1 . Plastic bags are not costly to produce. They are also strong and easy to carry. This is why they are a popular container in most parts of the world. But they are also a major source of pollution. It can take hundreds of years for plastic bags to break down. As they do, tiny pieces can poison soil, lakes, rivers and oceans. Therefore, environmental experts urge people to reuse and recycle plastic bags.
Maryland artist Allita Irby does just that. It starts with the morning newspaper. What is more important is getting that plastic bag the paper comes in. The mixed media artist recognized its rich possibilities about three year ago. “As I was taking the newspaper out, I felt the texture of these bags. They were soft. I just looked down and realized it would take three to make a braid (辫子).” Since then, Irby has been using plastic bags to create abstract lines in her art works.
Before incorporating plastic bags in her works, Irby used natural materials like feathers, leather and dried plants. All those elements represent her Native American ancestry (血统) and identity, like one of her works called “Navaho Bundles”.
Ms. Irby’s neighbors praised her ability to turn waste into treasure. Some, like Charlotte Hogan, asked the artist to teach them how to create art using the used plastic bags. “I think it is fascinating, and it is wonderful. I do plan to share it with my seniors at my church.” One of Irby’s neighbors Aleta Meyer expressed her surprise, “I have never given any more thought to what to do with a plastic bag. This is definitely different.”
Shirley Watts also lives in the neighborhood. She plans to show others her art. “I want to make a masterpiece that I can put in a frame and put it up on my wall and then I know that I did it.”
“Making art with found materials is not a new idea. Anyone can do it. Recycled paper, cloth and metal goods can become beautiful pictures and sculptures,” Allita Irby said, “I think we are all artists really, and there is beauty all around us.” The artist also said that all you had to do was open your eyes and bring the outside in.
1. What is mainly discussed in the first paragraph?| A．The advantage of plastic bags. | B．The disadvantage of plastic bags. |
| C．How to reuse and recycle plastic bags. | D．The importance of recycling plastic bags. |
| A．produces plastic bags | B．makes use of used plastic bags |
| C．makes plastic bags break down | D．urges people to reuse and recycle plastic bags |
| A．Supportive. | B．Negative | C．Suspicious. | D．Unknown. |
| A．Aleta Meyer. | B．Allita Irby. | C．Charlotte Hogan | D．Shirley Watts |
| A．to come up with the idea | B．to seek beauty all around us |
| C．to be open to new ideas and things | D．to choose the most suitable objects |
内容包括：
1. 全球变暖的影响；
2. 阻止全球变暖的生活方式；
3. 表达期待。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear fellow students,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Li Hua
3 . Placing large-scale renewable energy equipment is difficult and often met with criticism, especially in areas where landscape of the area is considered a cultural heritage(遗产) or is a tourist spot which brings in good income. Therefore, the human interaction is kept at a minimal rate to avoid damaging the environment.
Changes in biodiversity due to equipment of solar energy and wind power is thought to be more damaging than overall reduction in greenhouse gasses. This is one of the reasons why acquiring land for renewable energy equipment is so difficult, since traditional uses of land such as agriculture are preferred more than placing power plants. However, recent research shows that installing such renewable equipment actually promotes biodiversity.
Now a comprehensive research has been carried out on ‘The Effects of Solar Farms on Local Biodiversity‘ in UK by ecological consultants who proved these theories. The consultants studied 11 similar solar farms located around England and Wales along with their neighboring control farms to compare. Plants (crops), invertebrate(无脊椎动物), bird and bat surveys were carried out on both the farms. One test before solar arrays were set up on the land and then after.
The results of the study exceptionally proved that solar farms had significantly higher biodiversity than the control farms. The solar farm had by far the most positive effect on biodiversity when the farmland was replanted with a mixture of different seeds after the solar farm was constructed. This minimized use of agricultural chemicals and promoted marginal habitat space for other species.
The report further went on to say that reduction in greenhouse gas emissions was just one of the positive effects.
The other one was that the increase in wildlife and biodiversity inside the solar farms actually extended to areas surrounding the solar farm as well. Construction has always come with a downside of damage to the local ecosystems, but since building solar farms actually benefit the wildlife, there couldn’t be better news to hear! A good reason of improved biodiversity would be the fact that farm is shifted from monoculture farming to a variety of crops. The limited use of pesticides and herbicides contributes to safer practices. Moreover, the presence of solar equipment provides shade for birds to make their nests (be kind to animals).
1. What do most people think of renewable energy equipment?| A．It’s too expensive. |
| B．It may turn a tourist spot. |
| C．It will do damage to the land. |
| D．It can serve as a cultural heritage. |
| A．Developing power plants. |
| B．Obtaining enough farmland. |
| C．Collecting enough funding. |
| D．Producing enough equipment. |
| A．It is the first study in this field. |
| B．Its result is beyond expectation. |
| C．It suggested canceling solar farms. |
| D．It needed further study. |
| A．People are Going Wild for Solar. |
| B．Solar Power Is Starting to Take off. |
| C．Solar Energy Will Be in Urgent Need. |
| D．Solar Farms Help Increase Biodiversity. |
4 . Guide to Hiking on the Appalachian Trail
How do I “Leave No Trace on the Appalachian Trail?”
At about 2,189 miles, the Appalachian Trail is the longest single unit of the National Park System. With the number of people visiting this place increasing each year, the chances are great that any of us may damage the natural environment along the Trail and affect the experience for others. So please do your part by following these hiking and camping practices, and encourage others to learn about and adopt these techniques.
1. Plan ahead and prepare.
Evaluate the risks associated with your outing, identify campsites and destinations in advance, and use maps and guides. Prepare for extreme weather, dangers, and emergencies — especially the cold — to avoid impacts from searches, rescues, and campfires. Learn when areas are most crowded and try to avoid those times.
2. Dispose of waste properly.
Pack out all trash and food waste, including that left behind by others. Don’t bury trash or food, and don’t try to burn packaging materials in campfires. Use the privy (茅房) for human waste only. Do not add trash. If there is no privy, dispose of human waste by burying it in a hole, a hole at least 200 feet (80 steps) from campsites, water sources and shelters, and well away from trails.
3. Leave what you find.
Leave plants, cultural artifacts (器物) and other natural objects where you found them for others to enjoy. Do not damage live trees or plants; green wood burns poorly. Collect only firewood that is dead, down, and no larger than your wrist. Leave dead standing trees and dead limbs on standing trees for the wildlife.
4. Minimize campfire impacts.
Use stoves for cooking — if you need a fire, build one only where it’s legal and in an existing fire ring. Keep fires small. Never leave your campfire unattended, and drown it when you leave. Do not try to burn trash, including plastic, glass, cans, tea bags, food, or anything with food on it. These items do not burn thoroughly. They create harmful fumes (烟雾), and attract wildlife like skunks and bears.
5. Respect wildlife.
Don’t feed or disturb wildlife. Store food properly to avoid attracting bears, varmints, and rodents. If you bring a pet, keep it leashed (用皮带系住).
1. Before you hike on the Appalachian Trail, you are advised to ________.| A．leave your pet dog at home |
| B．bring some food for the wildlife there |
| C．prepare for bad weather and emergencies |
| D．avoid crowded periods and book a hotel in advance |
| A．collect | B．store | C．make use of | D．get rid of |
| A．collect firewood that is larger than your wrist |
| B．keep it small and drown it when you go away |
| C．burn or bury your trash before you leave |
| D．use it to drive away wildlife like skunks and bears |
5 . If you’re a fan of fast fashion, your choices may be narrowing in the near future.
At the end of 2020, fast-fashion giant H&M said it would close 350 stores worldwide. Recently, Spanish fashion giant Inditex announced that it would close all its Bershka, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius stores in China. It all indicates that fast fashion is slowing down, noted the website Fast Company.
A major reason is the shift in the mindset (心态) of consumers. Millennials, those who were born in the 1980s or 1990s, are now the largest consumer group. Unlike their predecessors (前人), millennials are more financially stable,and thus low-priced fast fashion is not their priority. According to The South China Morning Post, more people are starting to care about quality and the stories behind a product.
Another factor is the growing concern over the fashion industry’s effect on the environment. As The New York Times noted, the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters of clean water and three-fifths of clothes produced in a year end up in landfill (垃圾场). As there is more awareness of the climate crisis, younger people are pursuing more eco-friendly choices.
Molly, 22, is one of them. Before she went to college, she used to frequent fast-fashion shops like Forever 21 and H&M. But after taking a class that focused Fast fashion slows down on the environmental impact of clothing production, her preference changed. Now, she tries to shop in a way that is both sustainable (可持续的) and affordable: She shops second-hand. “My friend showed me how easy it was to be thrifty (节约的) and I developed a new personal style that focused less on trends but on basics that don’t go out of style.” she told MTV News.
In order to survive in the competitive market, many fast-fashion brands are making changes as well. For example, Inditex said that the company plans for all of its clothes to be sustainable by 2025.
“Sustainability is a never-ending task in which everyone here is involved.” said Pablo Isla, CEO of Inditex.
1. Why is fast fashion unpopular among millennials?| A．Millennials follow former generations’ style. |
| B．Millennials prefer cheaper clothes. |
| C．Millennials attach more importance to quality. |
| D．Millennials like brands with a long history. |
| A．Unsold clothes are a threat to the environment. |
| B．Low-quality fashion products don’t last long. |
| C．Climate change should be blamed on the fashion industry. |
| D．More people prefer eco-friendly fashion products. |
| A．She likes thrifty brands. |
| B．She buys used clothes. |
| C．She prefers trendy clothes. |
| D．She buys only necessary clothes. |
| A．how competition is becoming more fierce in the fashion industry |
| B．how sustainability has become the top priority for most fashion brands |
| C．how the fast-fashion industry is suffering a big loss |
| D．how a major company can change their products to fit the market |
| A．Promising. | B．Hopeless. | C．Unclear. | D．Unpredictable. |
6 . I was suddenly awakened at about 4 a.m. by a strange experience which I did not understand at first. I was
Others too in my house and neighborhood must have
The quakes of the earth caused no damage in Mumbai. For several hours next morning we thought, with
The destruction caused by the earthquake at Latur proved the
| A．attacked | B．comforted | C．rocked | D．sheltered |
| A．pleasant | B．strange | C．fascinating | D．fluent |
| A．coming | B．flashing | C．reflecting | D．tracking |
| A．annoyance | B．joy | C．relief | D．horror |
| A．warned | B．recognized | C．impacted | D．prevented |
| A．jumped | B．walked | C．rushed | D．struggled |
| A．anxious | B．excited | C．curious | D．hopeful |
| A．blown up | B．come out | C．died down | D．gone off |
| A．expected | B．forgiven | C．repeated | D．stopped |
| A．admiration | B．gratitude | C．regret | D．satisfaction |
| A．generous | B．impressive | C．harmless | D．tough |
| A．burned | B．frozen | C．thrown | D．ruined |
| A．lost | B．cured | C．discovered | D．rescued |
| A．power | B．creativity | C．helplessness | D．limit |
| A．fact | B．pity | C．honor | D．wonder |
7 . For many years people in Estonia have been leaving their rubbish in the forests. Rainer Nolvak, a businessman and his friends wanted to clean up all the rubbish in Estonia. The rubbish was not just an environmental problem. It was a problem of people’s attitudes. Rainer Nolvak got together with a team of 20 friends and they began to make a plan about how to clean up the rubbish. Soon, over 600 people joined in the group.
They named the project Let’s Do It! Estonia. The Ministry of the environment gave them some support. Many other companies joined in the group. Famous actors and singers also took part. Even the President of Estonia joined in. They sent information about Let’s Do It! Estonia throughout the country.
Technology experts developed a special computer program. Team members went into the forests to find where the rubbish was. They used their mobile phones to mark every place where they found rubbish and send the information to the computer program. Then, the marked rubbish places appeared on the map. Anyone could go on the Internet and see the map.
The team found a surprising result. There were over 10,000 tons of waste in the forests of Estonia. When people saw how much waste was around their own homes, they were shocked. Thousands of people began to help. The team chose May 3, 2008 as the day to clean up the rubbish. On May 3, more than 50,000 people helped to get rid of the rubbish.They moved over 10,000 tons of rubbish in only one day!
This was amazing for the environment in Estonia. But it was also an important step for Estonian society. Rainer Nolvak gave a speech at a conference in the Balkans. He said, “The most important thing we did was to build a team. It changed every one of us. We had to connect to people. We had to see that the rubbish was our problem. At times we are afraid of sharing. When we are together and there are many of us, we are not afraid.”
1. The Project Let’s Do It! Estonia（爱沙尼亚） is to ________.| A．prevent people leaving their rubbish anywhere |
| B．make Estonia a clean place |
| C．change people’ s attitudes towards the environment |
| D．make plans for businessmen |
| A．the special computer program |
| B．how the team found the rubbish |
| C．phones’ important part in marking |
| D．how the rubbish was shown on the Internet |
| A．find out | B．make use of | C．clean up | D．throw away |
| A．It was less successful than expected. |
| B．It got great support from all over the country. |
| C．It got money from famous actors and singers. |
| D．It was set up by the Ministry of the Environment. |
| A．all difficulties are paper tigers |
| B．people should help each other |
| C．there is strength in numbers |
| D．well begun is half done |
8 . Zo Trisha Prinsloo cares about the beaches of Cape Town, South Africa. She leads cleanups there. She set up a group called Save a Fishie years ago! It has picked up plastic bottles, food containers, and other waste. “My main goal is to constantly remove anything and everything I can off our beaches,” she says, “and to try to prevent litter from being taken out to sea.”
Lately, however, Prinsloo has noticed an increase in a certain kind of plastic waste. It’s from PPE (personal protective equipment). Her group Save a Fishie saw eight different kinds of gloves” during a cleanup. I find masks more and more regularly, too,” she said.
People everywhere are wearing PPE to protect themselves from COVID-19. But when PPE isn’t thrown out the right way, it pollutes the environment and endangers wildlife. Each year, at least 8 million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans. Now this waste includes more PPE. Last year, the Ocean Conservancy led by its chief scientist George Leonard held its annual International Coastal Cleanup. “We’ve found tens of thousands of PPE waste, and more of it is being put into oceans. PPE waste is a significant threat to oceans,” Leonard said. PPE waste can hurt ocean animals that can eat it or get tangled (缠绕) in it. Sue Schwar manages South Essex Wildlife Hospital in the UK. Her team saved a seagull. Its legs got tangled,” she said. Thankfully, the staff was able to untangle the bird and set it free.
PPE will continue to be common until COVID-19 ends, but there’re steps you can take to reduce its environmental impact. Wear clean reusable masks and deal with them carefully before throwing them into rubbish bins to make sure animals won’t get tangled up. Put used PPE in a bin with a safe lid (盖子). This is important when the bin is outside because masks and gloves can be carried away by the wind.
1. Why did Prinsloo set up Save a Fishie?| A．To clean up the beaches. | B．To offer free PPE to people. |
| C．To stop people producing rubbish. | D．To help fight against COVID-19. |
| A．Ocean animals also need PPE. | B．PPE waste is a growing problem. |
| C．Ocean environment depends on PPE. | D．PPE can help protect people greatly. |
| A．What to do to reduce rubbish. | B．Where to put rubbish bins. |
| C．How to solve the PPE problem. | D．When to wear masks and gloves. |
| A．A biography. | B．A diary. | C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
9 . With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn’t necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice.
The majority of eco-hotels fall into one of several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; “green” hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part or all of their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests.
As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular “green” vacation package where guests can “take a hike, clear a trail”.
No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they’re all part of the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is yet another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it’s also part of their philosophy. With the concept of “going green” firmly rooted in consumers’ minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn’t matter so much as it’s good for the planet.
1. The underlined part in the first paragraph means ________.| A．lovers like staying at an eco-hotel when traveling |
| B．eco-hotels are very popular in the travel industry |
| C．eco-hotels are where young people love to live |
| D．romantic love stories often happen in eco-hotels |
| A．It uses renewable energy. |
| B．It is comfortable and fashionable. |
| C．It has walls of glass. |
| D．It is home to endangered species. |
| A．protects important habitats |
| B．harvests food from its own garden. |
| C．has courses on the environment for its guests |
| D．encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities |
| A．money is part of the driving force behind eco-hotels |
| B．eco-hotels have no advantages in competing for guests |
| C．eco-hotels teach their guests the philosophy of eco-hotels |
| D．the hotel industry cares more about money than the environment |
| A．love to take a hike | B．have environmental awareness |
| C．want to live comfortably | D．enjoy the green atmosphere |
10 . Created in the 1920s by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect who designed the red public telephone boxes, which can be seen all over the UK, are regarded as one of the most typical symbols of this country.
However, public phones have had their day despite their lovely appearance. While coin-operated and card-operated telephones are on the edge of extinction (灭绝), mobile phones are playing a significant role in people’s lives. Though they are more portable, flexible and widely used, mobile phones have their kryptonite: battery life. Instead of destroying the phone booths, a project was then promoted to recycle and reuse them. To meet the environment-friendly need, people are allowed to rent or use the red phone boxes in a new way. Therefore, they are making an unusual comeback.
When you take a walk down Tottenham Court Road in London and find your mobile phone in a low-battery condition, there happens to be a green option for you. The abandoned phone booths are being reused as free charging stations powered by solar energy.
Inside the booths, which are newly painted green, there are various adaptors (适配器) that can be connected to different brands and models of mobile phones. Just walk in, plug your phone in, and charge it up whenever it needs power. Most people would stay inside the boxes while they charge. Fully aware of this when starting the project, Solarbox can now reach a large number of people by displaying ads on solid equipment (实体设备). Its advertisers include well-known companies like Uber.
Apart from changing phone booths into solar-powered charging stations, other forms of changes can be found in and outside the UK. For example, there is medical equipment or minilibraries adapted from phone booths, while in America, thousands of phone booths have been transformed into wi-fi hot spots.
1. What does the underlined word “kryptonite” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Interest. | B．Strength. |
| C．Weakness. | D．Feature. |
| A．New function. | B．Advertising profit. |
| C．People’s love. | D．Companies’ support. |
| A．Useless. | B．Troublesome. |
| C．Costly. | D．Convenient. |
| A．The future of the public phone. | B．The comeback of the phone boxes. |
| C．The rise and fall of the red boxes. | D．The ups and downs of the payphone. |
