1 . During Yang Zhongkai’s early years, a 500-year-old majestic ginkgo tree that did not sprout leaves for two to three years at a stretch used to be a daily sight for him on his way to and from high school. Since villagers widely regarded the tree as having the power to make their wishes come true, they used to kneel down in front of the “lucky” tree and burn offerings under it, which led to prolonged heat exposure at its roots, stunting its growth.
“Millions of such old trees are in urgent need of protection given their importance as vital biological resources and symbols of ecological civilization,” said Yang, who started the team — Zhiyue — dedicated to protecting ancient trees.“But the recording and management of ancient and famous trees nationwide commonly rely on Excel spreadsheets (电子表格), which present issues such as information silos, lack of real-time updates and incomplete content,” he said.
However, things have changed of late. Yang and his team now use the artificial intelligence technology developed by Tencent Cloud to identify and register trees accurately based on individual traits and GPS tracking. “With the acceleration of a new generation of technological revolution and industrial transformation, new technologies bring more excitement to the protection of ancient trees.” Yang said. “We can now collect data on the trees’ growth, health and environment in real time, which helps us make informed decisions on how to better protect them.”
“In addition to applying cutting-edge technologies such as AI and large models to assist in the development of traditional industries, the company also makes great efforts to promote the development of charitable causes through technological and platform advantages, “Wu Yunsheng said, vice-president of Tencent Cloud, adding that“the power of technology can change the world”.
1. What does the underlined word“stunting”in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Preventing. | B．Promoting. | C．Measuring. | D．Maintaining. |
| A．The lack of effective protection measures. |
| B．The risk of information loss and accuracy. |
| C．The destruction by local villagers. |
| D．The extreme heat from burning. |
| A．It enables the collection of real-time data on trees'growth. |
| B．It is a valuable tool for people to protect the eco-system. |
| C．It has been widely used in the traditional industries. |
| D．It can quickly update the number of trees in China. |
| A．Modern Technology Advances Charitable Causes |
| B．Ancient Tree Management is Vital for Biodiversity |
| C．Ancient Trees Hold Cultural Traditions |
| D．New Technology Helps Tree Protection |
2 . In a small, rough shipyard on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, a small team is building what they say will be the world’s largest ocean-going clean cargo ship.
Ceiba is the first ship built by Sailcargo, a company trying to prove that zero-carbon shipping is possible, and commercially available. Made largely of wood, Ceiba combines both very old and very new technology: sailing masts stand alongside solar panels, a uniquely designed electric engine and batteries. Once on the water, she will be capable of crossing oceans entirely without the use of fossil fuels, which sets her apart.
“The thing that is striking is the fact that she’ll have one of the largest marine electric engines of her kind in the world,” Danielle Doggett said. The system also has the means to capture energy from underwater propellers (螺旋桨) as well as solar power, so electricity will be available for the engine when needed. “Really, the only limit on how long she can stay at sea is water and food on board for the crew.”
Despite some hold-ups due to the global disaster, the team hopes to get her on the water by the end of 2024 and operating by 2025, when she will begin transporting cargo between Costa Rica and Canada.
“There are actually loads of innovations happening that could transform shipping emissions, but few companies are willing to apply them to building ships like Ceiba.” says Lucy Gilliam. “So it’s not that we don’t have great ideas. The problem that we have is that fossil fuels are still too cheap. And we don’t have the rules to force people to take up the new technology.”
When it comes to promoting this kind of boat, it has to be said that Ceiba is small for a cargo ship — tiny in fact. She will carry around nine standard shipping containers. She is also relatively slow. Being a world-first, there are some aspects of Ceiba’s design that have yet to be proven at sea.
1. What is unique about Ceiba as a cargo ship?| A．It is the world’s largest. | B．It is environment-friendly. |
| C．It is wooden with old technology. | D．It is modern with unique equipment. |
| A．The size of the sail. | B．The weather of the ocean. |
| C．The power of the electric engine. | D．The quantity of the living supplies. |
| A．The rules are disobeyed. | B．The fuels are affordable. |
| C．The bigger ships are preferable. | D．The innovations are distrusted. |
| A．Objective. | B．Doubtful. | C．Critical. | D．Favorable. |
3 . 全球水资源日益匮乏。假设你是校学生会主席李华，在3月22日“世界水日”来临之际，请你代表学生会向全校学生发出保护水资源的倡议。
内容包括：1. 倡议原因；
2. 保护措施。
注意：1. 写作词数应为100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear fellow students,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Students’ Union
4 . Macquarie Island is a tiny island that’s part of Australia. It’s about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. The island’s been made a world heritage area because it’s so untouched, but this unique environment is under threat from some unwanted visitors.
It all started when seal hunters came to the island in the early 1800s. They brought rabbits with them as a source of food for the journey, and also on board the ships were rats and mice, which made their way onto the island too. They’re being blamed for destroying the homes of marine birds, causing soil loss and ripping up plant cover, as these before-and-after photos show.
So what’s being done about the problem? It starts with a team of helicopters that fly across the island carrying these giant containers. Inside them are poisoned pellets (有毒饲料) which are dropped and spread across the island. For any rabbits that survived the baiting (诱饵) , there’s a plan B. This special team of dogs is being put through a final training. It’ll be their job to track down any remaining rabbits. They have to also learn to behave around the island’s native wildlife. The dogs could be here for years or until the task is complete. The dogs don’t actually kill the rabbits. They find them, then the hunters decide to either catch the rabbits or shoot them.
But the program has received a bit of criticism. Some people argue 25 million dollars is a lot of money to be spending on wiping out rabbits and rodents (啮齿目动物), and in the process, some native birds will be killed because of the baiting.
The reality is the problem isn’t going to be solved overnight. The people running the program say that even if one pair of rabbits is left alive, the whole task will be seen as a failure, which means these guys could be here for a long time, trying to ensure that this precious island remains protected from pests.
1. Who are these unwanted visitors?| A．Seal hunters. | B．Marine wildlife. | C．Native birds. | D．Foreign species. |
| A．Advancing. | B．Destroying. | C．Dividing | D．Balancing |
| A．Poisoned pellets are being dropped on the island from helicopters. |
| B．A team of hunters is being trained to catch or shoot rabbits. |
| C．Native birds are being protected from the unwanted visitors. |
| D．A special team of dogs is being sent to kill the rabbits. |
| A．To spend as little money as possible. |
| B．To protect native birds from the unwanted visitors. |
| C．To ensure that no pair of rabbits survive on the island. |
| D．To train dogs to track down the rabbits on the island. |
5 . Sorting out your wardrobe(衣柜) as winter approaches? As we store away our spring and summer clothes to make room for big woolly jumpers and thick layers to survive the colder weather, there might be a few items of clothing that deserve a better home so the love you previously had for them can continue on. Luckily, the Camden Chilly TRAID Off might be able to help…plus there’s a cold, refreshing beer in it for you.
Here to help avoid those pre-loved clothes going to landfill, Camden Town Brewery has partnered with clothes waste charity TRAID for the launch of its Camden Chilly TRAID Off. The nationwide tour allows consumers to exchange their pre-loved clothes for a can of Camden’s new winter seasonal: Chilly, Cold IPA—so you can do your bit to save clothes from going to landfill and be rewarded with a refreshing drink in the process. And today’s the day for Londoners looking to exchange pre-loved clothes for free beers—so take that box of clothes you’ve been meaning to donate to the local charity shop, and head on down to the van(面包车).
Touring Manchester, Leeds and London from November 15-17, Camden and TRAID will be stationing their van at the heart of each city, ready for consumers to come down and donate any unworn or pre-loved clothing this Chilly season. Encouraging consumers to shop more sustainably this winter, the Camden Chilly TRAID Off aims to freeze out waste, while giving people good beer for a good cause.
Research from TRAID has found that 300,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill every year in the UK—of which it is estimated 40% is in reusable condition. Camden is encouraging British people to take another look at the estimated 1.6 billion pieces of unworn clothing in their wardrobes this winter and think about how we shop as we head towards the festive period.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To summarize the main idea. | B．To start a vivid story. |
| C．To give a good example. | D．To explain reasons. |
| A．Chilly, Cold IPA enjoys great popularity. | B．TRAID is expert at its work. |
| C．40% of clothes thrown away can be reused. | D．Camden can provide expensive beer. |
| A．People can exchange their pre-loved clothes for a beer anytime. |
| B．It is planned to do the collection in London on November 17th. |
| C．People around Britain can find the van for the clothes within 15 days. |
| D．It can pick up people’s clothes from door to door at the fixed time. |
| A．Empty Your Wardrobe for Your Winter Clothes Now |
| B．Save Earth by Reducing Landfill of Pre-loved Clothes |
| C．Get a Good Can of Camden’s New Summer Seasonal |
| D．Exchange Your Pre-loved Clothing for Free Beer |
1. What do the speakers work for?
| A．Museum. | B．Neighborhood. | C．Factory. |
| A．Paint the wall. | B．Plant trees. | C．Empty the rubbish can. |
7 . Our Conservation & Environment Projects are ideal for people who want to help with environmental conservation efforts, and carry out fieldwork in fascinating habitats. You’ll be actively involved in conservation efforts, which include educating local people about the importance of protecting the environment. We share the same mission: to guard our planet for years to come. So get your backpack because you’re going on an environmental travel adventure!
If you love working on projects to help the environment and animals, you can unleash your passion in different ways like:
Jungle Reforestation
Volunteers can travel to the Amazon rainforest in Peru to assist with reforestation. Volunteers must stay for at least two weeks to get the most out of this program-learn more and sign up!
Sri Lanka Elephant Experience
If you want to go on a tropical getaway where you can also do good voluntary work, check out the Sri Lanka Elephant Experience, where you’ll have the chance to work alongside a mahout to care for elephants. This program starts for two weeks at $600 — learn more here!
Marine Conservation in South Africa
Check out the marine conservation volunteer program in South Africa, where you can get up close to marine wildlife. Program fees are $525 to start for one week, and you can stay up to three months — learn more and sign up here!
South Africa Big 5 Wildlife Experience
You can visit South Africa and volunteer on a world-class wildlife reserve, where you will get up close to elephants, lions, rhinos and other amazing animals. This program starts from $795 for your first two weeks — click here to learn more and to sign up!
You’ll support and learn from professional environmentalists and scientists, as well as people from the local community. We offer safe, ethical, and sustainable wildlife and environmental conservation projects, and you’ll always be aware of the impact of your work. In addition to making a difference in an animal care program, you’ll develop important skills for working in wildlife conservation.
1. What is the common goal of Conservation & Environment Projects?| A．To protect our planet. | B．To educate local people. |
| C．To experience adventures. | D．To improve the local community. |
| A．Jungle Reforestation. | B．Sri Lanka Elephant Experience. |
| C．Marine Conservation in South Africa. | D．South Africa Big 5 Wildlife Experience. |
| A．To present how to care for wildlife. | B．To call on people to protect wildlife. |
| C．To recommend volunteer programs on wildlife. | D．To explain the importance of protecting wildlife. |
1. What is the conversation mainly about?
| A．Fighting fires. | B．Detecting fires. | C．Using fires. |
| A．Around 50. | B．About 400. | C．Over 8600. |
| A．Size of a car. | B．Size of a plane. | C．Size of a sports field. |
| A．Saving animals. | B．Saving the trees. | C．Saving humans. |
9 . Fish cats are a kind of cats that love water and love to fish. They are like tigers and lions, only much smaller, around twice the size of our average pet cats. They live in wetlands of South Asia and mangrove forests(红树林)of South and Southeast Asia. Like many endangered species, fish cats were in danger of dying out more than twenty years ago, mainly because of the great international need for fish food and the people s cutting of the mangroves at an extremely fast speed.
Mangroves of Southeast Asia are home to a great many fantastic species, like fish cats, turtles, shorebirds and others. Mangroves can protect soil, and they can be the first line of protection between storms, tsunamis and the millions of people who live next to them. The fact is that mangroves can store almost five to ten times more CO2 than other forests. So protecting mangroves may well be like protecting five to ten times more of other forests.
Ten years ago, in South India, many people came together to change the future of their home. In less than 10 years, with international support, the state forest departments and the local people worked together to restore over 20,000 acres of unproductive fish and shrimp farms back into mangroves. Now experts are working with them in helping study and protecting the mangroves as well as the species living in them. Fish and shrimp farmers are now willing to work with experts to test the harvest of nature protection like fishes, turtles and other species in mangroves. The local farmers are encouraged to protect and plant mangroves where they have been lost. A win win-win for fish cats, local people and the global ecosystem(生态系统)is being built.
1. What made the fish cats endangered?
| A．Being too large and need for fish food. | B．Cutting of mangroves and lack of water. |
| C．Less fish and overcutting of mangroves. | D．Natural enemies and environment pollution. |
| A．They can prevent extreme weather. | B．They are perfect home to all species. |
| C．They can take in more CO2 effectively. | D．They help plants grow better on the soil. |
| A．Work in protecting shrimps. | B．Efforts to protect the mangroves. |
| C．Ways of turning farms into forests. | D．Changes of South India in I0 years. |
| A．Man and Nature | B．Ways to Protect Fish Cats |
| C．The Restoration of Wetlands | D．Fish Cats and Mangroves Protection |
10 . A study by Stockholm University and ETH Zurich scientists found that all rainwater on Earth is unsafe to drink due to the levels of PFAS (全氟烷基物质), or poisonous chemicals. These PFAS or poisonous chemicals are becoming a part of a future reality that humans must, unfortunately, learn to live with. PFAS were first found in shampoo, packaging, and even makeup but have begun to spread into our Earth. A professor at Stockholm University and lead author of the study, Ian Cousins noted, “There is nowhere on Earth where-the rain would be safer to drink, according to the measurements that we have taken.”
Using their study’s data, Cousins and his team illustrated that chemical levels in rainwater from remote areas are unsafe and above the US Environmental Protection. Agency’s (EPA) drinking water guidelines. Within this study, they took rainwater samples, from extremely remote areas like Antarctica or the Tibetan plateau. Although these areas are originally known as being remote and untouched, their PFAS levels are around 14 times higher than the US EPA guidelines.
PFAS have been associated with a range of serious health problems including cancer, childhood behavioral and learning problems, immune system disorders, and high cholesterol (胆固醇): Cousins continued by saying, “Based on the latest US guidelines for PFOA (全氟辛酸) in drinking water, rainwater everywhere would be judged unsafe to drink. Although in the industrial world we don’t often drink rainwater, many people around the world expect it to be safe to drink and it supplies many of our drinking water sources.”
Managing Director of the Food Packaging Forum, Dr Jane Muncke, said, “The vast amounts that it will cost to reduce PFAS in drinking water to levels that are safe based on current scientific understanding need to be paid by the industries producing and using these chemicals. The time to act is now.”
1. Which of the following is true about PFAS?| A．They were initially found in rainwater. |
| B．Their levels affect the security of rainwater. |
| C．They are mainly present in makeup products. |
| D．They will be completely removed in the future. |
| A．To reveal rainwater is rare in these areas. |
| B．To cut down the spending on rainwater study. |
| C．To confirm the widespread presence of PFAS. |
| D．To measure the quality of rainwater in these areas. |
| A．It’s time to stop people from drinking rainwater. |
| B．It’s necessary to improve the safety of rainwater. |
| C．It’s promising to expand. Drinking water sources. |
| D．I’s tough to address PFAS-related health issues. |
| A．Scientists should be devoted to reducing PFAS. |
| B．Public efforts are required to obtain safe drinking water. |
| C．Some industries should bear the costs of reducing PFAS. |
| D．The chemical industry is responsible for the unsafety of PFAS. |
