These days, we still need to wear masks because of COVID-19 when we go to some places like hospitals and supermarkets. It becomes a rule. We use lots of masks every day. But do you know a lot of them may end up on the streets, in the parks, or even in the rivers?
A company in Cornwall, Britain came up with a good idea to solve the problem.
Now in Cornwall, over 300 schools get these litter pickers.
2 . Conifers (针叶树) are generally better than broad-leaved trees at purifying air from pollutants. But deciduous (落叶的) trees may be better at taking in particle-bound pollution. A new study led by the University of Gothenburg shows that the best trees for air purification depend on the type of pollutants involved.
Trees and other greener in cities provide many benefits that are important for the well-being of residents. Leaves and needled on trees filter air pollutants and reduce exposure to poisonous substance in the air. But which trees purify the air most effectively? Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have collected leaves and needle from eleven different trees growing in the same place in the Gothenburg Botanical Garden (GBG) to analyse which cub-stances they have absorbed.
“This tree collection provided a unique opportunity to test many different species of trees with similar environmental conditions and exposure to air pollutants,” said Jenny Klingberg, a researcher of the GBG
A total of 32 different pollutants were analysed, some of which are bound to articles of various sizes. Others are gaseous. This project has focused on paths (多环芳烃). In cities, traffic is the biggest source of these pollutants, which are released due to incomplete burning in engines.
“Our analysis show that different species of trees have different abilities to absorb air pollutants. Conifers generally absorb morn gaseous paths than broad-leaved trees. Another advantage of conifers is that they also act as air purifies in winter, when air pollution is usually at its highest,” said Jenny Klingberg.
“This study contributes to improving our understanding of the ability of trees to clean the air and which species are best at absorbing air pollutants,” said Jenny Klingberg. This known-edge is important for urban planning when designing sustainable cities. While trees and green-era can contribute to better air quality in cities, at the end of the day, the most important measure is to reduce emissions.
1. Which is the determining factor in choosing the most suitable tries to purify air?| A．Air quality. | B．Geographical location. | C．The height of plants. | D．The kind of pollutants. |
| A．To compare their shapes. | B．To create a tree collection. |
| C．To figure out what they absorb. | D．To display them on exhibition. |
| A．Fuel vehicle’s. | B．Electric engines. | C．Traffic accidents. | D．Complete burning. |
| A．Decreasing emissions. | B．Planting more conifers. |
| C．Raising public awareness. | D．Designing sustainable cities. |
3 . Putting more green space around a school may help students develop some mental abilities, a study suggests. Researchers tested students repeatedly over the course of a year on attentiveness (专注力)and working memory, which is the ability to keep something in mind temporarily for performing a task. On the whole, students whose schools were surrounded by more green space improved more than pupils from schools with less green space.
The study tracked more than 2,000 students in 36 primary schools in Barcelona, Spain. The pupils were in the second to fourth grades when the study began. Green space may help mental development by reducing air pollution from vehicles, according to an article by the researchers that included pollution data from the schools. It may also help by reducing noise and encouraging physical activity, researchers said.
Policy makers should know that “more green around the school is better for cognitive development and that they should make sure that kids can see and play in green areas,” one author Mark Nieuwenhuijsen said. “Existing urban schools should think about replacing concrete or other hard surfaces with green space,” he suggested, “and even a few trees may help.”
The researchers used satellite images to group schools according to how much green space appeared on the school grounds and within about 55 yards of the school property. Their analysis showed that differences in socio-economic factors between schools did not account for the study outcome.
Sally Augustin, a psychologist, said the results made sense to her. She said the results fit with previous findings that views of nature help children and adults lower stress and perform mental tasks better.
1. What does the text mainly tell us?| A．Green space makes schools more beautiful. |
| B．Schools are lack of green space for students. |
| C．Students’ mental abilities need to be improved. |
| D．Green space is good for students’ mental abilities. |
| A．Moved. | B．Helped. | C．Followed. | D．Found. |
| A．More trees should be planted for kids. |
| B．Noise should be cleared near the school. |
| C．Kids should be encouraged to play more sports. |
| D．Air pollution should be reduced from vehicles. |
| A．To show a different opinion. |
| B．To introduce another interesting study. |
| C．To present Augustin’s view about the study. |
| D．To make the findings of the study more convincing. |
| A．Health. | B．Education. | C．Nature. | D．Technology. |
Typhoons are quite common in south-east Asian countries.
Although there is no way to prevent a typhoon, you can get prepared for it
5 . A new app promises to help Barcelona residents find the shadiest route between two places to avoid extreme heat.
Users can choose the most direct route, a shady route that may take a little longer, or they can set the app to a special mode, which avoids direct sunlight at all costs. Users can also use the app to find drinking fountains, or places to shelter from the sun.
The app uses a tool called Lidar to create high-resolution models of ground, accurate to within 10 cm. This information is combined with data on the sun’s path to work out where is in shade at any given time of the day.
Barcelona is looking to use green spaces and trees as part of its efforts to relieve the effects of global heating. The city’s 20-year tree planting plan aims to increase the proportion of land covered by trees from 25% to 30%.
Heatwaves kill more people than any other climate risk. According to C40,a climate leadership group made up of 97 cities around the world, extreme heat events in cities can lead to a 14% increase in death rates, as well as lower workforce productivity and damage infrastructure (基础设施) such as roads and rail lines.
Jon Burke, who was responsible for a massive expansion of tree planting in the district, said. “I think we should view this particular kind of app as a temporary measure to reduce the impacts of extreme heat... while cities rapidly invest in urban canopy (树冠层) cover and broader green infrastructure.”
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．The designer of the app. | B．The function of the app. |
| C．The potential users of the app. | D．The working principle of the app. |
| A．Predict. | B．Feel. | C．Consider. | D．Reduce. |
| A．The app is as a ever-lasting measure to reduce the effect of extreme heat. |
| B．Jon Burke was responsible for a large scale of tree planting. |
| C．The app stresses the importance of road construction. |
| D．The app warns people of more upcoming disasters. |
| A．The district needs to be expanded. |
| B．Jon Burke has a great sense of duty. |
| C．Investment in tree planting is a wise choice. |
| D．The app is powerful enough to cope with heatwaves. |
6 . Be a Green Guest
When people take a vacation, they often take vacation from responsibility, too. Our behavior at hotels is one of the biggest problems. We have our linens(纺织品) washed daily for us, and are provided with an endless stream of hot water — what’s not to love about that? But all of this luxury equals serious consequences for the environment. More and more hotels are becoming eco-friendly. They offer programs and facilities that save water and energy. That’s a good start,
•Just say “no” to hotel shampoos
In America alone, there are about 50,000 hotels. Hotel management normally leaves out two small bottles for each hotel room every day.
•Turn off the lights.
•
Sure, it’s a luxury to have sheets and towels cleaned every day, but that’s all it is. Washing a set of bed sheets and a pair of bathroom towels requires about 12-16 gallons of water. See if there is a policy for requesting that your towels and linens get washed weekly.
| A．You do it when you’re at home, right? |
| B．Don’t shower too many times in hotels. |
| C．Don’t have your linens washed every day. |
| D．but they can do more to reduce these energy waste. |
| E．The little plastic bottles may not even get recycled. |
| F．but there is a lot more you can do to cut down the amount. |
| G．In some hotels, it’s as simple as hanging towels back up on a hook. |
7 . Wild beavers (河狸) are back! Experts say that the wild beaver families are doing well. The beavers are even boosting wildlife and the environment!
Over ten years ago, a family of beavers turned up in a part of the river Otter, in Devon. No one knew exactly where they came from. It was a big surprise wild beavers hadn’t lived in England for around 400 years!
In 2015, the government allowed the beavers to stay there as part of a test. They wanted to see if these animals could be reintroduced to the wild. The test ends in February. Some scientists from the University of Exeter already say the beavers help the wildlife in the area. One scientist called it “an amazing story”.
A lot of this is because of dams (水坝). Beavers build dams along the river. This creates deep pools in the riverbed and slows the water down. Scientists say this is perfect for many different types of plants and animals! Many plants are growing near the beavers. Different types of animals are also becoming more and more in the river. Beavers also help make flooding less, scientists say. The beavers’ dams slow down the speed of the river, especially after heavy rain.
Beavers aren’t the only animals that are being reintroduced to the wild! In 2019, red squirrels were brought back to an area of the Scottish Highlands. Further away, the world's rarest (罕见的) duck, the Madagascar pochard, is making a comeback. It was set free into the wild on the African island in 2019 and is doing well.
Who knows what other animals might be making a comeback?
1. The underlined word “boosting”in Paragraph 1 probably means “______”| A．building | B．spreading | C．helping | D．creating |
| A．To reintroduce animals to the wild. |
| B．To introduce the beavers to the wild. |
| C．To build dams for the beavers in the river. |
| D．To grow more different plants along the river. |
| A．They help plants grow. | B．They eat up the plants. |
| C．They do harm to animals. | D．They bring heavy floods. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Worried. | B．Disappointed. | C．Tired. | D．Pleased. |
8 . An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters. It may cause great damage. So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members.
Fragile items like those made of glass are easily broken and should usually be placed on a lower surface, near the ground instead of placing them in the cupboards higher up. Never place them near your bed, sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down. So when there is a strong movement, these pieces will fall on the floor directly, not on you.
There is a strong chance of short circuits and fire during an earthquake. Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens.
During an earthquake, lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged. Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you. Never use the elevator to go down. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out. Use the staircases (楼梯) at all times.
If you are outdoors, do not take shelter under a tree, streetlights, electric poles or tall buildings. If you are driving, stop your car and stay in a safe place. Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object.
If trapped in ruins, cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or the wall so rescuers can find you. Use a whistle (哨子) if one is available. Never shout for help. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust. Do not light a match because you may burn yourself.
1. The purpose of the passage is to tell readers .| A．the damage caused by earthquakes |
| B．the rescue work after earthquakes |
| C．how to prevent earthquakes |
| D．what to do about earthquakes |
| A．easily found | B．easily broken | C．expensive | D．heavy |
| A．in the cupboards |
| B．on a lower surface |
| C．in the bedroom |
| D．in a place where children can’t reach them |
| A．go out of the building at once |
| B．shout for help |
| C．take shelter under a tree |
| D．turn off electricity and gas immediately |
9 . More than one billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the U.S. every year, and after they’ve been used for Halloween, millions of them will end up in a waste yard.
“Driving around after Halloween, you see so many pumpkins on top of their garbage cans. All of them will go to a waste yard and become methane gas(沼气),” says Kay McKeen, director of an environmental education organization based in Illinois.
Methane is a greenhouse gas. Compared to CO2, it warms the atmosphere in a shorter amount of time, which means it’s a most important cause of climate change. And waste yards—where we send as much as 40 percent of the food we produce—take up 14 percent of methane produced in the US every year.
That’s why, in 2014, McKeen began a collection event where local people can bring their waste pumpkins to 69 different locations to send them off to the bins, and—of course—smash them to pieces.
“It puts nutrients(营养) back in our soil, it saves water, it doesn’t make methane gas—it’s just a win-win,” says McKeen.
But not everyone has access to pumpkin smashing events, so we asked our newsletter readers how they reduce their pumpkin waste. The answers are various, ranging from baking sweet treats to bringing a pumpkin treat to farm animals.
1. What happens after Halloween?| A．A lot of pumpkins are thrown away. |
| B．People are busy cleaning up garbage. |
| C．It is the best time for pumpkin harvest. |
| D．People use pumpkins to make methane gas. |
| A．Pumpkins cause the climate change. |
| B．Illinois people waste half of their food. |
| C．Both methane and CO2 are greenhouse gases. |
| D．Methane is the only reason for climate change. |
| A．Burn. | B．Shake. | C．Break. | D．Press. |
| A．A letter. | B．A speech. | C．A news report. | D．A health report. |
10 . Recycling is a great way of doing your bit for the environment and helping to protect the earth’s precious resources. However, a new study has revealed that our desire to be sustainable maybe doing more harm than good. According to waste company Biffa, this is because of “wish-cycling” — assuming that items such as disposable coffee cup sand pizza boxes will be recycled if put in the recycling bin. In fact, pollution from those items or other non-recyclables can result in recyclable items that have been put in the correct bin going to landfill. David Heaton, a business director at Biffa, said: “Pollution happens when items are disposed of in the wrong bins or haven’t been cleaned before being recycled.”
Experts at Biffa analyzed the amounts of non-target and non-recyclable materials that entered UK material recycling facilities between 2016 and 2020. It was found that, in 2016, the average pollution rate of recycling waste was 13.4 percent, rising over four years to 17 percent by the end of 2020. This shows that, even as people are becoming more eco-conscious, wish-cycling is increasing both in households and businesses.
The Biffa experts say that one of the best ways to prevent pollution of recycling is to clean recyclable waste before putting it in the bin. They suggest cutting off the top of old pizza boxes and only recycling that part to avoid pollution from the grease (油脂). Check the on-packaging recycling label to check it can actually be recycled When it comes to plastics, Biffa recommends checking the resin code, the number in the plastic triangle, to know whether it should go in the recycling bin. In general, resin codes 1, 2, 4 and 5 are recyclable, while 3, 6 and 7 are not. Larger items, like electronics, furniture and batteries, can also be recycled but often can not go in household recycling bins as they need specialist separating. These will need to be taken to recycling centers or sustainable waste management companies.
“It’s vital as a nation that we get better at effective ‘pre-cycling’— sorting waste correctly before collection to reduce pollution rates,” added Mr. Heaton.
1. What’s the truth of “wish-cycling” according to the first paragraph?| A．The desire to lead a sustainable life. |
| B．The good intention to help recycling. |
| C．The habit of throwing items that end up in landfills. |
| D．The practice of recycling items that can not be recycled. |
| A．People are becoming more eco-conscious. |
| B．Wish-cycling is on the rise in recent years. |
| C．Pollution happens less frequently in recycling facilities. |
| D．People are used to cleaning recyclable waste before putting it in the bin. |
| A．Dispose of electronics together with household waste. |
| B．Skip the step of checking the on-packaging recycling label. |
| C．Check the resin code of plastics to see whether it is recyclable or not. |
| D．Cutoff the top of old pizza box and throw the rest to the recycling bin. |
| A．Recycling: a Big Project | B．Wish-cycling: a New Trend |
| C．Wish-cycling: a Growing Concern | D．Pre-cycling: an Effective Method |
