1 . “Most people just don’t think there’s an environmental cost,” says social media researcher Danah Boyd.

It’s easy to understand the environmental cost of sending a letter. A tree is cut down to create the paper. A jet-fueled plane flies the envelope across the country. A postal service truck coughs out exhaust as the mail finally arrives at its destination.

Email, not so much.

But the so-called “cloud” — the networks of Internet servers on which many of us now store documents, contacts, photos and all sorts of digital information — has an environmental cost.

It’s difficult to get people to care about something so invisible. You just expect email to exist when you need it, whether you’re firing off a quick “thanks” to a colleague or searching for an old receipt for an online purchase. You might pay as much attention to this invisible network as, say, to the carbon emissions that come from buildings. Think of it this way: Ifs easy to note the exhaust coming out of a diesel truck, but who thinks about the impact of the four walls around them?

For that reason, Boyd suggests apps and tech services have the same sort of certification (证书) that the U.S. Green Building Council provides to eco-friendly structures.

Some companies have stepped up. Apple includes its facilities in its annual environmental responsibility report. Google has a page about the energy efficiency of its data centers. Facebook has posted video about its energy efficiency since as far back as 2011. But Amazon, arguably the biggest player in cloud-hosting services, has a very poor environmental record. Perhaps if the tech giant had a desirable LEED certification to work for, it would try to make a change soon.

1. The environmental cost of which activity is often ignored?

A．Making paper	B．Writing e-mails
C．Delivering letters	D．Developing photos

2. What is Boyd’s attitude towards the certification provided by the U.S. Green Building Council?

A．Positive	B．Careless
C．Critical	D．Doubtful

3. Which company should be criticized?

A．Apple	B．Google
C．Amazon	D．Facebook

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The advantage of “cloud”	B．Hidden environmental costs
C．What eco-friendly structures are	D．How to count environmental costs

2 . Average humans can consume 15 or more drinks in plastic bottles a month. If you were born after 1998, and live until 80 years old, you will leave behind a minimum of 14, 4000 plastic bottles on this planet. These bottles take hundreds of years to break down into tiny pieces of plastic, never to completely disappear. Most of the waste is consumed by fish and birds, which has shortened their lifespans greatly.

The Plastic Bottle Village is just a great idea that might finally save us from being buried in plastic. It5s a community in Panama that is going to be made of used bottles. The design process begins with building steel frames, which are then filled with these bottles. Once this step is complete, and electrical and plumping lines are put inside, the plastic walls are covered with concrete (混凝土)—both inside and outside. So no one will actually be able to tell that the walls are made of plastic. Besides, the material will keep the house 17℃ cooler than the outside, which is the biggest benefit to people living inside.

The village is the idea of Robert Bezeau with the intention of setting up several environmental projects. Having started a recycling program four years ago, during which a number of plastic bottles were collected, he started to think of how they could be put to use. Soon enough, he decided to use them to build houses, and came up with a basic idea for the construction process.

The project hopes to make people conscious of the waste that these bottles create so that they can do more to protect the environment. The village will also create an education center that will teach individuals from the world how to reuse plastic bottles as construction materials for shelter. Recycled bottles could neutralize (使……无效) the negative effect of your passage on this planet, and move closer to leaving only your “footprints”.

1. What do the figures in the first paragraph show?

A．The reason for buying fewer drinks.	B．The seriousness of plastic pollution.
C．The amount of plastic waste.	D．The difficult situation of wildlife.

2. Why are the homes in the village special?

A．They’re green buildings.	B．They’re 17℃ warmer inside.
C．They stop plastic pollution.	D．They’re entirely made of plastic bottles.

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．Plastic bottles are difficult to break down so that they are liked by fish and birds.

B．Robert Bezeau is leader of a community in, Panama responsible for the project.

C．The project of the Plastic Bottle Village can raise peopled environmental awareness.

D．Individuals can learn how to produce plastic bottles without polluting the environment.

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．An Eco-Friendly Plastic Bottle Village

B．The Negative Effects of Plastic Bottles

C．How to Collect Deserted Plastic Bottles

D．How to Popularize the Use of Plastic Bottles

3 . When it comes to eating, most of us don’t have to go very far. But for many bird species, finding food may mean traveling hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

A team of researchers from institutions in the UK and Ireland spent five years tracking (追踪) four species of seabird to monitor their travel patterns. It was discovered that over the five years, the species covered an area of 1.5 million square kilometers when hunting for food-almost four times the size of Japan.

The findings were published recently in the journal Ecological Applications. As part of the study, over 1,300 birds were fitted with GPS tags to track their movements. It was discovered that most of them search for fish in the same place-waters off the coast of Scotland.

As a result of this, organizations such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) will spend more time trying to preserve coastal Scotland.

“For the first time, this study provides us with a full map for each breeding colony (繁殖群体) of the feeding areas for some of our most important seabird species,” wrote the study’s lead author Ewan Wakefield, from the University of Glasgow.

“That means we can now protect the places these birds catch the fish they need to feed their hungry chicks.”

The findings could also affect the future building of offshore wind turbines (满轮机). Although wind turbines help to fight climate change by providing a green source of energy, their huge blades (刀片) are blamed for the deaths of thousands of birds each year, as they often fly into them.

Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said in a news release that although climate change is a huge threat to both humans and nature alike, we should “invest in an energy system that works for both people and our natural heritage.”

To protect both nature and the environment, the RSPB supports the building of turbines in areas that won’t have “significant adverse (不利的) impacts on important bird populations or their habitats,” it wrote on its website.

1. What did the scientists from the UK and Ireland find about the four species of seabird?

A．They have totally different travel patterns.

B．They prefer to catch fish in places near their nests.

C．Climate change has influenced their hunting distance.

D．They can travel a very long distance to find food.

2. According to the article, why is the research important?

A．It shows what a perfect living environment for seabirds is.

B．It was the first to use GPS technology to track seabirds.

C．It could guide people on how to better protect seabirds.

D．It provides more information about the diet of seabirds.

3. Wind turbines are a threat to seabirds because ________.

A．they produce noise that could disturb seabirds

B．their strong airflow could influence the flight of seabirds

C．their big blades may kill the seabirds that fly by

D．they force seabirds to move away from their habitats

4. According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, ________.

A．no more wind turbines should be built in the future

B．we should think of more measures to protect the climate

C．the government should invest more money to protect seabirds

D．we should consider wildlife when we build turbines in the future

4 . With the     1    (develop) of industry, air pollution is getting more and more serious. In Beijing, many people suffer different kinds of illnesses because     2     air pollution. Air pollution is     3    （main）caused by the following reasons. About half of the problem is caused by vehicles. There are more and more cars and buses on the roads,     4     give off poisonous gases. 35% of air pollution is caused by factories.     5     factor is the smokers.     6    (smoke) does harm to other’s health as well as to that of the smokers. Besides, about 10% of air pollution is caused by other reasons. We should take some     7    (measure) to fight against pollution. New fuel can be used to take     8     place of gas. We can plant more trees, grass and flowers. All in all, if everybody realize the importance of environment and does something     9    (stop) pollution, the problem     10     (solve).

5 . Plants were expected to get larger with increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but changes in temperature, humidity(湿度）and nutrient availability seem to have trumped the benefits of increased carbon dioxide” said researchers from the National University of Singapore.

45 percent of the species studied now reach smaller adult sizes than they did in the past. The researchers pointed out that warmer temperatures and changing habitats, caused by climate change, are possible reasons for shrinking creatures.

“ We do not yet know the mechanisms(机制）involved, or why some organism are getting smaller while others are unaffected,” the researchers said. “Until we understand more, we could be risking negative consequences that we can’t yet quantify. ’’

The change is big in cold-blooded animals. Only two decades of warmer temperatures are enough to make retiles (爬行动物）smaller. An increase of only 1 degree centigrade caused nearly a 10 percent increase in metabolism(新陈代谢). Greater use of energy resulted in tiny tortoises and little lizards. Fish are smaller now too. Though overfishing has played a part in reducing numbers, experiments show that warmer temperatures also stop fish growing.

Warm-blooded animals aren’t immune(免除）from the size change caused by climate change. Many birds are now smaller. Soay sheep are thinner. Red deer are weaken And polar bears are smaller, compared with historical records.

This is not the first time this has happened in Earth’s history. 55 million years ago, a warming event similar to the current climate change caused bees, spiders and ants to shrink by 50 to 75 percent over several thousand years. That event happened over a longer time than the current climate change.

The speed of modern climate change could mean organisms may not respond or adapt quickly enough, especially those with long generation times climate change will be shown in the future.

1. What does the text mainly talk about/

A．Why some species become smaller.

B．How climate changes in Earth’s history?

C．Climate change has many negative effects.

D．Species are becoming smaller as climate gets warmer.

2. The underlined word “trumped” m the first paragraph probably mean     .

A．beater	B．gained
C．strengthened	D．equaled

3. Researchers from the National University of Singapore believe that      .

A．they have found the exact causes for creatures getting smaller.

B．increase in energy use can lead to creatures getting smaller.

C．climate change has more negative effects on warm-blooded animals.

D．all the animals on the earth have become smaller.

4. What does the author feel about the climate change?

A．Worried	B．Optimistic
C．Disappointed	D．Shameful

6 . Pollution’s disastrous effects on the environment have become more obvious in recent years, leading to a movement to promote energy efficiency (效率), less reliance on fossil (化石的) fuels and a reduction in air and water pollution. Most scientists agree that such changes are necessary to protect our environment from further harm.

The construction industry consumes a large quantity of energy and resources and creates a huge amount of pollution. In the United States, building and development account for 39 percent of the country’s total energy use, 12 percent of total water consumption, 68 percent of total electricity consumption and 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions (排放), according to the Environment Protection Agency.

Green buildings use less energy, water, create less waste and are healthier to live, work and go to school in than standard buildings. Builders of green buildings use techniques that use resources more efficiently during the entire building cycle — construction, restoration, operation, maintenance (维护) and demolition (拆毁) — than those who construct more regular buildings.

The environmental benefits of building green include the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, improved air and water quality, less waste flowing into streams and the conservation of natural resources. Green buildings can also result in lower operating costs because they typically use less energy and fewer materials and improve indoor air quality, improving the health of people who live there.

The process of building green includes technical and artistic planning with nature conservation in mind. Building designs often reflect the surrounding environment and natural resources and use renewable building materials such as bamboo and straw. In addition, recycled resources found locally are used for green buildings, reducing the cost and air pollution associated with transporting materials long distances.

Careful site selection is important to minimize (最小化) human impact on the surrounding environment. For example, placing a structure in an area that allows it to take advantage of cool breezes (微风) and sunlight can reduce energy use and expenses. More energy and expense are needed for larger buildings as well, so it is important to build small.

Green roofs are another feature of green houses that reduce energy use and cost. These roofs are partially or completely covered with plants, which helps to keep heating and cooling costs low, prevent water running off and deal with pollutants.

Other features of green buildings often include energy and water conservation, recycling and waste reduction. In addition, renewable energy sources such as solar power, hydropower (水能) and wind power are used for heat and electricity, which greatly reduces costs and decreases the impact on the environment.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The necessity of promoting energy efficiency.

B．The process of building green buildings.

C．The benefits and features of green buildings.

D．Green buildings’ effects on the environment.

2. According to the text, green buildings refer to the buildings that       .

A．produce no waste

B．only use clean energy

C．are made of recycled materials

D．use energy and resources more efficiently

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE about green buildings?

A．They rely on fossil fuels and solar power for heat and electricity.

B．Small buildings are less efficient in energy use than larger ones.

C．The ecosystem has to be considered when building a green building.

D．They are difficult to maintain and thus need more operating costs.

4. Green roofs are used because       .

A．they fit the surrounding environment well

B．they are cheaper than other kinds of roofs

C．they can keep natural water for use in everyday life

D．they can help to control the temperature in the building well

7 . A rainforest is an area     1     (cover) by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate.    2     the forest cover, these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere,    3     (warm) the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.

In the past hundred years, humans     4     (begin) destroying rainforests in search of three major resources: land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm     5     (animal). This action affects the environment as a whole. For example, a lot of carbon dioxide in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People     6     (obvious) have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees,    7     we will suffer much more than we will benefit.

Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their     8     (medicine) value. It is extremely likely     9     our best chance to cure diseases     10     (lie) somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests.

8 . Microplastic particles(微塑料颗粒)appear to be killing fish because some baby fish prefer to eat the particles rather than their actual food, researchers have warned.

With fears that the amount of plastic in the oceans could soon equal the weight of fish in the sea, scientists have become increasingly concerned about the effects on the marine environment.

Now a study published in the journal Science has found that baby perch(鲈鱼)will actively choose to eat plastic over the plankton they would normally feed on. The researchers said this greatly increased death rates of the perch, stopping their growth and appearing to change usually behavior. For example, they are                           losing the ability to smell a predator(捕食者), which makes them much more vulnerable.

For example, they seemed to lose the ability to smell a predator that made them much more vulnerable.

Professor Peter Eklov, a co-author of the Science paper, said: “This is the first time an animal has been found to prefer to eat plastic particles over food. Increases in microplastic pollution in the Baltic Sea and decreases of the coastal basic species(物种)have recently been noticed. When placed in a tank, perch exposed to microplastic were eaten four times more quickly than perch that had not been eating plastic.”

Fellow researcher Oona Lpnnstedt stressed the effects of fish eating large amounts of plastic were likely to be felt throughout the food chain. “If early life-history stages of other species are similarly affected by microplastics, this will in turn increase death rates, so the effects on marine ecosystems could be lasting,” she said.
Microplastic is produced as larger pieces of plastic waste are broken down in the environment, but large quantities of microfibers from synthetic clothes---materials essentially made of plastic---are produced each time they are washed and are small enough to pass through waste water treatment plants and get into the sea.
Cosmetics(化妆品)companies are also continuing to put microplastic pieces into their products, but the industry says it will try to stop using them by 2020.
1. What are the scientists worried about?

A．The loss of food sources	B．The rising water temperature
C．Large amounts of plastic in the ocean	D．Fishes growing bigger and bigger

2. The underlined word “vulnerable” in paragraph 3 probably means “________”.

A．easily harmed	B．strong
C．active	D．well protected

3. What can we know from the text?

A．Only species that eat plastic particles will be affected

B．Fish farming contributes much to the pollution of the food chain

C．Microplastic means the breakdown of large pieces of plastic

D．Products used in our daily life may produce microplastic

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Let’s Protect the Marine Animals

B．Fish Prefer to Eat Plastic over Food

C．The Effects of Plastic Pollution

D．The Oceans Are Full of Microplastic Particles

9 . In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decades has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.

Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decades. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil(棕榈油), which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.

Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions(排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge public expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from the traditional model to a sustainable one.

The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.

1. The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that     .

A．It makes the world warmer

B．it consumes natural resources

C．it brings severe damage to forests

D．it makes growth hard to continue

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A．China lacks wind and solar energy

B．China is the leader of the low-carbon market

C．High-speed trains are a low-carbon development

D．Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests

3. To full develop the low-carbon markets, government can     .

A．cut public expenses

B．forbid carbon emission

C．develop public resources

D．encourage energy conservation

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a new business model

B．To compare two business models

C．To predict a change of the global market

D．To advocate sustainable development

10 . Starting in 1972, the National Park Service established a policy for forest fires called Natural Burn. It was true     1     some forest fires, such as those which were caused by lightning were necessary for forests     2     (keep) balanced ecosystems, so the fire should be allowed to burn.     3    , a big fire in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 caused this policy to be abandoned (放弃) since the fire was initially allowed to burn yet soon out of control. As a result, the fire of 1988 destroyed much of Yellowstone, which is American     4    (old) and most beloved national park. Massive areas of plants were destroyed, and large empty spaces and acres of burned and blackened trees greeted     5     (visit). The rivers and streams were choked with ash, and the ecosystem of the park was changed     6     repair.

In addition, great numbers of animals     7     (kill) by the fires that burned out of control. The fires were driven by high winds,     8     (move) as many as ten miles a day. Many small animals died in the flames. The fires’ rapid advances     9     (give) the wildlife little chance to escape. Even today, few of these small forest animals have returned to live in the park. In the years immediately following the fires, the numbers of visitors declined     10    (rapid).