1 . A new study has found that ride-sharing services result in much more pollution than other kinds of private and public transportation. Ride-sharing trips also draw passengers away from more environment friendly methods of travel, like public transportation, walking or biking, the study found.
Several studies in recent years have suggested that ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft can worsen traffic problems in cities. The new study represents an attempt to center on how ride-sharing services affect pollution.
Overall, the researchers reported that ride-sharing trips now "result in a 69 percent more climate pollution on average than the trips they replace." The study notes that the same passengers could have chosen to travel by bus, train, bike or on foot.
One of the big reasons they give for this result is that ride-sharing vehicles are often driven with no passengers in the car. This happens when drivers are either waiting for rider requests, are on the way to pick up passengers. This situation, known as "deadheading," takes up about 42 percent of all ride-sharing driving activity, the study found. The researchers said that deadheading results in about 50 percent more carbon dioxide than one person driving in a private vehicle.
Both Uber and Lyft have said in the past that most studies on the subject overstate (夸大）the effects of their services on pollution. Uber told Reuters news agency in a statement it had no comment on the latest report and that the study made misleading claims about ride-sharing. Meanwhile, the company said it would work directly with cities to address climate changes, promoting sharing trips and other means of transportation.
1. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?| A．Ride-sharing becomes a new trend that can’t be avoided. |
| B．Ride-sharing industry is met with criticism. |
| C．Ride-sharing services increase pollution. |
| D．Ride-sharing services need improvement. |
| A．a driving process where the driver is not carrying passengers |
| B．a potential risk that the driver may lose control of the vehicle |
| C．a period of driving hours when vehicles produce more carbon dioxide |
| D．a situation in which a driver has too many passengers to pick up |
| A．barking up the wrong tree | B．not seeking the truth from facts |
| C．killing two birds with one stone | D．beating around the bush |
| A．Ride-sharing attracts exactly the same number of people as traditional means of transport. |
| B．the study was conducted to prove the influence of ride-sharing services on modern cities |
| C．ride-sharing service is not an environmentally friendly way to travel |
| D．the new report has forced Uber to make big changes to achieve its goal |
2 . You just can’t imagine what a brave mother is like. She was a mother of three, who just
At midnight, Connie and her three children were
Juan slowly
Being deaf was not deterrent (妨碍物) for this
| A．experienced | B．dreamed | C．avoided | D．reported |
| A．turning around | B．standing by | C．running away | D．crying out |
| A．see | B．hear | C．forgive | D．reach |
| A．when | B．after | C．unless | D．before |
| A．blind | B．deaf | C．old | D．sick |
| A．alone | B．awake | C．alive | D．asleep |
| A．chatting to | B．playing with | C．focusing on | D．running after |
| A．signed | B．phoned | C．shouted | D．explained |
| A．helper | B．flashlight | C．box | D．suitcase |
| A．mopped | B．examined | C．climbed | D．left |
| A．carefully | B．regularly | C．bravely | D．hurriedly |
| A．up | B．above | C．under | D．down |
| A．stay | B．return | C．flee | D．cry |
| A．famous | B．skillful | C．ordinary | D．determined |
| A．darkness | B．shelter | C．ruins | D．stairs |
3 . "Like a monster, it destroys everything. " That's how one school girl described a tsunami（海啸）.
On Dec. 26, 2004, a magnitude-9. 1 earthquake in Indonesia set off a massive tsunami. It killed more than 230,000 people across four countries and cost an estimated $ 10 billion in damage.
Nov. 5 is World Tsunami Awareness Day and at the United Nations Wednesday, disaster risk reduction was high on the agenda.
"What I can tell you is that the tsunami wave cannot be stopped," said Bulgarians U. N. Ambassador Georgi Velikov Panayotov. He was on vacation in Thailand in 2004 and survived the tsunami. "What we can do is build early warning systems and, of course, educate the population about the damaging power of the tsunami wave," he said.
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake rocked northeastern Japan triggering a fierce tsunami that also damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, south of Sendai.
"When the big earthquake hit Japan in 2011, people thought that we were prepared for it," said Japan's U. N. Ambassador Koro Bessho. "It caused severe damage. We had dams； we had drills. However, we had been counting on something that hits every 100 years and the earthquake was of the size of possibly every 500 years or thousand years, he said.
These two events sent the countries of the region into overdrive to review and improve disaster preparedness. In 2015 the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was born. It aims to help create a better understanding of disaster risk and improve preparedness for an effective response.
Indonesia is made up of thousands of islands which are disaster-prone（易受灾地区）. Willem Rampangilei, head of the Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia, said his government now has plans for every disaster-prone city.
Countries at risk are also expanding their education programs. Children from an early age are taught how to react in case of a tsunami and then go with their classmates to higher ground away from coastal areas to avoid the walls of water the tsunami triggers.
1. What does Georgi Velikov Panayotov mainly talk about?| A．The general features of a tsunami. | B．Ways for humans to face a tsunami. |
| C．His suffering in the 2004 tsunami. | D．The loss caused by the 2004 tsunami. |
| A．It caused a fierce tsunami. | B．It destroyed a nuclear plant. |
| C．The size was beyond expectation. | D．There was no effective defense system. |
| A．Children should be protected by all means. |
| B．The improvement of preparedness can reduce damage. |
| C．Proper response in case of a tsunami can save one's life. |
| D．Stronger measures should be taken in disaster-prone areas. |
| A．World Tsunami Awareness Day |
| B．Nations Attacked by Massive Tsunami |
| C．The Unpredictable and Destructive Disaster |
| D．Learn from Disasters to Prevent Future Ones |
4 . On November 7, Lewis Pugh completed a one-kilometer swim in the freezing waters of King Edward Cove, off South Georgia in Antarctica. He was wearing only his swimming glasses, cap and Speedo !
Pugh is an advocate for our oceans and seas, working to protect these ecosystems with their large diversity of marine life. When asked why he doesn't wear a wetsuit(防寒泳衣), Pugh says, "I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I'm asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message."
It took Pugh about 19 minutes to complete the one-kilometer swim in Antarctica where the water averaged about 1.6 degrees Celsius. He says that his body can only tolerate about 20 minutes in the freezing waters before it starts shutting down. As he swims, his body temperature steadily drops, which in turn causes his muscle control to drop, slowing him down. When he is done with his swim, his support team rushes him to a hot shower and it takes almost an hour for his body temperature to return to normal.
Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters. Even expert swimmers who are unused to freezing water can drown within minutes because of the physical shock experienced by the body. Pugh says he trained for six months before this swim.
This is not the first time that Pugh has swum in dangerous conditions. In 2007, he swam one kilometer in the North Pole to draw attention to the melting Arctic ice due to climate change. In 2015, he swam in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica's Ross Sea as part of his successful campaign to help set up a marine reserve there.
1. Why did Lewis Pugh swim without a wetsuits ?| A．To show his bravery. |
| B．To swim faster. |
| C．To build up his body. |
| D．To have overnight fame. |
| A．His body temperature. |
| B．His body |
| C．The water. |
| D．The water temperature. |
| A．One should be expert at swimming. |
| B．One must be used to long-distance swimming. |
| C．One should be ready to take on challenges. |
| D．One must be adequately prepared for it. |
| A．Lewis Pugh: achieving the impossible |
| B．How to survive a swim in cold waters |
| C．Lewis Pugh: swimming for a cause |
| D．How to prepare for extreme swimming |
5 . Time magazine’s tradition —“Person of the Year” originated in 1927, when it honored 25-year-old pilot Charles Lindbergh for the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean Though the magazine has recognized several young people for their global influence, it has never given the important honor to a teenager. But its 2019’s “Person of The Year” is the 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg.
Thunberg’s rise to global reputation is even more surprising given that just over a year ago, she was a shy 15-year-old anxious about the increasing threat of climate change. In August 2018, tired of the “refusal” of world leaders to take action, the young girl started camping out in front of the Swedish Parliament every Friday with a sign that said: “School Strike for Climate.”
The teen’s act of protest soon drew public attention, inspiring kids and adults worldwide to take action. By September 2018, her weekly strike became a global climate change movement called “Fridays for the Future”, with tens of thousands of students skipping school on this day to protest the inaction of the leaders of their respective countries. Her appeal for progress in environment protection also encouraged other young activists to begin their own climate change movements.
Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the US Youth-Led Sunrise Movement, says Thunberg “symbolizes the suffering, the frustration, the desperation, the anger — at some level, the hope — of many young people who won’t even be of age to vote by the time their futures are doomed.”
The teenager, who has single-handedly helped bring climate change to the forefront of the global conversation, owes her success to her Asperger’s syndrome (阿斯佩各综合征). She says, “I see the world in black and white, and I don’t like compromising. If I were like everyone else, I would have continued on and not seen this crisis. Right now, we have entered a new decade — a decade that will define our future. And I’ve seen hope, but it does not come from the governments or companies. It comes from the people.”
1. Why did Greta Thunberg camp out in front of Swedish Parliament every Friday?| A．To heighten public awareness of environmental protection. |
| B．To show her support for school strike for climate. |
| C．To condemn the government’s inaction on climate change. |
| D．To win a global reputation as a teenager climate change activist. |
| A．In paragraph2. | B．In paragraph3. |
| C．In paragraph4. | D．In paragraph5. |
| A．Positive and sensitive. | B．Uncaring but reliable. |
| C．Selfish but intelligent. | D．Brave and determined. |
| A．Charles Lindbergh is the first adolescent “Person of the Year” of Time magazine |
| B．on account of Asperger’s syndrome, Greta Thunberg has suffered a lot |
| C．all governments haven’t already taken effective measures to deal with climate change |
| D．Varshini Prakash thinks little of Thunberg and her strike for climate change |
6 . The Giraffe Center in Nairobi is one of the oldest giraffe conservation organizations in the world. When it was founded in 1979, there were only 150 Rothschild's giraffes left in Kenya.
Stanley Kosgey, in charge of conservation education at the center, says the tallest animals in the world have never really gotten the same attention from conservationists and governments that other African mammals have. In some ways, he thinks, it's because they're hard to miss. In Kenya, it's not rare to see half a dozen of them as you drive past some fields on the highway. It can take you several safaris （旅行队）before you catch sight of a lion.
“Giraffes are in what I would call a silent extinction," Kosgey says.
In a lot of ways, he says, a perfect storm has fallen on the species. Climate change means longer droughts and new diseases; civil unrest means giraffes become easy food; and as African countries grow, humans have encroached （入侵）on wildlife areas and the removal of trees becomes a huge problem. Giraffes are huge creatures, and they require a lot of space and plants.
Kosgey says the good news is that the world has begun to pay attention. In Kenya, which has some of the best conservation policies on the continent, there is a plan underway to treat giraffes in the same way that lions, rhinos and elephants are treated. That's to put in place detailed action plans and programs to make sure those animals thrive. The first step for giraffes is to get a deeper understanding of their population by conducting a survey.
Kosgey says their conservation effort alone has saved the Rothschild's giraffe. There are now about 650 of them in Kenya. Worldwide, there are 1,671 Rothschild's, about 26 percent more than there were in the 1960s, according to the IUCN （International Union for Conservation of Nature）.
“They are tall, graceful animals and they should be heard/5 Kosgey says.
1. What can we learn about the giraffes from the first two paragraphs?| A．They run the fastest in the world. |
| B．They are in danger of extinction. |
| C．They are harder to see than lions in Kenya. |
| D．They draw conservationists' more attention. |
| A．It is hard for them to survive. | B．A terrible storm attacks them. |
| C．They live where humans live. | D．Removing trees leaves them space. |
| A．become healthy | B．hang out |
| C．move away | D．grow strong |
| A．Protecting the Earth. | B．Living with Animals. |
| C．Saving the Giraffes. | D．Loving Peaceful Nature. |
7 . Clothing rental is a hot new industry and retailers (零售商) are demanding to get on board in hopes of attracting green shopper.
But is renting fashion actually more environmentally-friendly than buying it, and if so, how much more? Journalist and author Elizabeth Cline investigated (调查) this question and concluded that it's not as sustainable as it seems.
Take shipping, for example, which has to go two ways if an item is rented — receiving and returning. Cline writes that consumer transportation has the second largest carbon footprint of our collective fashion habit after manufacturing.
She writes, ''An item ordered online and then returned can send out 20 kilograms of carbon each way, and increases up to 50 kilograms for rush shipping. By comparison, the carbon impact of a pair of jeans purchased from a physical store and washed and worn at home is 33.4 kilograms, according to a 2015 study by Levi's.''
Then there's the burden of washing, which has to happen for every item when it's returned, regardless of whether or not it was worn. For most rental services, this usually means dry cleaning, a high impact and polluting process. All the rental services that Cline looked into have replaced perchloroethylene (氯乙烯), a carcinogenic (致癌的) air pollutant, still used by 70 percent of US dry cleaners, with alternatives, although these aren't great either.
Lastly, Cline fears that rental services will increase our appetite for fast fashion, simply because it's so easily accessible. There's something called ''share washing'' that makes people waste more precisely because a product or service is shared and thus is regarded as more eco-friendly. Uber is one example of this, advertised as ''a way to share rides and limit ear ownership.'' and yet ''it has been proven to discourage walking,bicycling, and public transportation use.''
Renting clothes is still preferable to buying them cheap and throwing them in the dustbin after a few wears, but we shouldn't let the availability of these services make us too satisfied. There's an even better step — that's wearing what is already in the closet.
1. What is Elizabeth Cline's attitude toward clothing rental?| A．Approving. | B．Unfavorable. |
| C．Objective. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．rental services are on the rise |
| B．clothing rental will be as successful as Uber |
| C．renting clothes might waste more than expected |
| D．renting clothes might make people lose interest in fast fashion |
| A．give up renting any clothing |
| B．purchase inexpensive clothes |
| C．rent clothes rather than buy them |
| D．make full use of clothes we've possessed |
| A．Clothing rental is a new fashion. |
| B．Clothing rental is retailers' preference. |
| C．Renting clothes is not that eco-friendly. |
| D．Renting-clothes business is in a dilemma. |
8 . Some of the greatest problems we face today are the destruction (破坏)of our environment.Brown clouds, polluted water, endangered wild animals..., these problems seem so huge.
So my family does what we can. We take cloth bags to stores instead of using plastic bags. We walk where we don’t have to drive.
But does it do any good? When I am the only one in line at the market with cloth bags, am I doing any good? Does my walking to stores make any real difference to the world?
I recently learned something about flamingos(火烈鸟)which like to get together in groups of a thousand or more Every year when the time comes for migration (迁徙), a few of them first take off from the lake. But none of the others seem to notice, so the small group returns. However, the next day they try again. This time a few more fly along with them, but most of them still pay no attention, so they return again. They try for several times. Every time a few more birds join in but ,since the thousands of others still take no notice, the great migration plan is once more stopped.
Then one day something changes. The same small group of birds once again starts flying and a small number more join in just as before, then more. Finally, they all take flight and the migration really begins. What a spectacular sight it must be--thousands of flamingos taking off into the sky at once!
A few can make a difference. Even if you’re the one to take the first step, and continue trying,others will someday take notice and together we will solve even our greatest problems.
1. Where would you most probably read this passage?| A．A guidebook. | B．A movie poster. |
| C．An animal magazine. | D．A personal blog |
| A．There are only cloth bags in stores. |
| B．All the people use cloth bags in stores. |
| C．He thinks plastic bags are more expensive. |
| D．He wants to do some good to the environment. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Fantastic. |
| C．Terrible | D．Surprising |
| A．To show that the writer loves to see the migration of flamingos. |
| B．To tell readers to continue trying and it can make a difference. |
| C．To introduce a special kind of flamingo to readers. |
| D．To show that there' re many problems in the world. |
9 . Greening the Kubuqi Desert
China has seen great achievements in improving the environment and green development over the past 70 years. Solid efforts have been made to fight pollution and continuously improve the environment.
As President Xi Jinping has said, clear waters and green mountains are invaluable assets（资产）.
A series of campaigns have been carried out by the central government to improve the environment.
In Kubuqi, a desert in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Elion has greened 600,000 hectares of land and helped lift more than 102,000 people out of poverty through the development of solar energy and tourism, as well as planting herbs for traditional Chinese medicine.
In addition, the group’s techniques have also been used in many ecological（生态的）programs, including Yangtze River Ecological Park and Qilian Mountain National Park.
“
| A．Once the environment gets better, we will live a happier life. |
| B．For example, in 1998, China started the Natural Forest Protection Program. |
| C．Desertification was a serious problem in the 1990s. |
| D．Another example of the campaign is the Elion Resources Group. |
| E．Pollution is getting worse and worse nowadays. |
| F．Efforts to create “green” areas have played a crucial role in the country’s fight against desertification. |
| G．We will come up with new ways to improve our ability to control the sand. |
10 . How to Be Eco-friendly
If you’d love to be more eco-friendly but don’t know where to begin, start with a few small changes.
Lowering Your Energy.
Turn off lights and unplug power strips (电源插板) that you’re not using.
Using public transportation.
Say no to unnecessary plastic straws, lids, and bags and stop using plastic wrap and plastic containers for food storage. Instead, you can use reusable water bottles made of sustainable material like glass, bamboo, and ceramic.
Considering growing a plant.
They add more oxygen to the air, which means a less polluted air. If you don’t have a green thumb, choose some plants that are rather easy to look after.
| A．Reduce your gas consumption and carbon emissions by walking, biking, or taking the bus. |
| B．Here are some suggestions for you to live an eco-friendly life. |
| C．Use less energy during the hot summer months and cold winter season. |
| D．This is an easy way to reduce energy use. |
| E．Using items more than once. |
| F．Cutting Back on Plastics and Waste. |
| G．“Lucky Bamboo” is especially good for that, since it demands nearly no attention. |
