1 . Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts (收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don’t dispute (质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic-bag makers?A.They are quite expensive. |
B.Replacing them can be difficult. |
C.They are less strong than plastic bags. |
D.Producing them requires more energy. |
Nearly a
A.Rainforests. | B.Animals. | C.Weather. |
4 . What concerns the man about the oil company?
A.It causes water pollution. |
B.It makes locals lose their jobs. |
C.It results in a fight on social media. |
We as individuals can also reduce our “carbon footprint” by
6 .
A.The harm done by single-use plastics. |
B.The topic for the woman’s composition. |
C.Environmental issues. |
D.Some recent hot news. |
7 . There once was an ordinary street in the suburbs where no one cared much for their gardens. The lawns were overgrown, the weeds were taking over and the hedges(树篱)
It seemed too hard to clear all the gardens and no one could be
One person’s action showed everyone what could be achieved with a little hard work. It’s easy for us to
A.slightly | B.desperately | C.barely | D.previously |
A.And | B.So | C.But | D.For |
A.taken | B.bothered | C.cooperated | D.devoted |
A.tidy | B.delicate | C.familiar | D.awful |
A.handed | B.stepped | C.dominated | D.settled |
A.proud | B.distracted | C.neat | D.selfless |
A.weeds | B.trees | C.soil | D.plants |
A.planting | B.picking | C.watering | D.shaping |
A.took over | B.paid off | C.turned down | D.gave away |
A.Defeated | B.Obsessed | C.Enlarged | D.Confused |
A.occasionally | B.legally | C.newly | D.carelessly |
A.incredible | B.unique | C.horrible | D.unmotivated |
A.intense | B.unappealing | C.recognised | D.optional |
A.observe | B.mind | C.ignore | D.pollute |
A.results in | B.figures out | C.makes up | D.takes in |
8 . Wetlands occur wherever water meets land. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone. Healthy wetlands store carbon, regulate the water cycle, and support 40% of the world’s biodiversity.
Jiangxi Poyang Lake Nanji Wetlands
Nanji Wetlands is located in the southern part of the main lake area of Poyang Lake, covering a total area of 33,300 hectares. It is an incredibly valuable ecosystem and serves as a vital habitat for various wetland bird species, including many national first-class and second-class protected animals.
Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve
The Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake wetland, with an area of 33,333 hectares. It is primarily set up as the wintering grounds of rare birds. Within the reserve, there are a total of 142 bird species, including 66 species of migratory (迁徙的) birds. This reserve holds the distinction of being the largest natural wintering ground for the hooded crane (丹顶鹤) population worldwide.
Gansu Yellow River Shouqu Wetlands
The Gansu Yellow River Shouqu National Nature Reserve is located within Maqu county. It covers a total area of 203,401 hectares, with 132,067 hectares intended for wetland conservation. The primary objective of this reserve is to protect the highland wetland ecosystem, as well as the habitat of migratory birds, particularly the black-necked crane. In February 2020, it was officially approved as a Wetland of International Importance.
Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve
Established in 2003, Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve covers a total area of 35,679 hectares. In 2015, it was recognized and included in the International Important Wetlands Directory. The main focus of the reserve is to protect the unique underwater natural landscape, the ecosystems of the nearby coastal waters, the important rare and endangered marine (海洋的) animals.
1. Which wetland covers the largest area?A.Nanji Wetlands. |
B.Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve. |
C.Shouqu Wetlands. |
D.Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve. |
A.To preserve natural landscapes. |
B.To house rare birds in winter. |
C.To reproduce hooded cranes. |
D.To store freshwater. |
A.Highland wetland ecosystem. | B.Marine ecosystems. |
C.Underwater animals. | D.Bird habitats. |
A.The sea is getting smaller. |
B.The sea is being polluted. |
C.The sea is getting cleaner. |
10 . It is late autumn—millions of gardeners across the northern hemisphere, pulled on their thickest sweaters, spent hours clearing large piles of leaves and packed them into plastic bags at the end of driveways.
In the US alone, nearly 10 million tonnes of garden waste go to landfill every year. That is a large amount of effort, not just from an environmental viewpoint but from that of our aching backs, too. So where does this advice come from? Well, it largely comes from the belief that thick fallen leaves can make plants under them unable to breathe, especially shorter grass. They shut down important photosynthesis (光合作用) and get in the way of the growth of the shorter grass. However, this received wisdom has recently been questioned by researchers at Wisconsin University.
The key finding of their new research was that although clearing fallen leaves is one of the most common gardening practices, it makes very little sense. In natural ecosystems, fallen leaves help return nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth to the soil, which greatly improves soil condition. Removing leaves year after year breaks this ecological (生态的) balance. Letting some leaves stick around to cover your garden is a great way to help your grass and the local ecosystem.
They further explained that if up to 50percent of your grass lawn (草坪) is covered by fallen leaves, you might as well go back indoors and put your feet up. The advantages of this light leaf coverage far outweigh the disadvantages—the leaves will quickly break down and help next year’s lawn grow far better than if you had cleared them. Only at over 50 percent coverage do the Wisconsin researchers recommend clearing.
So why not consider leaving the leaves? Save time, carbon and effort, and in exchange get a healthier lawn from this garden waste—that seems like a pretty good deal. And how many plastic bags could be saved by simply not binning fallen leaves every year? In the US alone, about 700 million.
1. What does the author describe in paragraph 1?A.An amazing autumn game. | B.A common sight in gardens. |
C.A hot attraction in the north. | D.An extreme weather event. |
A.Fallen leaves need not be cleared. |
B.Fallen leaves protect shorter grass. |
C.Fallen leaves block photosynthesis. |
D.Fallen leaves are hard to break down. |
A.it ruins city image | B.it breaks gardening rules |
C.it affects local economy | D.it causes ecological damage |
A.Doubtful. | B.Positive. | C.Unclear. | D.Worried. |