1 . The process by which rich land becomes desert is called desertification(沙漠化).
Africa’s Great Green Wall is a project to build an 8000-kilometer-long forest across 11 of the continent’s countries. The project is meant to contain the growing Sahara Desert and fight climate change.
Launched in 2007, the project aims to plant a forest from Senegal on the Atlantic Ocean in western Africa to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti in the east.
The U. N. desertification agency says the project will need to plant an average of 8. 2 million hectares yearly to reach its goal of 100 million hectares by 2030.
| A．It has severe impacts on the environment. |
| B．That is only 4 percent of the program’s goal. |
| C．However, it is difficult to carry out the project. |
| D．But the project has been facing many problems. |
| E．The project would create millions of green jobs in rural Africa. |
| F．Despite many problems, those involved in the project remain hopeful. |
| G．Some countries have struggled to keep up with the demands of the project. |
2 . A team led by researchers from the UK examined waterbird data from 1506 protected areas and analyzed more than 27, 000 bird populations across the world. They compared waterbird populations before and after the establishment of protected areas and also compared trends of similar populations within and outside of protected areas.
“Our study shows that, while many protected areas are working well, many others are failing to have a positive effect, ” lead author Hannah Wauchope says in a statement. “In the majority of places we looked, bird populations were stable or were increasing, but some of them weren’t doing any better than in unprotected areas, “ she adds. “That’s disappointing, but not surprising. There seems to be the disconnection between people talking about how much land is protected and whether those areas are actually doing anything positive. ”
This study comes ahead of a United Nations meeting in China to discuss biodiversity goals for the next decade. Several countries have already committed to protecting 30 percent of the planet by 2030, yet the researchers say this alone does not necessarily guarantee positive out- comes for species.
“An obsession(迷恋)with reaching a certain area-based target-such as 30 percent by 2030-without focus on managing existing protected areas appropriately will achieve little, ” co-author Julia Jones says. “When world leaders gather in China later this year to set targets for the next decade, I really hope to see a change of their focus, rather than simply saying how much surface area they are going to protect. ”
According to Thomas Brooks, chief scientist at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, who was not involved in the study, waterbirds are a good example of a group facing the consequences of human behaviors that cause biodiversity loss. These animals respond quickly to changes in site quality and are broadly distributed, clearly reflecting the impact of protected areas.
1. What can be learned about protected areas from the study?| A．They have a negative effect on wildlife. |
| B．Their bird populations are increasing. |
| C．Their problems went unnoticed at all. |
| D．They don’t always help waterbirds. |
| A．Expanding protected areas. |
| B．Organizing the meeting. |
| C．Talking about biodiversity. |
| D．Making a big promise. |
| A．Try to set targets for the next ten years. |
| B．Focus on the effectiveness of protected areas. |
| C．Face the consequences of human behaviors. |
| D．Have a deep understanding of biodiversity. |
| A．Pioneering. | B．Disappointing. |
| C．Convincing. | D．Unsatisfying. |
3 . Carbon dioxide emissions from transportation are now thought as the top source of green—house gases. One of the most effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to reconsider how much, and how often, you travel.
Going car free for a year could save about 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide, according to a study from the University of British Columbia. How can you stop using a car? Try taking a train, bus or better yet, riding a bike.
But let’s be realistic. You will likely need to use a car this year. So, when you do, here are some tips to make your trip more climate—friendly. Driving efficiently can help to reduce emissions. Go easy on the gas and brakes and drive like you have an egg under your foot. Regularly service your car to keep it more efficient. Keeping your tires pumped correctly can reduce emissions. Low tire pressure will hurt your fuel economy. Air conditioning and frequent city driving can make emissions go up So cut down on these as often as possible. Use cruise control(定速巡航)on long drives—in most cases, this can help to save gas. Don’t weigh your car down with extra things that you don’t need on your trip.
Fly often? Taking one fewer long round—trip flight could reduce your personal carbon footprint significantly. If you use public transportation often and fly less, your carbon foot print might still be relatively sustainable, but if you drive and fly a lot, your emissions will be higher. If you can’t avoid flying, you can offset them by donating money to sustainable projects, such as supplying efficient stoves to rural homes, or projects which help farmers deal with crop waste environmentally.
1. What does the author think of going car free?| A．Efficient. | B．Costly. | C．Impractical. | D．Reliable. |
| A．Maintaining your car properly. |
| B．Using cruise control in the city. |
| C．Stepping hard on the gas and brakes. |
| D．Getting rid of all the necessary loads. |
| A．Put up with. | B．Team up with. | C．Set foot in. | D．Make up for. |
| A．Lower carbon footprint in transportation |
| B．How to reduce your carbon footprint |
| C．Reduce carbon footprint by all means |
| D．How to save fuel when driving cars |
4 . After taking a few steps back to get a running start, Hadj Benhalima dashed toward the building, pushed against its wall with his foot, pushed himself upward and stretched out his arm.
At the peak of his leap, he fingered oft a light switch, more than 1o feet off the ground. The bright lights of a nearby barbershop went off instantly
Groups of young athletes practicing Parkour—the practice of passing obstacles in a man—made or natural environment through the use of running, vaulting (腾跃), jumping, climbing, rolling, and other movements in order to travel from one point to another in the quickest and most efficient way possible without the use of equipment—have been swinging around big French cities switching off wasteful shop signs at night, in an effort to fight light pollution and save energy.
These so—called Light Off operations have become extra popular in recent months, with France embarking on energy conservation efforts.
Paris, the City of Light, is a favorite target. While its landmark monuments now go dark earlier than usual, many store signs still stay lit all night.
“Everyone can contribute in their own way” to save energy, said Kevin Ha, the leader of the Paris—based Op he Spot Parkour group, with about 20 members. “We put our physical abilities to good use.”
Enforcing the orders in place of the authorities certainly enters a legal gray area. But the group said all the police officers they have met during their rounds have approved of their deeds—as long as it causes no damage.
1. Which of the following options is NOT Parkour’s feature?| A．It doesn’t need any tools to assist movement. |
| B．It can only be practiced in an enclosed environment. |
| C．It aims to travel from one point to another in the quickest way. |
| D．It is practiced through running, vaulting, jumping, climbing, etc. |
| A．To invite more youths to join them in competition. |
| B．To overcome physical boundaries and build fitness. |
| C．To reduce the consequences of energy consumption. |
| D．To tour around feeling the unique beauty of Paris at night. |
| A．They are honest. | B．They are creative. | C．They are selfish. | D．They are optimistic. |
| A．They gave their unspoken agreement. |
| B．They took these actions as illegal. |
| C．They believed there must be damage caused. |
| D．They held an indifferent attitude towards them. |
5 . Several big wildfires have been brought under control in Chongqing with the help of local motorcyclists. The city government has called for volunteers to join in the tough firefighting, and a large number of motorcyclists have played an important role and won widespread praise.
According to the city emergency management bureau on Wednesday, wildfires in Chongqing’s Dazu and Tongliang districts have been brought under control, and other fires-in Fuling, Kaizhou and Wanzhou districts-have been extinguished (熄灭).
The local government mobilized 1, 152 emergency rescue workers and four helicopters to put out the fires in the city’s Beibei district and evacuated (疏散) 46 people to safety shelters.
“It is my honor and duty to guard my hometown, ” said 27-year-old Li Xin, owner of Yueqi Motorcycle Club. On Sunday night, upon hearing the fire breakout, Li organized a team of 15 club members to sign up to support firefighting in Beibei’s Xiema county, the center of the local blazes.
The team members, with an average age of 29, took turns using five dirt bikes and four road bikes to carry materials and equipment to firefighters and to transport people and necessities.
“The unpaved mountain paths and newly dug fire barriers require really good motorcycle skills, ” Li said, adding that even the best motorcyclist on the team might lose his balance and fall as he carried heavy materials and equipment in a large farmer’s back-basket. He said that to prevent heatstroke in the extreme outdoor heat, the team gave up dressing in thick riding suits. They also joined in cutting wood and putting out fires, working more than 12 hours a day on average. “We will stick to the site until the fire is out, ” he added.
In the extreme heat and drought (干旱) conditions, motorcyclists have been devoted to fighting against fires.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 2?| A．To give warnings. | B．To recruit more volunteers. |
| C．To stress the danger of fires. | D．To introduce the background of the report. |
| A．were dressed in thick riding suits |
| B．delivered only extinguishers to firefighters |
| C．reported the updates of the wildfires on the spot |
| D．volunteered to cut wood and help with firefighting work |
| A．Smart and confident. | B．Responsible and generous. |
| C．Caring and strong-willed. | D．Brave and honest. |
| A．Motorcyclists Helped Extinguish Chongqing Wildfires |
| B．Wildfires in Chongqing Destroyed a Large Area of Forest |
| C．Firefighters Made Efforts to Put Out Wildfires |
| D．Chongqing Wildfires Were Put Under Control |
6 . Chinese scientists say they have developed a robotic fish that can remove microplastic particles from water environments. Researchers working on the project say the robots could help to clean up plastic pollution in oceans around the world.
The robotic swimmers are about 1.3 centimeters long. They are made of a soft chemical Compound. The robots are designed to absorb microplastics while moving through the water. The project was launched by a team at Sichuan University in southwestern China. The researchers said the robots have already performed well in shallow water and they plan to carry out more tests in deeper waters. The scientists reported their findings in a new study in Nano Letters. The publication comes from the American Chemical Society, a nonprofit organization supported by the U.S. Congress. The robotic fish were built to target microplastic particles, which are smaller than five millimeters. Studies have confirmed that microplastic pollution has been discovered in many natural environments. The material comes from the breakdown of manufactured plastic products and industrial waste.
The team said the robots can be controlled by light. Turning “a near-infrared light laser” on and off causes the fish’s tail to move back and forth, the American Chemical Society said. The robotic fish can swim up to 2.76 body lengths per second. The researchers said this is faster than most similar soft robots. Wang Yuyan was a member of Sichuan University’s research team. She told Reuters news agency that the small, lightweight robot is currently being used to collect microplastics for research purposes. But Wang added that the team plans to expand that use so the robot fish can remove larger amounts of microplastic waste from deep ocean areas. The fish can take in different kinds of microplastics and even repair itself when damaged, the researchers said. And if a robot fish is accidentally eaten by a real fish, it could safely digest the material, the team added. Wang said similar robots could be developed to be placed inside the human body to remove unwanted materials or disease.
1. Why has a robotic fish been created?| A．To remove disease in people. | B．To clean up pollution in oceans. |
| C．To remove unwanted materials in body. | D．To remove microplastic particles in water. |
| A．It will be harmless. | B．It will repair itself. |
| C．It will take in microplastics. | D．It will collect microplastics. |
| A．The purpose of the robotic fish. |
| B．The function of the robotic fish. |
| C．A further introduction of the robotic fish. |
| D．Potential application of the robotic fish. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Positive. | C．Unclear. | D．Suspicious. |
7 . China has seen significant achievements in improving the environment and green development over the past 70 years, especially in fighting against desertification (沙漠化).
Desertification was a serious problem in the 1990s. It caused deadly sandstorms, which arrived like big black walls reaching up into the sky. As President Xi Jinping has said, clear waters and lush (繁茂的) mountains are invaluable assets (资产). Efforts to create “green” areas have played a crucial role in the country’s fight against desertification.
A series of campaigns have been conducted by the central government to improve the environment. For example, in 1998, China launched the Natural Forest Protection Program. Thanks to the program, forest coverage in China increased greatly from 12 percent in the 1980s to nearly 23 percent last year.
Another example of the campaign is the Elion Resources Group, which has been recognized by the UN for the development of a desert eco-industry that has slowed desertification.
In Kubuqi, a desert in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Elion has greened 600,000 hectares of land and helped lift more than 102,000 people out of poverty through the development of solar energy and tourism, as well as planting herbs for traditional Chinese medicine.
In addition, the group’s techniques have also been used in many important ecological programs, including Yangtze River Ecological Park and Qilian Mountain National Park.
“We will develop new ways to improve our ability to control the sand with the help of modern technologies, such as drones (无人机), AI, big data and the internet of things,” said Ao Baoping, chief executive officer of Elion Green Land Technology.
1. What is the key measure to fight against desertification?| A．Building walls to block sands. | B．Increasing green plants. |
| C．Turning to the UN for help. | D．Keeping mountains natural. |
| A．The environment in China has become satisfactory. |
| B．Similar new campaigns will be carried out by China. |
| C．No more trees need to be planted in our country. |
| D．More areas in China are covered with forest. |
| A．Its main aim was to lift local people out of poverty. |
| B．It made Kubuqi become a center for planting herbs. |
| C．It got inspiration from many ecological programs. |
| D．It will apply modern technologies to fight desertification. |
| A．Desert Clothed With Green Through China’s Efforts |
| B．Environmental Problems Solved by Planting More Trees |
| C．Great Contributions Made by Elion to The Environment |
| D．Advanced Science And Technology Applied in China |
8 . You are sitting in a restaurant and a server brings over a glass of water and drops a plastic straw (吸管) next to the glass. Any idea how many plastic straws are thrown away in the US everyday? Around 500 million! Plastic straws were the seventh most common type of litter found during beach cleanups this year! Last year, a diver diving in Australia collected 319 plastic straws in just 20 minutes. The next day, she returned to the same location and found another 294 straws.
Very few single-use plastic straws are recycled. They break down into tiny bits of plastic, and are eaten by sea life. Luckily, thousands of people have gotten involved (参与) with the cause, including kids!
In 2011, 9-year-old Milo Cress made an interesting observation after ordering a drink of juice in a restaurant, “I noticed the servers automatically placed a plastic straw by my drink.” Milo thought this was a real waste and thought there had to be something he could do about it. Milo talked with plastic producers to get an estimate of just how many straws we use. He learned that 500 million plastic straws are used every day! This inspired him to start a project called Be Straw Free. Milo encouraged restaurants not to hand straws out so freely. “Actually,” remembers Milo, “businesses liked the idea as it would save them money.”
Milo was one of many kids to become involved with the cause. Earlier this year, a group of third-and-fourth-graders from Seattle, Washington, spoke with local lawmakers about the harm plastic straws have on sea life and our environment. The group, calling themselves the Straw Kids, would like cities to ban their use, and would like other kids to rethink the use of single-use plastic straws. Megan O’Reilly, 9, says, “We are making a website, strawkids.org, which will help us get the word out that plastic straws are bad, and help us get more supporters.”
1. The data in paragraph 1 is used to show ______.| A．divers enjoy doing beach cleanups | B．restaurants always provide plastic straws |
| C．plastic straws are causing an environmental problem | D．Australia’s environment is getting worse and worse |
| A．It was unacceptable. | B．It was difficult to carry out. |
| C．It was quite effective. | D．It was favorable to their business. |
| A．Intelligent and sensitive. | B．Caring and humorous. |
| C．Creative and responsible. | D．Courageous and demanding. |
| A．One good turn deserves another. | B．One is never too young to change. |
| C．Kids can also make a difference. | D．Kids should be prepared for the future. |
9 . In the United Kingdom, coffee consumption is on the rise. But beyond just fueling Londoners as they make their ways to work, coffee is also fueling their buses while fighting climate change.
It is reported that London’s buses will soon be powered in part by a newly developed biofuel, one that mixes diesel (柴油) with oils removed from spent coffee grounds, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (排放) from its bus transport system. Recycling technology firm Bio-Bean collects used coffee grounds from major coffee producers across the UK, and removes the oils from them. Then it’s mixed into B20 biodiesel, with 20% biofuel and 80% conventional diesel.
With B20, the buses don’t require any adaptions to run on it. Bio-Bean founder said that, if the UK could use all of the 500,000 tons of coffee waste it produced each year, it could power the city of Manchester for a year. London uses other biofuels to support its effort to cut emissions from its bus system. Coffee is just the latest source, joining used cooking oil and animal fat from meat processing plants, but those old coffee grounds have to go somewhere, and fueling the city’s labor force is preferable to sending them to a waste yard. Bio-Bean’s B20 is an easy way to save businesses money on waste removal, and using the biodiesel in buses cut carbon emissions by 80%.
Coffee waste is becoming an almost unlimited resource, considering London’s citizens alone create 200,000 tons of coffee grounds every year. As more and more Britons switch from tea to coffee, that number will only elevate. The use of coffee grounds as a biofuel source has the added benefit of improving air quality in the city but sadly, it does not give off the pleasant coffee smell one might expect.
1. Why do London’s buses use the biofuel?| A．To improve the atmosphere quality. | B．To reduce transport fares in London. |
| C．To promote the recycling technology. | D．To support the local coffee industry. |
| A．It can avoid emissions from buses. | B．It requires adaptions to run on it. |
| C．It’s a mixture of biofuel and diesel. | D．It can power the nation for a year. |
| A．Decline. | B．Increase. | C．Appear. | D．Remain. |
| A．The benefits of drinking coffee. | B．An alternative biofuel resource. |
| C．The future for London’s buses, | D．A change in coffee consumption. |
10 . Erhai Lake in Dali city is the second largest freshwater lake of Yunnan province. It’s a famous attraction, as well as Dali’s main source of drinking water.
The lake used to be seriously polluted due to the rapid development of tourism and the local economy. Since 2018, local authorities have been building an environmental protection system for the lake, the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor (生态廊道), to protect it from being polluted and to improve local ecosystem. The project contains five parts: a 129-km road around the entire lake, a pipe system to stop waste water flowing into the like, the removal of 1,806 families who lived within the protection area, the protection of the lake’s wetlands and ecosystem, and the construction of experimental fields for wetland research.
By the end of 2020, the road around the lake had been basically completed. A 12-km part of the Corridor has been open to the public for free since September 2020 for a test operation. The Corridor is described as a “pearl necklace” surrounding the lake, with the villages located along the shore of Erhai Lake being the “pearls”. These villages benefit from the project financially, as they are linked and gain access to transportation and tourism around the lake.
According to staff members of the project, the lake’s water quality has already improved a lot during the construction of the Corridor. More wild birds fly to the lake and there is less unwanted plants in the water. It is also providing a good sight-seeing place for both the city’s residents and foreign tourists.
1. Why was the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor built?| A．To protect the wild birds. | B．To treat waste water. |
| C．To attract foreign tourists. | D．To preserve local ecology. |
| A．Encouraging residents to settle around Erhai. |
| B．Helping scientists conduct wetland research. |
| C．Removing the waste water from Erhai Lake. |
| D．Promoting construction in the protection area. |
| A．They provide tourism opportunities. | B．They focus on the pearl industry. |
| C．They bring benefits to the city area. | D．They make a profit from the project. |
| A．It works unexpectedly. | B．It needs improving. |
| C．It turns out to be good. | D．It brings side effects. |
