The researchers published their study in the journal Nature. They looked at data from recent bleaching (变白) events in the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia. Bleaching causes corals to lose their colour and, often, to die. Several causes contribute
Researchers say the results of the study highlight the importance of
Corals look like rocks, but they are tiny animals. The creatures can exist alone or in large colonies. They form a hard outer shell. When they die, their skeleton (骨架)
Fortunately, a group of scientists unconnected to the study
2 . On the top of millions of homes and offices, affordable and efficient solar panels provide further smaller-scale- electricity during daylight hours. People drive zero-emission (排放) cars that were developed like Audi and BMW which run on hydrogen fuel—created using solar energy which turns waste water into hydrogen and oxygen. Solar energy is potential power in the continuous sunlight of space.
The idea of solar power and its potential to be Earth’s giant power source has roots way back before the threat of climate change and using up petrol. The first idea of solar energy was developed back in 1883, when writer Isaac Asimov published a 1941 story, describing a space station beaming down vast amounts of solar energy using microwave beams. US scientist Peter Glaser drew up plans in 1968 to make Asimov’s dreams a reality, only to be stopped by the technological limitations of the time.
But technologies for a solar-powered world are here today, quieting critics who claim global solar power will never overcome issues over long-distance transmission from sunny to less sunny areas, or find storage solutions to allow it to carry on making power when it gets dark.
China, for instance, is already building high-voltage power lines to spread output across the country from quickly developing solar power facilities. The first three months of 2015, alone, saw the Asian giant add 5 gigawatts (千兆瓦) of solar capacity to the entire solar supply of major European nation like France.
Storage solutions already being used worldwide have successfully proved the working of two methods. One uses solar energy to create melt salts, whose heat-keeping qualities allow them to provide the power to drive electricity turbines (涡轮机) through the night. Other solar plants, meanwhile, are using the sun’s rays to compress gas that is then released after dark to drive those turbines.
1. Why are developed Audi and BMW called zero-emission cars?| A．They run on the energy made from electricity. |
| B．They can be powered by using gases and winds. |
| C．They can be driven by the energy from solar panels. |
| D．They use hydrogen fuel made from waste water by solar energy. |
| A．Solar energy’s high cost. | B．Technological limitations. |
| C．Lack of experience on solar power. | D．Other scientists’ disagreement. |
| A．It is only used in sunny areas. | B．It is hardly used in less sunny areas. |
| C．It can be transmitted long distance. | D．It can never be made in dark conditions. |
| A．Solar Energy Is Widely Used | B．How To Store Solar Energy |
| C．Solar Energy—a Potential Power | D．Technologies Limit Solar Energy |
3 . Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats are disappearing.
The scientists studied the migration, or flight, paths, of almost 1,500 species and decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas. The major danger for migratory birds is development. Building and paving have covered over nature where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another.
For example, a bird called the bar-tailed godwit migrates from its breeding grounds in the Arctic. It flies all the way to Australia and New Zealand. The problem, according to investigators, is that many of these small birds die along their migration because they don't have a safe place to eat and rest. There is no place to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. "They simply perish along the way," says one of the scientists.
Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time conserving land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds.
"Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,’’ one of the scientists says.
The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopover areas for birds that pass through their boundaries.
For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.
One scientist who is not involved in the report tells the Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds. He says small changes—like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of areas birds would be likely to use—could make a big difference.
1. What’s the major danger for migratory birds according to the passage?| A．They can’t find enough food along the way. |
| B．They have lost their way because of human development. |
| C．Human development has occupied their natural habitats. |
| D．They are sometimes struck by human diseases. |
| A．They fly from the Arctic south to Australia every year. |
| B．They can pick out good resting place along the way. |
| C．They have died out because of human hunting. |
| D．They have their conserved land in Australia. |
| A．Continue. | B．Die. |
| C．Settle. | D．Migrate. |
| A．Countries working together to protect the sea. |
| B．Protecting the original habitats for the migrating birds. |
| C．Reserving some land for the birds to rest along the way. |
| D．Planting some native plants for the migrating birds to use. |
4 . Farms are battlefields, forcing growers to fight against greedy pests and aggressive weeds in never- ending, costly campaigns that often involve chemical weapons. Those weapons also harm innocent bystanders such as bees and fish. Now, a study chart's impressive shifts in recent decades as U. S. farmers have changed their types of pesticides. Birds and mammals have been affected less, whereas pollinators are suffering. The toxic (有毒的) impact on land plants has also increased sharply, likely because farmers are using increasing kinds of chemicals to fight weeds that have become resistant to common herbicides( 除草剂).
As a research shows, in recent decades, the amount of pesticides used in the United States has gone down by about 40% . But active ingredients have become more powerful. For example, fast-acting pesticides are very toxic. Some require as lite as 6 grams per hectare, compared with several kilograms of the older pesticides. Ralf Schulz, an ecotoxicologist, wondered whether overall toxicity in the ecosystem had changed. A few studies had looked at certain compounds and organisms, but nothing had been done on a national scale.
Schulz and colleagues started with U. S. Geological Survey data on self- reported pesticide use by U. s. farmers from 1992 to 2016. They also gathered toxicity data from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency on those same compounds-381 in all, The good news is that total toxicity decreased more than 95%, for birds and mammals from 1992 to 2016, largely because of the phaseout (逐步停止) of older pesticides. Toxicity for fish declined by less- about one-third.
Schulz hopes more researches will help policymakers and others think more about the complexity of pest and weed control, and wild species, in order to reduce unintentional harm. The rising toxicity in plants could lead to less diverse habitat and food resources that eventually spread to animal populations, potentially causing losses. “The patterns in the U. S. pesticide use and toxicity data should be a warning for the rest of the world, much of which seems to be leaning more heavily on pesticide use rather than ecological interactions for pest control,” Schulz said.
1. What do U. S. farmers usually do to fight against pests and weeds?| A．They change land plants. | B．They use chemical weapons. |
| C．They harm innocent bystanders. | D．They increase kinds of pollinators. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing data, |
| C．By doing experiments. | D．By interviewing farmers. |
| A．Subjective. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Negative. | D．Favorable. |
| A．Unintentional harm will be reduced. | B．People will have less food resources. |
| C．Ecological interactions will increase. | D．The number of animals will decrease. |
5 . In the global effort to protect biodiversity, Mexico has been at the forefront. In particular, for more than 30 years. Mexico’s National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) has promoted research, compiled information on the biodiversity of Mexico and elsewhere, and connected academia, government, and society to guide decision-making. Unfortunately, last month, the Mexican government announced its intention to reduce CONABIO from a multi-ministry federal government agency to a branch within the environment ministry. This will rid CONABIO of its independent voice, credibility, and influence on national and international policy.
CONABIO was created in 1992, which aimed to promote international cooperation on environmental issues of the 21st century. Since then, CONAB1O has digitized tens of millions of records in national and foreign collections and has processed satellite data on vegetation cover and wildfires. It is not only a data base but a model for best practices in biodiversity management. All information is publicly available online, and contributors decide when the information they provide will be made public. In the past 5 years, CONABIO had an average of 1000 users per week, and it was consulted at least once per day by health, agriculture, environment, foreign affairs, and government agencies from Mexico and other countries. CONABIO has become a world-sought reference on how to effectively compile useful information and make specific policy for the benefit of the population and biodiversity.
The proposed change for CONABIO will likely eliminate the support it provides for the sustainable management, use, and conservation of biodiversity for Mexico and the world. Given that Mexico is home to 10% to 12%of the world’s species, there is much at risk. CONABIO is already very cost-efficient, and its capacity to influence political decisions depends directly on its multi-ministerial character. Burying the agency is a path to put it to an end.
Should this move become effective, it would be the end of the many essential benefits that CONABIO provides to address the environmental crises that threaten the future of all life on Earth. It is time for Mexico’s scientists, Mexico’s population, and the world to speak out against destroying this valuable institution.
1. What may happen to CONABIO according to paragraph 1?| A．It may be charged. | B．It may be dismissed. |
| C．It may be investigated. | D．It may be downgraded. |
| A．Its original purpose. | B．Its bright prospect. |
| C．Its great contributions. | D．Its awkward situation. |
| A．Remove. | B．Improve. | C．Obtain, | D．Ignore. |
| A．Promote Mexico’s Biodiversity | B．Stand Up for CONABIO |
| C．Stick to Sustainable Biodiversity | D．Improve the Fame of CONABIO |
6 . The world’s insects are hurtling down the path to extinction, threatening a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, according to the first global scientific review. More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles.
“It should be of huge concern to all of us, for insects are at the heart of every food web, they pollinate the large majority of plant species, keep the soil healthy, recycle nutrients, control pests, and much more. Love them or loathe them, we humans cannot survive without insects, ” said Prof Dave Goulson at the University of Sussex in the UK.
The analysis, published in the journal Biological Conservation, says intensive agriculture is the main driver of the declines, particularly the heavy use of pesticides. Urbanization and climate change are also significant factors.
One of the biggest impacts of insect loss is on the many birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish that eat insects. A small number of adaptable species are increasing in number, but not nearly enough to outweigh the big losses.
Matt Shardlow, at the conservation charity Buglife, said: “It is gravely sobering to see this collation of evidence that demonstrates the pitiful state of the world’s insect populations. It is increasingly obvious that the planet’s ecology is breaking and there is a need for an intense and global effort to stop and reverse these dreadful trends.”
1. What does “are hurtling down ”underlined mean?| A．To climb very slow in a straight direction |
| B．To move very fast in a particular direction. |
| C．To become lower in value or level quickly |
| D．To speed up suddenly in a particular direction |
| A．Intensive agriculture |
| B．Urbanization |
| C．Climate change |
| D．Pests control. |
| A．by giving the examples |
| B．by making the comparison |
| C．by giving the definition. |
| D．by making the explanation |
| A．Sharply decreasing insects numbers threaten damage of nature. |
| B．The impacts will be brought by the insect loss. |
| C．The effective measures are taken to stop the scary trends. |
| D．The leading factors cause insects decline |
I am Chuck Leavell, musician, forester, and conservationist from Georgia. I was also co-founder of the website Mother Nature Network, which
My interest in the environment goes back decades. In 1981, my wife, Rose Lane Leavell, and I inherited (继承)around a thousand acres from Rose's grandmother
Whether on our own land or in the world at large, I never stop advocating for the environment - that is why I'm so happy to be here. As I begin my role, I look forward to
1. What damage has Hurricane Dorian caused on the islands?
| A．At least five deaths. |
| B．Thousands of injuries. |
| C．Missing of many people. |
| A．They lack food and drinkable water. |
| B．They cannot receive good treatments. |
| C．They are not provided with sheltering. |
| A．Category 2. | B．Category 3. | C．Category 5. |
| A．Colleagues. | B．Classmates. | C．Teacher and student. |
9 . Drive through any suburb in the U.S. Today, and it’s hard to miss the recycling bins that have become companions to America’s trash cans. Recycling has become common, as people recognize the need to care for the environment. Yet most people’s recycling consciousness extends only as far as paper, bottles, and cans. People seldom find themselves facing the growing problem of e-waste.
E-waste rapidly increases as the techno- fashionable frequently upgrade to the most advanced devices, and the majority of them end up in landfills (垃圾填埋地). Some people who track such waste say that users throw away nearly 2 million tons of TVs, VCRs, computers, cell phones, and other electronics every year. Unless we can find a safe replacement, this e-waste may get into the ground and poison the water with dangerous toxins (毒素), such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Burning the waste also dangerously contaminates the air.
However, e-waste often contains reusable silver, gold, and other electrical materials. Recycling these materials reduces environmental problems by reducing both landfill waste and the need to look for such metals, which can destroy ecosystems.
A growing number of states have adopted laws to ban dumping e-waste. Still, less than a quarter of this waste will reach lawful recycling programs. Some companies advertising safe disposal in fact merely ship the waste to some developing countries, where it still ends up in landfills. These organizations prevent progress by unsafely disposing of waste in an out- of- sight, out- of- mind location.
However, the small but growing number of cities and corporations that do handle e- waste responsibly represents progress toward making the world a cleaner, better place for us all.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．Many Americans now have access to recycling bins. |
| B．E-waste cannot be put into trash cans in the U.S. |
| C．Most Americans have realized the dangers of e-waste. |
| D．Most of America’s trash cans are made of recycled material. |
| A．pollutes. | B．heats. |
| C．absorbs. | D．reduces. |
| A．It’s important. | B．It’s unsafe. |
| C．It’s acceptable. | D．It’s uncommon. |
| A．To tell us how to recycle e-waste. |
| B．To talk about the future of e-waste. |
| C．To discuss if it’s necessary to recycle e-waste. |
| D．To encourage us to deal with e-waste properly. |
10 . In 2016, a team of Japanese scientists found bacteria capable of breaking down and “eating” one of the world’s most popular plastics-polyethylene terephthalate(PET). It was valued as a potential breakthrough at the time. But a new discovery came as a team of British scientists examined an enzyme(酶) produced by the Japanese bacteria to find out more about its structure. While operating the structure to better understand how it worked, they accidentally created the changed enzyme that’s even more efficient at breaking down plastic bottles.
The researchers are now working to further improve the enzyme so it can be used on an industrial scale. It’s possible that within the next few years there could be an industrially possible process for turning PET into other substances so it can be recycled.
The ability to scale up the process will be important. Plastic pollution is fast becoming one of the biggest environmental issues of our time. More than 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. Most of these bottles are made from PET，which can take up to1000 years to biodegrade(生物降解), and many are left in the oceans. Over half of global PET waste is not collected for recycling and only 7 percent of bottles are recycled into new bottles.
Some scientists say the breakthrough, though promising, is nowhere near enough to solve our pollution crisis. These enzymes are not abundantly present in nature. So you would need to produce the enzyme first, then add it to the PET plastic to degrade it.”This is likely to be a slow process. If you have gone through the trouble of collecting the PET waste, then there are clearly far better ways to recycle it or burn it for energy,” said Wim, head of the Industrial Biotechnology Center. He suggested the use of commercially available biodegradable bioplastics would still be a better bet.
1. What unexpected discovery did the British scientists make?| A．An effective way to deal with plastic waste. |
| B．A potential solution in collecting PET waste. |
| C．The way to understand the structure of enzyme better. |
| D．The real value of the discovery by Japanese scientists. |
| A．The process to find the enzyme. |
| B．The process to make more plastics. |
| C．The process to reduce the PET waste. |
| D．The process to produce kind of new PET. |
| A．Large quantities of plastic bottles are used. |
| B．Ocean plastic waste is harder to biodegrade |
| C．Most of the PET waste is left without treatment. |
| D．Most of the plastic products are made from PET. |
| A．The enzyme does not exist in nature. |
| B．The enzyme has helped to solve the plastic problems. |
| C．Burning plastic waste for energy is now the best way to rid it. |
| D．We have a long way to go to use the enzyme to recycle PET waste. |
