1 . Live with roommates? Have friends and family around you? Chances are that if you’re looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle, not everyone around you will be ready to jump on that bandwagon.

I experienced this when I started switching to a zero waste lifestyle five years ago, as I was living with my parents, and I continue to experience this with my husband, as he is not completely zero waste like me. I’ve learned a few things along the way though, which I hope you’ll find encouraging if you’re doing your best to figure out how you can make the change in a not-always-supportive household.

Zero waste was a radical lifestyle movement a few years back. I remember showing my parents a video of Bea Johnson, sharing how cool I thought it would be to buy groceries with jars, and have so little trash! A few days later, I came back with my first jars of zero waste groceries, and my dad commented on how silly it was for me to carry jars everywhere. It came off as a bit discouraging.

Yet as the months of reducing waste continued, I did what I could that was within my own reach. I had my own bedroom, so I worked on removing things I didn’t need. Since I had my own toiletries (洗漱用品), I was able to start personalising my routine to be more sustainable. I also offered to cook every so often, so I portioned out a bit of the cupboard for my own zero waste groceries. Perhaps your household won’t entirely make the switch, but you may have some control over your own personal spaces to make the changes you desire.

As you make your lifestyle changes, you may find yourself wanting to speak up for yourself if others comment on what you’re doing, which can turn itself into a whole household debate. If you have individuals who are not on board, your words probably won’t do much and can often leave you feeling more discouraged.

So here is my advice: Lead by action.

1. What do the underlined words “jump on that bandwagon” mean in the first paragraph?

A．Share an apartment with you.	B．Join you in what you’re doing.
C．Transform your way of living.	D．Help you to make the decision.

2. What was the attitude of the author’s father toward buying groceries with jars?

A．He disapproved of it.	B．He was favorable to it.
C．He was tolerant of it.	D．He didn’t care about it.

3. What can we infer about the author?

A．She is quite good at cooking.	B．She respects others’ privacy.
C．She enjoys being a housewife.	D．She is a determined person.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．How to get on well with other family members.

B．How to have one’s own personal space at home.

C．How to live a zero waste lifestyle in a household.

D．How to control the budget when buying groceries.

2 . Animal appear to predict earthquakes by sensing electricity in the air — the first study to find reliable evidence of the phenomenon has shown.

Cameras revealed an “amazing” drop in the number of animals up to 23 days before a major quake hit their rainforest home at Yanachaga National Park in Peru. Lead scientist Dr Rachel Grant, from Anglia Ruskin University, said, “The results showed that just before the earthquake, animals’ activity dropped right down.”

On a normal day the cameras placed around Yanachaga National Park record between 5 and 15 animals. But in the 23 days before the earthquake, the number of animals dropped to five or fewer per day. No animals were photographed at all on five of the seven days immediately before the quake.

Another study showed that animal activity remained normal in the park over a different period when seismic (地震的) activity was low. Co-author, professor Friedemann Freund, said, “The cameras were located at an altitude of 900 meters. If air ionization occurred, the animals would escape to the valley below, where there were fewer positive ions ( 离子). With their ability to sense their environment, animals can help us understand small changes that occur before major earthquakes.”

Other evidence suggested that before the earthquake, the air around the high mountain sites filled with positive ions that can be produced when rocks are placed under stress. Positive ions have been known to cause ill effects in humans as well as animals. Scientists believe the animals were made to feel uncomfortable by the positive ions, leading them to avoid the area. They are thought to have escaped to lower ground, where the air was less ionized. The findings may help experts develop better short-term seismic forecasts.

1. How did scientists conduct the study?

A．By comparing different animals’ habits.

B．By observing animals in high mountains.

C．By explaining the positive ion phenomenon.

D．By analyzing images of animals they obtained.

2. What can be inferred from animal activity before earthquakes?

A．The ground at a lower altitude is less ionized.

B．Cameras normally record more animals per day.

C．Earthquake warnings can be detected in lower places.

D．The activity of animals and earthquakes is consistent.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．The findings make for accurate seismic forecast.

B．Animals tend to be uneasy with more positive ions.

C．Positive ions make humans and animals depressed.

D．All the animals remain abnormal before the earthquake.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Negative Influence of Positive Ions.

B．Ions’ Destruction to the Environment.

C．Animals’ Behavior Before Earthquakes.

D．Creatures’ Ability to Predict Earthquakes.

3 . 阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段, 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

On a hot September afternoon, Peter and his friend Isabel were on their way to the library. When they passed by Tubman park, Isabel suggested cutting through it to get to the library. As they entered the park, the sight of the swings (秋千) and the merry-go-round brought back a flood of memories of their childhood spent there. But now everything looked so old, sad, and dirty. Litter lay on the ground next to an overflowing trash bin. There were still young schoolchildren playing there but they had to avoid the trash that littered the playground. A little boy told them that the city took the other trash cans away and the remaining one never got emptied often.

As they headed toward the library, the two high school students wrinkled their forehead. In the library, they encountered Mrs. Evans, their kind-hearted fifth-grade teacher, retired yet still passionate. Mrs. Evans listened as Isabel and Peter eagerly explained what they’d seen. Finally, she recommended them to go to the City Hall to voice their concerns.

The next day, Isabel and Peter went into the building of the City Hall but were met with an impatient officer. They were informed that the city couldn’t help with their problem due to a tight budget. Discouraged, they left and turned to Mrs. Evans for help.

Under her guidance, they decided to ask Go Green, a non-profit organization whose goal is to protect the environment, for help. “This group is good at raising money for projects just like yours, ” said Mrs. Evans. She promised to arrange them to present their ideas to Go Green. Hearing this, their face lit up.

Two main tasks remained ahead: researching ways to clean up the park and preparing a convincing presentation. As Isabel was good at researching while Peter always had a talent for speaking, they cooperated quite well. Isabel learned from a science magazine that a new type of trash bin can squeeze the trash down without being emptied often, which saves time, money, and energy. Based on this, Peter practiced his presentation over and over again.

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。

A week later, Peter stood nervously at the back of the hall where Go Green was meeting.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After the meeting, Isabel excitedly told Peter the good news.

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6 . Leave-No-Trace Camping

For those of us who love spending time in the great outdoors, wild spaces are very special. These are places we visit to recharge, or to fill our hearts with natural beauty.    1    If you feel this way, then you’re the perfect person to promote and practice Leave-No-Trace camping.

Its principles are to treat the wilderness the way a decent visitor would and leave everything just as you found it, with no evidence that you passed through.    2    That’s because your visit makes a minimal impact on the environment.

You can carry out these ideals in a number of ways. Begin by packing out all your litter. Whenever you go camping, take an empty trash bag with you and put all garbage into the bag. In addition, try not to damage vegetation.    3    Wherever you go, think about what your heavy shoes or boots are doing to the plants underneath and try to keep damage to a minimum.

It’s also important that you should not take things away from the wilderness. Rocks, plants, flowers and seashells are all part of the natural landscape.    4    Plus, many animals find homes and food in abandoned shells and flower-heads, and these are things they would miss if you collected them.

Leave-No-Trace camping is about being respectful and thoughtful. It’s about honoring the natural world and the creatures that live in it. If you love seeing an untouched mountain stream or a lovely field of wildflowers, then you’ve already taken the first step.    5    

A．This means not stepping into a wild animal’s space.

B．This is also called “low impact” or “no impact” camping.

C．Once taken away, they won’t be there for others to enjoy.

D．An increasing number of people take up camping in the wilderness.

E．When you put up your tent, try to find a place that’s already bare of plants.

F．We hate to see them littered with rubbish or any reminders of previous visitors.

G．Follow these basic practices and you can be models of the Leave-No-Trace philosophy.

7 . Some scientists have traced the increase in earthquakes, especially in areas not known for the presence of fault lines or past seismic (地震的) activity, to human actions. The idea of humans causing earthquakes may seem strange at first. After all, you can run around your backyard and jump up and down as you want, and the ground isn’t going to start shaking. However, scientists have identified a variety of large scale human activities that can result in earthquakes.

Scientists have confirmed over 700 places where human activities have caused earthquakes over the last century. While many human-related earthquakes are mild and don’t cause much damage, some of them can be serious and dangerous. In fact, scientists believe human activity has caused earthquakes with magnitudes as high as 7.9 on the Richter scale.

Scientists believe most human-related earthquakes are the result of mining. As companies drill deeper and deeper below Earth’s surface to get natural resources, holes left behind can cause instability that leads to collapses that cause earthquakes. Another human activity leading to earthquakes is fracking (水力压裂) for oil and gas, including the high pressure waste water processing that usually goes with fracking. In this process, water, sand and chemicals are pressed underground under high pressure to break rocks to release natural resources.

Building large dams can also cause earthquakes. For example, about 80, 000 people died in China in 2008 as a result of a 7.9-magnitude earthquake caused by 320 million tons of water that had been collected in the Zipingpu Reservoir after a large dam was built over a known fault line.

These aren’t the only human activities that can result in earthquakes, though. Scientists point out that earthquakes can also be caused by other human activities, such as construction of skyscrapers and nuclear explosions.

1. What does the underlined part “fault lines” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Regions with active human actions.	B．Places associated with natural balance.
C．Zones where natural resources are rich.	D．Areas where earthquakes tend to happen.

2. What do mining and oil producing have in common?

A．They break the balance of nature.	B．They destroy the stability of rocks.
C．They use high pressure to get resources.	D．They do much damage to Earth’s surface.

3. What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．The 2008 earthquake is the worst in history.	B．Construction of dams should be stopped.
C．Tons of water must cause earthquakes.	D．The location of a dam matters much.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Nature punishes humans by means of earthquakes.	B．Progress has been made on earthquake research.
C．Humans are to blame for some earthquakes.	D．Earthquakes are no longer nature-made.

8 . It may come as a surprise that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, especially when it comes to carbon emissions and water usage.     1     Clothing production releases 10% of worldwide carbon emissions. Although cotton is often offered as a more sustainable material, one cotton shirt requires 2, 700 liters of water to make, which is enough for one person to drink eight cups per day for 2.5 years.

    2     However, it’s undeniable that sustainable companies like Reformation and Organic Basics are out of most people’s price ranges. Fast-fashion clothing companies have the advantage of low prices, and when it comes down to it, most people will choose low prices over sustainability. So, how can people buy sustainable clothing when it’s not affordable?    3    

Actually, there are other ways to practice sustainable habits. Of course, the best way to limit waste is to not buy any new clothes. For example, saving up to buy more sustainable clothes and then wearing them for many years is healthier for the environment and your wallet.     4     Then you can combine them with your statement pieces to get a variety of new outfits that still feel stylish and don’t generate waste. Certainly, buying second-hand clothing is also a great option.

With ever-changing fashion trends moving at breakneck speed, consumers are easily persuaded into buying latest designs to stay stylish and sustainable.     5     Honestly, it’s unnecessary. Wearing what makes you feel confident will make you look good, and the earth will thank you for your efforts.

A．The reality is frightening.

B．However, trend is hard to keep up.

C．They have no choice but to follow suit.

D．They can’t, and moreover, they don’t have to.

E．A similar resolution is to own some basic pieces.

F．Sustainable fashion has been on the rise in recent years.

G．Industrial development is pursued at the price of pollution.

9 . Damon Carson calls himself a matchmaker (媒人) of the never-ending waste of American society, trying not to pair people with people, but things with people.

In the late 1990s, Carson was on break from business school in Vail, Colorado, when he discovered the vast world of waste. He began thinking about creating a secondhand store that would sell old materials and keep them out of being wasted. As a result, in 2010, his company, Repurposed Materials appeared.

For nearly ten years, his company, Repurposed Materials, has not been looking to recycle the waste he gets — breaking it down to make something new — but rather finding new homes for thrown-away goods in their original forms.

Carson, a husband and father of three adult children, is far from wasteful. Frugal is how he describes himself. The clothes he’s wearing all came from a charity shop; his truck was bought with 290, 000 kilometers driven.

“Why break something down, why melt something down, if it still has value?” he asks. An old oil-field pipe might be melted down and turned into a car bumper, but it still takes an amount of power to finish the complete change. Why not leave it as a steel pipe? Why not turn it into a fence post on a farm? The only cost is transport.

American industrial facilities create and throw about 7.6 billion tons of unwanted industrial materials every year. For the moment, Carson’s unique business finds new lives for millions of kilograms of industrial waste every year.

1. What is paragraph two mainly about?

A．Carson’s school lessons.

B．Carson’s journey to Colorado.

C．The start of Carson’s business.

D．The serious waste of materials.

2. What is Repurposed Materials aimed at?

A．Marketing wastes to people in need.

B．Breaking down the wasted goods.

C．Manufacturing industrial products.

D．Recycling the thrown-away stuffs.

3. How does Carson describe his life?

A．Economical.

B．Poetic.

C．Tough.

D．Risky.

4. What can we learn from Carson?

A．Well began, half done.

B．Innovative thinking counts.

C．One is never too old to learn.

D．Hard work will pay back.