1 . When trash sculptor Stephanie Hongo meets friends for drinks or dinner, it’s not unusual for one of them to hand her shopping bags full of lids, empty soap bottles, and even a Barbie leg or two. By now, she’s used to neighbors, friends and even strangers giving her their recyclable rejects.

But Hongo doesn’t need any more garbage. She has a large collection of her own at home. “You don’t need to be a trash picker to do this,” she says. “Trash is everywhere.” And for Hongo, where there is trash, there is art. Since 2017, Hongo has crafted complex sea creatures, realistic-looking jungle animals and other creatures out of everything from plastic forks to plastic tubing as well as a hair dryer, a purse, a tooth brush, and even a hair straightener.

Starting with her first piece—a blue deer named Yandoo that she fashioned out of odds and ends laying around her flat, which she screwed together and spray painted in a makeshift basement art studio—she’s gone on to create more than 160 trash sculptures.

“I feel very fortunate,” says Hongo, who loves making a living as an artist. “I care about our environment. The upcycling aspect of it is a lovely byproduct.” Though she doesn’t consider herself a true eco-artist, she hopes she’s inspiring others to reuse items that usually end up in landfills. But for her, she says, “The art comes first.”

Before starting each project, Hongo figures out exactly what pieces of scrap (废旧的) metal, tubing and plastics she’ll need to transform the pile of junk on her worktable into something fantastic, like a majestic octopus (章鱼) rocketing through the coral or a cute koala hugging a tree.

Since her funky creations sell on line at prices starting at $400, she’s been fortunate enough to make trash sculpting her full-time career. “It’s so much more than I ever expected,” she says.

1. Why does Hongo say “You don’t need to be a trash picker to do this”?

A．Because it is hard to pick trash.

B．Because there is trash everywhere.

C．Because her friends give her enough.

D．Because she has a large collection of trash.

2. What does Hongo expect others to learn from her art form?

A．To enjoy art.	B．To collect trash.
C．To trash sculptures.	D．To recycle waste.

3. What does Hongo do before starting each project?

A．Find enough fantastic shapes to copy.

B．Put away the things on her works.

C．Make out what materials suit her works.

D．Figure out what her pile of junk is made of.

4. Which of the following can best describe Hongo?

A．Creative and inspiring.	B．Diligent and practical.
C．Helpful and generous.	D．Humorous and determined.

2 . Animals being extinct from the Earth is a serious issue. When this happens in order to use their fur or skin for fashion, it is even worse, since it’s not even for a matter of human survival. That’s why a London zoo decided to make a powerful statement at the Siamese crocodile enclosure (鳄鱼围栏).

When visitors come in expecting to see a crocodile, they’re greeted with the handbag instead, making a very effective and powerful point about illegal wildlife trade and the harm it takes on the species involved.

A sign by the enclosure reads, “This bag used to be found swimming in slow-moving rivers and streams across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Over the last 75 years, more than 80% of Siamese crocodiles have disappeared. Many, like this one, were hunted for their skins as part of the illegal wildlife trade.”.

Native to parts of Southeast Asia, Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered and have become virtually extinct in the wild. Due to hunting as well as habitat loss, they are now absent from nearly 99% of their original range. A huge part of the decline of population is due to humans using their wetland habitat for rice farming, and things only took a turn for the worse when large-scale hunting for their skin for commercial purposes began in the 1950s.

The particular handbag that is on display at the zoo was confiscated at a UK airport, according to Benjamin Tapley, leader of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL London Zoo.

Tapley told The Huffington Post, “We made this exhibit, within ZSL London Zoo’s Reptile House, to draw visitors’ attention to the destructive impact the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is having on species around the world. At ZSL, we are working globally with governments and local communities to protect wildlife, support law enforcement (执法) that targets illegal trade networks, empower local communities affected by IWT and reduce demand for threatened wildlife.”

1. Why does the sign say this handbag used to swim?

A．It is made of a crocodile’s skin.

B．It is made into a crocodile shape.

C．It is light enough to float on water.

D．It was kept in flowing river at first.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Wildly hunting of Siamese crocodiles.

B．Destruction of Siamese crocodiles’ habitats.

C．Commercial value of Siamese crocodiles.

D．Causes to make Siamese crocodiles endangered.

3. What does the underlined word “confiscated” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Seized.

B．Sold.

C．Found.

D．Stolen.

4. What does Tapley’s words focus on?

A．The importance of wildlife protection.

B．The crisis endangered animals are facing.

C．The purpose to show the handbag.

D．The harm IWT caused.

4 . Objects in the night sky are disappearing from view because of light pollution, according to a new study. Outdoor lighting from street lamps, office buildings and vehicle headlights leads to sky less bright, which is when the night sky gets brighter. The brighter it is at night, the harder it is to see stars and planets from Earth.

Christopher Kyba, an astronomer with the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, led his team studying over 50, 000 star observations between 2011 and 2022. “If the brightening of the night sky continues at the current rate,” Kyba said, “a child born in a place where 250 stars are visible will only be able to see 100 stars by the time he or she turned 18.”

The issue is global but particularly common in North America, where 80% of people cannot see the Milky Way galaxy (银河系). This huge group of billions of stars should look like a wide strip of light in the dark night sky. However, only very remote places, such as the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Rain Forest, have a truly dark night sky.

Light pollution makes it harder for astronomers to study stars and planets. It also causes problems for animals. Animals active at night like bats become confused and crash into objects. Turtles that hatch (孵化)at night need moonlight to find the sea, but artificial lights can confuse them and make them head inland instead. Birds in cities often wake up and start singing earlier than they should. Human lights also cause themselves to produce less of a chemical called melatonin(褪黑激素). This can lead to sleep problems, headaches, tiredness, and mood issues.

To help, scientists want to raise awareness of light pollution. They suggest that people use outdoor lighting that causes less light pollution, such as motion-sensitive lights that switch on only when they’re needed.

1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?

A．By giving examples.

B．By offering evidence.

C．By making comparison.

D．By bringing up the issue.

2. What can be inferred from Kyba’s words?

A．Light pollution is becoming serious.

B．Adults are easier to see stars than kids.

C．Stars are becoming fewer year by year.

D．Kids are losing interest in watching stars.

3. What effect may light pollution cause?

A．Turtles are forced to hatch at sea.

B．Humans produce more melatonin.

C．Bats can get lost during the flight.

D．Birds in cities wake up much later.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A New Origin of Light Pollution

B．Light Is Making Stars Unobserved

C．Ways to Deal with Light Pollution

D．Light Causes Human Sleep Issues

5 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Floods and landslides are hard     1     (avoid). However, to protect against them, people take a variety of measures. These could include passing various     2     (law)that prohibit(禁止) cutting down trees and building houses in these areas. Measures can     3     (take)at all levels so that no one is misusing or overusing their share of resources like water and food.

Areas     4     strong winds and tornadoes frequently happen need different precautionary(预防的) measures. Tornadoes and storms can be predicted(预测) to a degree in today’s world. Once one is predicted,     5     is important not to walk out without reason. Asking the kids to stay at home is another good measure. These areas usually have     6     (strong)built houses not to be damaged by extreme conditions. However, having a basement where you can stay and wait for the storm to pass     7     (be)not a bad idea. Make sure that the basement has     8     door that takes you directly out of the house in case that the house collapses(倒塌), you can get out of the basement.

To protect against natural disasters, safety measures need to be taken by governments. Communities need to have small plans in place because     9     the happening of a disaster. And the nearest people that can help you will be those     10     (live)in your neighborhood.

8 . Whether you’re interested in green agriculture and rainforest conservation or supporting sustainable sources, organizations worldwide are investing time and effort into various environmental protection projects. Volunteers are always needed to help with the different initiatives to protect the environment.

The past years have been bothered by an endless report of natural disasters occurring in geographically weak locations. Floods are affecting the places that previously never faced this problem while heat waves, droughts and earthquakes are becoming the norm (常态). Important wildlife and plant species are disappearing and threatening the planet’s biodiversity. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are other problems: deforestation (毁林), pollution, water scarcity, illegal fishing and wildlife trade.

The ongoing industrialization and the lack of awareness are taking its toll (毁坏) and it’s time for that to change. Most people remain inactive, believing small changes won’t make a difference. However, there are many ways to help. Small changes carried out by some people do make a difference.

Excellent examples of this are organizations that believe small initiatives have a significant impact. These projects are growing steadily and positively affecting the environmental conservation and influencing the local community. They are creating awareness among others and helping them understand the importance of environmental conservation while creating volunteer opportunities to help the environment.

The organizations will learn valuable skills about environmental conservation but most importantly, they are moving towards change. There are enough environmental volunteer opportunities that need your help and there’s no time to waste! Continue reading about environmental volunteer programs abroad and take steps toward environmental conservation.

There are plenty of options once you decide to become an environmental volunteer. The tasks will depend on the project you have decided to volunteer with and can vary greatly. With over 130 projects focused on the environment, you’ll find projects that match both your skill set and travel preference.

1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The threats the earth is facing.

B．The influence of natural disasters.

C．The need to know natural disasters.

D．The difficulty in protecting the earth.

2. How do most people behave towards environmental problems?

A．They make small changes.	B．They help each other.
C．They keep sitting by.	D．They try to find ways.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．It’s easier said than done.	B．It’ll be all right on the night.
C．Where there’s life, there’s hope.	D．There is no time like the present.

4. What’s the main purpose of the text?

A．To call on people to be environmental volunteers.

B．To show the serious problems of the environment.

C．To discuss the ways of environmental conservation.

D．To explain the reasons for protecting the environment.