Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural disasters. They can happen just about anywhere. Earthquakes cannot be stopped,
If you are in
Remember that aftershocks are possible at any time and are
提示：1. How was the weather?
2. How did you get to the park?
3. What did you do in the park?
4. How did you feel?
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3 . Last summer, a team of 15 primary and middle school students did a research on the biodiversity (生物多样性) of a small wetland (湿地) in Wuhan’s Houxianghe Park. They observed and recorded the number of plant and animal species (物种) there and made suggestions for improvement.
During their field research, the team found that there were few fish in the wetland. After further study, they found that there were not enough plants in the wetland for fish and other animals to develop in large groups.
In the following courses, students worked together to create design drawings and make a wetland-recovering plan. Thanks to their efforts, the biodiversity of the wetland has been greatly improved.
“It’s very meaningful,” said a primary school student in Wuhan. “I have learned a lot about strange animals and plants, and have also seen the improvement of the wetland. I’ll take part in more activities like this. ”
“It’s not easy for children to have a connection to nature in the city,” said an expert. “We should make full use of the city’s wetland and encourage more children to get closer to nature through the ‘Park Classes’ programme.”
In the past six years, the programme has carried out over 3, 000 activities in Wuhan’s 32 parks. It inspires students from primary and middle schools to learn more about environmental protection, and helps them get close to nature, developing their ability to explore and take action.
1. Why were there few fish in the wetland?| A．People caught too many of them. |
| B．Plants for them were not enough. |
| C．Other animals ate many of them. |
| A．It causes trouble. | B．It connects parks. | C．It benefits children. |
| A．Experts. | B．Students. | C．Teachers. |
| A．Houxianghe Park is very attractive to tourists. |
| B．Outdoor classes give children a feel for nature. |
| C．Experts and students work together for Wuhan. |
4 . Many people know that rubbish is a big problem on the Earth. What many people don’t know is that rubbish is becoming a problem in outer space too. Years of space exploration (探索) have left tons of “space junk” (太空垃圾) around the planet.
According to the reports of BBC, there are more than 22,000 pieces of rubbish in space around the Earth. And these are just the objects that are easy to see. There may be millions of smaller pieces of rubbish that we can’t see.
The pieces of space junk move around the planet at very high speeds. They move so fast that even a very small piece can become dangerous. If they crashed (碰撞) into each other, it could cause explosions that might even hurt people on the Earth. If the tiniest piece of rubbish crashed into a space shuttle (航天飞机), it could blow open a hole as big as an elephant.
To help solve this problem, countries around the world have agreed to limit the time their space tools stay in space to 25 years. Each tool must fall safely into the Earth’s atmosphere, or upper parts of the sky. There, it will burn up, and it won’t crash near the Earth.
1. What is becoming a problem in outer space?| A．Unseen things. | B．Many big holes. |
| C．Too much space junk. | D．A lot of explosions. |
| A．It may kill elephants. |
| B．It causes air pollution. |
| C．It moves faster than space shuttles. |
| D．It may cause explosions and hurt people. |
| A．Burn them on the Earth. | B．Limit their time in space. |
| C．Let them crash in the sky. | D．Make them move slowly. |
5 . Earthquakes are something that people fear. There are some places that have few or earthquakes. Most places in the world, however, have them regularly. Countries that have a of earthquakes are usually quite mountainous.
The most-talked-about earthquake in the United States was in San Francisco in 1906.Over 700 people died in it. The strongest one in North America was in 1964. It happened in Alaska.
Strong earthquakes are not always the ones that kill the most people. In 1755, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded was felt in Portugal. Around 2,000 people died. In 1923, a very strong earthquake hit Tokyo, Yokohama area of Japan. 140,000 people died. Most of them died in fires which followed the earthquake.
One of the worst earthquakes ever was in China in 1976. It killed a large number of people. The worst earthquake ever reported was also in China, in which 830, 000 people were killed. This earthquake happened in 1556.
Earthquakes worry people a lot. The reason is that we often do not know when they are coming. People cannot prepare for them beforehand.
1. How many people died in the earthquake in Portugal?| A．About 2,000. | B．Around 140,000. | C．Over 830,000. | D．Above 700. |
| A．Portugal, 1755. | B．Japan, 1923. | C．China, 1556. | D．America, 1906. |
| A．For sure. | B．With care. | C．By hand. | D．In advance. |
| A．Earthquakes are not likely to cause big fires. |
| B．Earthquakes often hit people unexpectedly. |
| C．Mountainous countries have no earthquakes. |
| D．Strong earthquakes often kill the most people. |
6 . According to the World Food Program, one third of the food of the world is lost or wasted. It’s up to some 1.3 billion tons every year, worth about $1 trillion. Moreover, a report in 2021 Sugests that 8 to10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (排放) are associated with wasting food.
“For our parents and the older generations,‘clearing your plate’ is more about saving some food for a rainy day.”Liu Jichen, founder and CEO of Clear Plate, an anti-food wasting program, told us.
The idea for Clear Plate came to Liu after one dinner at a restaurant in late 2017. The customers who finished all the food they’d ordered would be given a card, and then they could exchange their cards for rewards. “Yet it was limited to one restaurant’s actions, so I thought, why not try it on a larger scale (规模)? And how?” Liu wondered. And then he teamed up with some of his friends,founded a startup and developed the Clear Plate applet.
“The Clear Plate team is trying to deal with the issue (问题) of food waste. After a meal, users of WeChat take photos of their clean plates, post these on WeChat, collect points, and then exchange their points for gifts or charity donations,” Liu explained.
Starting in 2018, Clear Plate has now more than 4.3 million users with about 45 million participations in anti-food wasting actions, reducing food waste by 1,700 tons and carbon emissions by 6,600 tons. Liu’s determination represents a small change of the Chinese lifestyle and more people are turning toward a healthier, greener and more low-carbon lifestyle.
1. How much food of the world is wasted every year according to the World Food Program?| A．About 1 billion tons. | B．About 1.3 billion tons. |
| C．About 8 billion tons. | D．About 10 billion tons. |
| A．A plate. | B．A point. | C．A photo. | D．A card. |
| A．In 2016. | B．In 2017. | C．In 2018. | D．In 2021. |
| A．The program Clear Plate. |
| B．The World Food Program. |
| C．The world food wasting. |
| D．An introduction to WeChat. |
7 . They give us paper and fuel, as well as vital ecological services-like cleaning the air, storing carbon and providing habitat. We’re talking about trees, of course. But human changes to the environment largely appear to be causing profound transformations in trees around the world.
In a new study, scientists reviewed global research on trends in tree seedlings (籽苗), growth and death. They combined those data with an analysis of deforestation. And they found that worldwide, older trees are dying at a higher rate than in the past due to factors like rising air temperature, wildfires, drought and pathogens (病原菌).
“And most of the drivers of that decrease in large, old trees are increasing themselves, such as temperature is going up, droughts are more severe, wildfires, windstorms and deforestation are all on the increase—although variable across the globe — they’re generally increasing. And so for both the loss has already occurred, but we expect more continued loss of big, old trees,” said Nate McDowell, an earth scientist at Pacific Northwest National Lab, who was one of the study’s authors.
“So if we have an increasing rate of death, particularly of the larger, older trees, what’s left are the younger trees. So that’s why, on average, through the loss of bigger, older trees, our forests are becoming naturally younger and shorter.”
This is a problem, because old trees are vitally (至关重要) important.
“For sure, the increase in death does limit the carbon storage (储存) of an ecosystem and can force the system to become a carbon source to the atmosphere. The second reason we care is from a biodiversity (生物多样性) perspective (角度): Old trees tend to house a higher biodiversity than young forests do. And another reason is beauty: As a society, we care about these trees. We have national parks named after these big trees. So there’s a personal reason for people to care about this as well.”
1. What’s the result of the new study?| A．Trees are disappearing in a rapid way. |
| B．The global climate is becoming warmer and warmer. |
| C．Older trees are dying at a higher rate than before. |
| D．Wildfires, drought and pathogens happen more often than before. |
| A．Operators. | B．Factors. | C．Researchers. | D．Participants. |
| A．Forests are dying out. |
| B．It’s hard to prevent the death of forests. |
| C．Younger trees are growing faster than older trees. |
| D．The forests are becoming younger and younger. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
8 . 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. |
9 . The idea of turning recycled plastic bottles into clothing is not new. During the last five years, a large number of clothing companies, businesses and environmental organizations have started turning plastics into fabric to deal with plastic pollution. But there’s a problem with this method. Research now shows that microfibers could be the biggest source of plastic in the sea.
Dr. Mark Browne in Santa Barbara, California, has been studying plastic pollution and microfibers for 10 years now. He explains that every time synthetic clothes go into a washing machine, a large number of plastic fibers fall off. Most washing machines can’t collect these microfibers. So every time the water gets out of a washing machine, microfibers are entering the sewers and finally end up in the sea.
In 2011, Browne wrote a paper stating that a single piece of synthetic(合成的) clothing can produce more than 1, 900 fibers per wash. Browne collected samples from seawater and freshwater sites around the world, and used a special way to examine each sample. He discovered that every single water sample contained microfibers.
This is bad news for a number of reasons. Plastic can cause harm to sea life when eaten. Studies have also shown that plastic can absorb other pollutants.
Based on this evidence, it may seem surprising that companies and organizations have chosen to turn plastic waste into clothing as an environmental “solution.” Even though the science has been around for a while, Browne explains that he's had a difficult time getting companies to listen. When he asked well-known clothing companies to support Benign by Design-his research project that seeks to get clothes that have a bad effect on humans and the environment out of the market, Browne didn’t get a satisfying answer. Only one women’s clothing company, Eileen Fisher, offered Browne funding.
1. What has happened during the past five years?| A．Fabric has become much stronger. | B．Plastic pollution has been less serious. |
| C．Many plastic bottles have been reused. | D．Microfibers have been greatly improved. |
| A．It is adding microfibers to the clothes. |
| B．It is worsening environmental problems. |
| C．It is making synthetic clothes last longer. |
| D．It is doing great damage to washing machines. |
| A．It has achieved great success. | B．It hasn’t got anything done. |
| C．It is known to very few people. | D．It is facing some difficulties. |
| A．It’s important to learn to recycle |
| B．It’s never easy to solve pollution problems |
| C．Recycled plastic clothing: solution or pollution? |
| D．Are human beings moving forward or backward? |
10 . Not all natural disasters can be prevented. However, the impacts can be lessened with proper planning systems. Only by managing land and water resources can cause higher costs in property damage. Planning requires the cooperation of a network of state and local officials working with federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assess risks and implement changes where necessary.
According to FEMA, floods are the most common natural disaster. Effects of floods are complicated by weather patterns such as drought, which hardens soils and increases the possibility of flash flooding. The amount of impervious (不受影响的) surfaces (like roads and parking lots) in developed areas can contribute to floodwater.
One way to reduce the impacts of flooding is to restore and maintain river flood plains and wetlands. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that restoration of the Upper Mississippi’s 100-year flood zone could have contained the estimated 39-million-square acre-feet of floodwater that caused the Great Flood of 1993 in this area.
A reduction in impervious surfaces is another measure to prevent a natural disaster. The EPA estimates that a single acre of wetlands can store up to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater. Replacing wetlands with impervious surfaces sets the stage for a flood event. By reducing the amount of impervious surface through city and local planning, flash flooding can be prevented or at least lessen impacts.
Natural disaster prevention also relies on the individual. The American Red Cross provides training for individuals to prepare for natural disasters. Having an emergency preparedness kit in your home is important, since some natural disasters can occur without warning. A well-stocked kit will include a complete first aid kit, a few days’ supply of drinking water and canned goods, and other necessities such as batteries, matches and flashlights. While having the kit will not prevent the disaster, it will give you the peace of mind of being prepared.
1. What may cause flash flooding?| A．Long droughts. | B．Hardened soils. |
| C．Enlarged parks. | D．Developed fields. |
| A．Preserving plains and wetlands. | B．Building dams to restore water. |
| C．Getting rid of impervious surfaces. | D．Trying to change weather patterns. |
| A．To help you make good planning systems. | B．To help you prepare for natural disasters. |
| C．To help you prevent some natural disasters. | D．To help you share the national responsibility. |
| A．The functions of FEMA. | B．The impacts of national disasters. |
| C．Ways to prevent severe natural disasters. | D．Disaster prevention and individual preparation. |
