1 . Most of us are aware that we must take care of the environment, and the majority of us take steps to save energy and reduce waste and pollution. But recently, some “green truths” have been shown to be only half true, or even completely false.
Eating local food is good for the environment.
It seems like common sense: eating local food should be better for the environment, because it does not need to be transported long distances and kept cold during transport.
It depends on how long you spend in the shower and how large your bath is. If you spend more than eight minutes in a shower, you'll use as much water as in a bath—about 50 litres of water. Therefore, the key is to keep your shower time as short as possible.
Paper shopping bags are better than plastic ones.
Plastic bags cause litter and are a danger to wild animals.
However, making a paper bag uses four times as much energy as making a plastic bag and up to three times the amount of water. The process also produces more greenhouse gases.
Environmental awareness is now part of daily life. But it’s worth checking common ideas and opinions to see what's really green.
| A．They mistake them for food. |
| B．Here are some common ones. |
| C．Unfortunately, it is not that simple. |
| D．It’s better to take a shower than a bath. |
| E．A paper bag is more environmentally friendly. |
| F．In fact, both kinds of bags are bad for the environment. |
| G．When we turn off a machine, it goes into a stand-by state. |
2 . Emily couldn’t wait for her birthday party. She was turning 12. The cake would be chocolate. The music was going to be from Hamilton. All her best friends were coming.
But there was one thing that Emily refused to invite to her party: helium(氦)balloons.
The first floating balloons were filled with a gas called hydrogen(氢). But hydrogen can catch on fire and nobody wants their balloons to burst into flames in the middle of a party. So people started filling balloons with helium, a safer gas.
But helium is actually a rare natural gas. And it has many important uses—more important than making birthday party balloons float. Helium powers medical equipment. It is also used in research and experiments. It even helps send rockets into space. To many experts and Emily, it’s wrong to waste an important resource on something silly like balloons.
And there’s another problem with helium balloons —people let go of them and watch them float into the clouds. But those balloons come back down to earth. When they do, they can be dangerous to animals. Animals can mistake the balloons for meals. Dead whales and sea turtles have been found with pieces of balloon in their stomachs.
Not everyone agrees that helium balloons should be banned. Only 5 to7 percent of all helium is used in balloons. And there may be an easier way to protect animals: Keep your balloons inside, and don’t let them fly away. Emily still chose to go helium-free on her birthday. Her friends were disappointed until Emily explained the reasons for her balloon ban. Then they got to eat chocolate cake and celebrate with her happily.
1. Why did Emily refuse to use helium balloons on her birthday?| A．They were not safe. | B．They were expensive. |
| C．Her friends didn’t like them. | D．She didn’t want to waste resources. |
| A．They are eaten as food. | B．They frighten animals away. |
| C．Their lines may trap animals. | D．Their waste takes up animals’ habitat. |
| A．They spoke highly of it. | B．They didn’t care about it. |
| C．They were disappointed by it. | D．They showed understanding of it. |
| A．How to celebrate a birthday? | B．How to use helium balloons? |
| C．Should we ban helium balloons? | D．Should we protect animals? |
A report shows China experienced more heavy rainfalls and high temperatures,
Officials said the country was witnessing higher daytime temperatures — this July was
The report comes less than a month after
This year’s floods have resulted in economic losses worth 123 billion yuan ($19 billion) in China.
4 . Don't worry about why the chicken crossed the road—the bigger question is whether it'll make it at all.
When officials began issuing stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of COVID-19, Shilling and his colleagues quickly realized they were witnessing a novel experiment:
The answer is a lot of things, including fewer accidents and lower greenhouse gas emissions from cars. In their latest report, the researchers found that driving less has also led to a dramatic decrease in roadkills.
"
The team documented about a third fewer kills in the four weeks following shutdowns. If such a slowdown persisted for a year, 27.000 large animals would be saved in just those three states.
People are now returning to the roads as stay-at-home orders are lifted.
| A．What happens when we all start driving way less? |
| B．But Shilling hopes some of the lessons might stick. |
| C．It's a good idea to stay knowledgeable about the risks. |
| D．The idea is that most of the animals died a senseless death. |
| E．It's actually the largest protection action that the U.S. has ever taken. |
| F．In California, the researchers also looked specifically at mountain lions. |
| G．Every year, millions of animals get killed by vehicles in the U.S. |
1. 问候朋友生活状况并表示安慰和同情；
2. 询问他是否需要帮助，如果需要帮助你可以快递给他一些物资；
3. 邀请他有空的话来新疆旅游。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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6 . Summer floods are an annual occurrence for many cities across China. According to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, in 2012, urban flooding affected 184 cities, while in 2013 the number was 234, and last year it was 125, it said. Now, new measures are being introduced to reduce loss of life and the economic damage caused by flooding.
One of the most effective measures to increase the efficiency of storm drains in cities would be to reduce the storm-water runoff and raise the levels of water filtration（过滤）and conservation in urban areas, experts said. To solve the problem of urban flooding once and for all, the central government has decided to push forward the "Sponge City" program, which in part borrows the experiences of low-impact development from the United States and Canada in recent years.
The program will allow at least 60 percent of rainwater to soak into the ground, rather than being discharged into rivers. The level of filtration could be further raised in some areas with low levels of rainfall to increase the use of rainwater. The project includes the development of residential communities with storage ponds, filtration pools and wetlands, plus roads and squares built with materials that will allow storm water to soak into the ground more effectively, according to the guideline.
"It would require a major shift in ideas about urban construction. Rainwater should be regarded as a resource, rather than a burden to be dealt with. Concepts of urban construction should shift from the destruction of the ecosystem to its renewal," Chen Zhenggao, Minister of Housing and Urban-rural Development, told a work conference in May. "If the urban runoff cannot be effectively filtered into the ground, the floods that follow will cause the direct loss of life and property," he said. He also believes low-impact development represents the future of the country's urbanization drive. "It（the dealing with storm water）is an issue of public security. Thus it should be a compulsory requirement when new urban areas are being planned and built," he said.
1. The purpose to build a "Sponge City" is to________.| A．reduce the storm-water runoff in urban areas |
| B．raise the levels of water filtration and conservation |
| C．address the problem of urban flooding permanently |
| D．achieve low-impact development with borrowed experiences |
| A．At most 60% of rainwater is to soak into the ground. |
| B．The level of filtration could be increased in areas with more rainfall. |
| C．Residential communities should be replaced by ponds, pools and wetlands |
| D．Roads should be built with materials allowing water to soak into the ground |
| A．Floods take place because of the shift of the ecosystem |
| B．Floods will not happen when, urban runoff is filtered into rivers. |
| C．New urban construction concept means replacement of the ecosystem. |
| D．Low-impact urban development is a must to solve the issue of public security. |
| A．Summer floods have always been an issue for cities |
| B．"Sponge City" program is set to soak up urban floodwater. |
| C．Rainwater should be regarded as a resource rather than a burden. |
| D．Low-impact development can change the situation of urban ecosystem |
7 . The measurable threat to the environment has been worsened by the spread of COVID-19 that increases the need for plastic protective equipment. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Millions of tons of greenhouse gas are released from the development of these resources and plastic production and burning.
The end life of plastic is just worrisome. Less than 10% of the plastic produced has been recycled. Even more of it has been burned. But the vast majority of plastic has been buried inland, and it is increasingly polluting the environment. We hear mostly about ocean plastic and the harm done to sea creatures that mistake plastic bags and bits for food. But microplastic is even more worrisome. Plastic doesn't break down biologically but instead breaks down into tiny particles（a very small piece of something）, which have been found in every corner of the planet, on land and in the air, in drinking water and food sources.
Yet the public has not given this global environmental disaster the attention it requires. Instead, they have viewed single-use plastic—which makes up about 40% of plastic used each year—as a litter issue that can be solved through better recycling and waste management. That attitude must change because the recent global breakdown of the market for recycling has made it clear that it has never been, nor ever will be, able to keep up with plastic trash use.
California has been the forerunner of plastic waste reduction—it was the first state to ban single-use plastic bags and may be the first state to transform the way goods are packaged. The state also came close to passing an act which would have required that products sold in plastic packaging in the state have a proven recycling rate of 75% by 2032. California, though influential, can't solve this crisis alone. The US has long been producing a great amount of plastic trash and it should engage in reducing the use of plastic as well.
1. Why does the author mention the release of greenhouse gas in paragraph 1?| A．To show the harm of plastic |
| B．To warn of the climate change. |
| C．To call for the development of fossil fuels. |
| D．To highlight the importance of plastic equipment. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Curious. | D．Opposed. |
| A．A pioneer. | B．A failure. |
| C．An objector. | D．A predictor. |
| A．Microplastic Products Are Harmful |
| B．Waste Recycling Is an Urgent Matter |
| C．Plastic Waste Pollution Is a Wake-up Call |
| D．Global Environmental Disasters Are Increasing |
8 . Now Sea World on the Gold Coast is the only dolphin park in Australia to continue keeping dolphins in captivity. This wouldn't have been possible without thousands of warm-hearted supporters being a voice for dolphins protection over many years.
In August last year, Ben Pearson, our head of campaigns in Australia and New Zealand, appeared before the NSW upper house inquiry into the use wild animals for entertainment to put forward our case for ban on captive Dolphin breeding in the state. “If a dolphin were bred today, it may still be alive in 2070. This regulation frees future dolphins from being kept in lockdown at a time when the public acceptability of keeping dolphins in captivity for entertainment is declining. As the tide turns against using marine mammals in captivity for entertainment, conversation about what will happen to the dolphins at Sea World needs to start now. First step is a ban on further breeding,” Ben Pearson said.
Major travel brands including Tripadvisor and Booking. com have already committed to stop selling tickets to dolphin shows and encounters. As well as these great changes for dolphins from the travel industry, Canada recently passed a ban on keeping dolphins and whales for entertainment. This is part of a global movement towards better treatment of these wild animals, which includes the nations of Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, India, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK.
Dolphins are magnificent, intelligent animals. They belong in the wild and should not be bred in captivity for entertainment. In their natural environment, dolphins swim freely in 100 square kilometres of ocean, sometimes more, but the average dolphin in captivity has a fraction of that space. Together, we can make this the last generation of dolphins in captivity.
1. What makes Sea World on the Gold Coast the only dolphin park?| A．Dolphins take too long a time to feed. |
| B．People's awareness of protecting dolphins. |
| C．Sea World on the Gold Coast has enough money. |
| D．Dolphins in Sea World on the Gold Coast like people's voice. |
| A．Wave. | B．Support. | C．Opinion. | D．Doubt. |
| A．More parks for dolphins will be built. | B．More dolphins will be kept in parks. |
| C．Wild animals will live a better life. | D．More countries will feed wild animals. |
| A．Make Dolphins Live Freely | B．Protect Sea World on the Gold Coast |
| C．Change the Ways of Entertainment | D．Prevent People from Feeding Animals |
9 . People today are not unfamiliar with term such as "going eco-friendly" and "sustainable lifestyle". However, there exists a group of sceptics（怀疑论者）who believe that going eco-friendly is merely a fad（一时的风尚）. I disagree with this viewpoint, Going eco-friendly is not merely a fad and it does, in fact, change the beliefs and attitudes of people.
The long-term presence of environmental organisations shows the efforts that people have made towards going eco-friendly. Organisations such as World Wildlife Fund advocate people to go eco-friendly. The high involvement of the organisations and the participants is thus a strong indicator that going eco-friendly is not merely a fad but a trend that can last decades.
Another strong indicator is the emergence of sustainable products in many industries, such as organic produce and electric vehicles. The consumer demand, coupled with eco-conscious（环保意识的）businesses, is behind the sharp increase in such products. This shows a shift in the beliefs and attitudes of people towards adopting a sustainable lifestyle. Thus, it seems quite certain that going eco-friendly is not merely a fad.
While some people who broadcast their eco-friendly practices are criticised for just hoping to project an eco-conscious image, there are a number of celebrities who have been practising the zero-waste lifestyle for years. For those who do so for years, and not mere days or months, it is indeed a commitment that can only come with a true change in beliefs and attitudes towards caring for the earth.
The call to save the earth looks set to stay. With the development of technology and the appearance of many platforms advocating going green, people are more willing to change their beliefs and attitudes when they can learn about and appreciate the positive impact of the work of different environmental organisations and individuals. It is hoped that these effects will go a long way in ensuring that our planet will remain a suitable place to live in.
1. Why does the author mention World Wildlife Fund?| A．To appreciate its environmental efforts. |
| B．To encourage people to go eco-friendly. |
| C．To evidence the universal recognition of going green. |
| D．To highlight the difficulty in changing people's attitudes. |
| A．Sudden disappearance. | B．Sharp increase. |
| C．Gradual development. | D．Limited application. |
| A．It may discourage people from sustainable lifestyle. |
| B．It may boost the business of organic produce. |
| C．It will be used to project an eco-conscious image. |
| D．It will promote environmental awareness. |
| A．To prove going eco-friendly a lasting trend. |
| B．To popularize the eco-friendly products. |
| C．To offer strategies to go eco-friendly. |
| D．To advertise for eco-friendly platforms. |
10 . Poaching and habitat loss have threatened Africa's two species of elephants, taking them closer toward the edge of disappearance, according to a new report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN).
Before this update, Africa's elephants were grouped together and were evaluated as vulnerable by the IUCN. This is the first time the two species have been sorted separately. In the past, elephants were mostly considered as either Asian elephants or African elephants. Forest and savanna elephants were typically classified as subspecies of African elephants.
The African forest elephant is now listed as critically endangered and the African savanna elephant as endangered. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a 31 -year assessment period. The population of African savanna elephants dropped by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the IUCN, which tracks the assessment risk of the world's animals. Africa currently has an estimated 415,000 elephants, counting the two species together.
Both elephant species experienced significant population decreases because of poaching. Although it peaked in 2011, illegal hunting still happens and continues to threaten elephant populations. African elephants also face continued habitat loss as their land is converted for agriculture or other uses.
There is some good conservation news, the IUCN points out. Anti-poaching measures, combined with better land use planning to support better human-wildlife relationships, have helped conservation efforts. Some forest elephant population figures have stabilized in well-managed areas in Gabon and the Republic of Congo and savanna population figures have remained stable or have been growing, particularly in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in southern Africa.
But with constant demand for ivory and increasing human pressures on Africa's wild lands, concern for Africa's elephants is high, and the need to creatively conserve and wisely manage these animals and their habitats is more severe than ever.
1. What can be inferred from the new report about African elephants?| A．They are divided into three kinds. | B．They are dying out. |
| C．Their threat is mainly from poaching. | D．Their population has grown in Africa. |
| A．The detailed number of African elephants. | B．The similarities of African elephants. |
| C．The different types of African elephants. | D．The present situation of African elephants. |
| A．Expanded. | B．Protected. | C．Transformed. | D．Forbidden. |
| A．Hopeless. | B．Optimistic. | C．Uncertain. | D．Worried. |
