goal mushroomed into 11 trees planted per goal. Explaining the reason behind expanding the tree-planting, he said, “It represents team efforts in football and the contribution by my team. I have planted over 1,000 trees in the last two years.”
While it’s something of an own goal to destroy the forests and jungles providing enormous biodiversity, initiatives like Trees4Goals are an assured way to score an environmentalist hat-trick. Sports such as football are popular with the booming Kenyan population and have the ability to cut through cultural barriers regardless of the countries they are played in. Sports have the power to unify and excite large audiences. Lesein Mutunkei has taken this strategy and scored a winning goal of his own.
Like a seed, best ideas start small and change into something that can become far larger than anticipated. While Lesein continues planting 11 trees per goal, the Kenyan government is aiming to plant 1.8 billion trees to reach a point where 10 per cent of the country is covered by trees. The science behind is clear; a report in 2019 claimed that if 900 million hectares were devoted to additional tree planting of half a trillion trees, the world could offset (抵消) half of all carbon emissions produced since 1960.
1. What gave Lesein the idea of launching the project?| A．Release of too much CO2. | B．His dream of motivating others. |
| C．His passion for sports and nature. | D．Habit of exercising in the woods. |
| A．He created a blog for WWF. | B．He set a higher aim. |
| C．He planted one tree for each goal. | D．He extended his work to other teams. |
| A．The aim that is intended to achieve. | B．Action that harms one’s own interests. |
| C．Pursuit of one’s personal success. | D．The goal that is scored for the opposing team. |
| A．United, we win. | B．No pains, no gains. |
| C．Love me, love my dog. | D．Small deeds, big difference. |
5 . Aristotle was among the first thinkers to become interested in the red snow on Mount Parnassus in the 4th century BC. The Greek philosopher owed the colour to hairy worms living in freezing conditions at high altitude. The phenomenon has puzzled scientists ever since. Now a team of French researchers find that snow is getting redder all the time.
The red is indeed produced by organisms in the snow - not by hairy worms, but by microalgae(微藻类)that inhabit ecosystems up to 3, 000 metres above sea level. The microalgae that are green and invisible in the winter become loaded with pigments(色素)in the summer which protect them from the sun, turning the snow reddish. It's when the sun's rays become strong that the microalgae create a protective layer of red molecules(分子) that are like a sun cream.
The researchers say on their website, “The appearance of ‘red snows’ seems to be more and more frequent at high altitudes, as well as in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.” One explanation for the spread of red snows could be global warming, the scientists say. Microalgae capture carbon dioxide when exposed to light, turning it into organic matter and placing it at the foundation of ecosystems in soil, water and snow. With climate change, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. “It is therefore expected that certain microalgae respond positively to this increase, behaving as markers of climate change,” the website says.
Yet scientists are unsure about what impact the microalgae have on melting glaciers and snow. They suspect that because the red pigments absorb the heat they are accelerating environmental change. “Even if it is fantastic to see microalgae developing in the snow, one of the consequences is... the disappearance of their environment,” the researchers added.
1. What caused the red snow according to the Greek philosopher?| A．High altitude. | B．A kind of worms. |
| C．The microalgae. | D．The freezing conditions |
| A．To generate a sun cream. |
| B．To be loaded with pigments. |
| C．To attract people's attention. |
| D．To defend themselves from the sun. |
| A．It can contribute to global warming. |
| B．It can indicate the rise of carbon dioxide. |
| C．It increases carbon dioxide in ecosystems. |
| D．It disappears from the Arctic and Antarctic regions. |
| A．Red snow sends a warning. |
| B．Microalgae grow in red snow. |
| C．Microalgae stand climate change. |
| D．Red snow dances at high altitude. |
6 . More than one million single-use straws (吸管), most of them plastic, are used in the United States each day. They end up in waterways, harm sea animals, and break down into micro-plastics. Quantities of places have passed plastic-straw bans as a way to start handling the global plastic waste problem.
Straw materials: advantages and disadvantages
1. Metal
Made of stainless steel, aluminum, or even titanium, metal straws have become popular. They draw some criticism for having a metallic taste and conducting heat from a hot drink, but they’re strong and can be reused.
2. Paper
Paper drinking straws, which date from the late 1800s, often absorb liquid over time and can leave a taste or fibers in drinks. They’re the most popular throwaway choice in places with plastic-straw bans.
3. Glass
Though glass straws may be more breakable and thus less portable than reusable straws of other materials, they hold up well to washing and reuse. Some straws are made to look artistic, with colors and blown-glass designs.
4. Bamboo
This natural material can be sustainably produced and is a plant-based replacement of plastic straws. Bamboo straws are easily disposed of and turned into fertilizer. They are reusable but can be hard to clean completely and may absorb flavors.
1. What is the major problem with plastic straws?| A．Function. | B．Flavor. |
| C．Weight. | D．Pollution. |
| A．Metal straw. | B．Paper straw. |
| C．Glass straw. | D．Bamboo straw. |
| A．It can become fertilizer. | B．It is easy to clean. |
| C．It is portable and bendable. | D．It has different designs. |
1. What does the man want the girl to eat?
| A．Steaks. | B．Chicken. | C．Hamburgers. |
| A．To save animals. | B．To improve her health. | C．To protect the environment. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Six. |
| A．At home. | B．In a canteen. | C．In a supermarket. |
8 . A shark moving around the coastline is normally a worrying sight，but this waterborne drone(无人机)threatens floating rubbish instead of people.
Developed by Dutch company RanMarine, the WasteShark takes nature as its inspiration with its whale shark-like mouth. Responsible for collecting waste, the drone will begin operations in Dubai Marina in November after a year of trials with local partner Ecocoast.
According to RanMarine, the WasteShark is available in both autonomous and remote-controlled models. Measuring just over five feet by three-and-a-half feet(1.5 meters by 1.1 meter)，it can carry up to 352 pounds of rubbish(159.6 kg)and has an operational battery life of 16 hours.
By 2016 there were approximately 150 million tons of plastic in the world's oceans. One paper from December 2014 estimated that over a quarter of a million tons of ocean plastic pollution was afloat.
"WasteShark also has the abilities to gather air and water quality data, remove chemicals out of the water such as oil，and heavy metals，and scan the seabed to read its depth and outlines，"said Oliver Cunningham, one of the co-founders of RanMarine. "Fitted with a collision-avoidance system, the drone uses laser imaging detection and ranging technology to detect an object in its path and stop or back up if the object approaches."
"Our drones are designed to move through a water system, whether it's around the perimeter(周边) or through the city itself. The drones are that last line of defense between the city and the open ocean," added Cunningham. "WasteSharks are operating in Dubai, South Africa and the Netherlands and cost $ 17,000 for the remote-controlled model and just under $ 23,000 for the autonomous model."
Dubai-based operator Ecocoast has two WasteShark drones. Co-founder Dana Liparts says they will clean waterfronts for clients including hotels and environmental authorities and that Ecocoast' intention is to have the collected rubbish recycled or upcycled. However, Liparts argues that cleaning waterways doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution and requires a combination of new technology, preventative measures and changing people's attitudes towards littering.
1. What do we know about the WasteShark?| A．It can frighten sharks away. | B．It is an ocean explorer. |
| C．It is a rubbish collector. | D．It can catch fish instead of people. |
| A．The causes of ocean pollution. | B．The dangers of using plastics. |
| C．The severity of ocean garbage pollution. | D．The importance of ocean protection. |
| A．Avoid crashing into it. | B．Break it into pieces. |
| C．Swallow it. | D．Fly over it. |
| A．The WasteShark should be used more widely. |
| B．More measures should be taken to make water clean. |
| C．The production cost of WasteSharks should be reduced. |
| D．People should take a positive attitude to new technology. |
9 . São Paulo is playing host to an unsustainable mountain of waste due to a general lack of participation in recycling properly. Mar ion Bernardi, a student from France, has proposed a neat way of getting kids in on the act of sorting domestic waste.
Mar ion registered for an art class in high school when she realised her love for creating objects. Entering for design studies at L’Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique was a logical next step for her. She took advantage of a chance to study abroad briefly, moving for a time to pursue a Master’s degree in Transcultural Design in sad polo. “For my end of studies project” she says, “I decided to work on the waste sorting issue in sad Paulo, and finally I created the Recicla Dia a Dia project.”
Recicla Dia a Dia, is an ambitious idea whereby (凭此) kids are involved into recycling through a special classroom-based contest. With the help of smartphones, participants can take pat through an ape, along with a supply of custom-made tokens (代币) and a number of engaging activities to get them on the right path. The ape keeps the topic exciting, using colourful cartoon characters in the form of drink cans, plastic bottles and banana peels with faces to give it a distinctive child-led look.
The Recicla Dia a Dia app is specially-designed to educate the user, so they know how to deal with most forms of recyclable plastic, glass, paper and metal items. It comes through the use of a “separator” an interactive guide on the ape, which informs the child about whether waste is dry recyclable or not, via a set of clear questions.
To progress in the contest and get rewards, the child must level up by gaining experience. Experience can be gained by bringing in bags of dry recyclables counted by the teacher and by completing weekly ‘Zero Waste’ challenge. Beyond education through play, Mar ion man ages to create a link between home and school and provide a global solution to a major issue.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about Mar ion?| A．Her pursue of studying abroad. | B．Her future career plans. |
| C．Her experience of learning design. | D．He university research topic. |
| A．It uses real images. | B．It requires children to buy tokens. |
| C．It’s a computer gaming ape. | D．It’s done through a competition. |
| A．By answering questions. | B．By asking the teacher. |
| C．By using a sorting machine | D．By judging the shapes. |
| A．Costly and effective. | B．Interesting and challenging. |
| C．Simple and practical | D．Amazing and time-consuming. |
10 . When we throw a plastic container away, we usually don’t think about what happens to it after it leaves our sight. It turns out that many plastics we use every day are not able to be recycled. Only some of them can be turned into something else. The rest ends up in landfills, or worse, the ocean.
A startup company, ByFusion, in Los Angeles, was in an effort to solve some of the environmental damage caused by discarded plastic.
“Plastic was not invented to be thrown away. Plastic is strong, flexible, and built to last. This is why plastic isn’t the problem. The problem is that we didn’t have a good plan for its future. So now it is thrown into landfills, burned at the edges of towns, and there are continents of it floating at sea killing precious wildlife,” They state on their website.
Their solution? Creating giant Lego-style building blocks using steam compression machines called Blockers. Raw, unwashed plastic waste is fed into the Blocker and made into ByBlocks, which can be used in place of traditional cement blocks and other building materials. ByBlocks require no glues and are 10 pounds lighter than cement blocks, making installation quicker and easier. They won’t break like concrete blocks would, and there’s no special labor needed to use them. They also create zero waste to make — one ton of plastic equals one ton of ByBlock.
ByFusion is currently able to process 450 tons of plastic a year out of their L. A. production facility, and there are 12 more Blockers arriving in US cities in the coming years. “ Our primary goal is to get a Blocker in every city, to enable every city to process their own recyclable waste, ” said founder Heidi Kujawa.
The company has set a goal to recycle 100 million tons of plastic waste by 2030, and their founder thinks the number is within reach. “If we get 9,000 Blocker systems installed around the world by 2025, together we can hit our 100-million-ton goal,” she said.
1. How does ByFusion recycle plastic waste?| A．By producing recyclable plastics. | B．By burning it for heating. |
| C．By making green building materials. | D．By building nature-friendly landfills. |
| A．It isn’t good for human beings. | B．The demand for it is increasing. |
| C．Too much plastic has been made. | D．Used plastic isn’t taken seriously. |
| A．It’s economical. | B．It needs glues. | C．It needs special labor. | D．It’s time consuming. |
| A．Its quality is improved. | B．Its ByBlocks are well-designed. |
| C．Its techniques develop fast. | D．Its equipment is used widely. |
