Each year, we take more than 100 billion tons of natural materials from the earth
Since the 1860s, we
A circular economy
2 . The sighting of a new family of gray wolves in Oregon’s Cascade mountains has given wildlife protectors hope that the recovery of the endangered animal in the state is on the way. The state’s fish and wildlife department (部门) said a group of two adults and two babies was recorded by a track camera in August.
The wolves were found in the area of Warm Springs and officials have named it AKW — a new area of known wolf activity. If the group still has all four members surviving at the end of the year, the animals will be known as the Warm Springs group, the state’s third one in the northern Cascades. “Wolves will move to different places, but when we have resident wolves, like we know they’re sticking in that area, that’s when we create an AKWA to make sure the wolf count rise constantly.” the agency’s worker, Michelle Dennehy, told USA Today.
Many years of hunting of gray wolves almost made them die out across the nearby 48 US states by the middle of the last century. In Oregon at the end of 2009 only 14 wolves were known to exist. With protections from the Endangered Animals Act beginning in 1974, numbers have risen slowly since, to 175 in Oregon by the end of last year, living in more than 35 groups.
“I hope this will be an exciting new chapter in the story of wolf recovery in the state. Having more wolves establish families in western Oregon will be important for the long-term survival of these beautiful animals,” Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf protector at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
1. How did people find the gray wolves?A.By sighting their families. | B.By taking their pictures. |
C.By recording their voices. | D.By observing their tracks. |
A.It is created according to wolves’ species. | B.It aims to prohibit wolves’ moving around. |
C.It can help the increase of wolf population. | D.It will warn people to watch out for wolves. |
A.Add some background information. | B.Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
C.Offer solutions to wildlife protectors. | D.Show reasons of gray wolves’ hunting. |
Those who haven’t been to the Mu Us may not have an opportunity to do so. The desert is disappearing from
The Mu Us
However, the area was no desert in ancient times. It used to be grazing land
In modern times, the Mu Us, the fourth
Thanks to greening, the desert is poised to disappear. The feat(丰绩) wouldn’t have been achieved
4 . Are you a tea drinker? If so, you’re not alone. Every day around the world millions of cups of this popular brew are drunk, and it’s been that way for thousands of years. The oldest discovered tea is from the Han Dynasty, dating from 206BC to 220AD. But it’s thought that the tea trend really took off during the Tang Dynasty in the 8th Century, when it became China’s national drink. Now, Turkey, the Republic of Ireland and the UK are believed to be the biggest tea—drinking nations, per capita.
Tea is consumed in many ways-slurped, sipped or glugged. It can be poured from pots, infused or brewed in the cup using tea bags—and it’s this latter process that is causing concern. Research last year found some premium tea bags might be leaving billions of microscopic plastic particles in the cup. Scientists from McGill University in Montreal found that some ‘plastic’ tea bags shed high levels of micro plastics into water. However, The World Health Organization says such particles in drinking water do not appear to pose a risk.
Most tea bags are made from paper, with a small amount of plastic used to seal them shut— made from oil. This has led to debate about whether they can be recycled, but many are still composted. However, gardener Mike Armitage has told the BBC that the plastic contained in the soil could be washed into streams and rivers and ultimately out to sea.
Unilever, the owners of the tea brand PG Tips, said their tea bags are made with a small amount of plastic—used to seal them—and that they are suitable for composting. And the brand Yorkshire Tea said their bags do contain 25% polypropylene, but they were “actively developing plant—based and biodegradable alternatives”.
While tea bag manufacturers might be doing their bit to reduce plastic pollution, it could be a good time to switch your favourite beverage to coffee, or if that isn’t your cup of tea then try using loose-leaf tea, which can have a better flavour.
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?A.Tea can be consumed in many ways. |
B.The use of tea bags doesn’t appear to pose a risk |
C.The use of tea bags is causing concern. |
D.Some tea bags might be leaving microscopic plastic particles in the cup. |
A.reduce the amount of plastic used to seal tea bags |
B.wash the plastic in the soil into streams, rivers and sea |
C.develop plant-based and biodegradable alternatives |
D.switch to coffee or try to use loose-leaf tea |
A.Supportive | B.Indifferent | C.Opposed | D.Neutral |
A.Potential Plastic Pollution |
B.Chinese tea culture |
C.What is your favorite drink? |
D.The Humble tea bag |
5 . Buying furniture is easier than ever. You can even order a new table and chairs online without ever leaving home. But did you ever think about how furniture is made? The process begins with trees but now researchers have found a better way: growing it in a lab instead of a forest. Instead of cutting down trees and adding to deforestation, Velasquez-Garcia said, “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table.”
The research group found a way to actually grow plant tissue (组织) — wood and fiber — in a lab that is similar to the way cultured meat is grown. While there is still a long way to go to actually grow a table, the team was able to grow structures from cells from zinnia leaves.
Making furniture and other items from biomaterials could eliminate cutting down trees in forests. “The way we get these materials hasn’t changed in centuries and is very inefficient,” said Velasquez-Garcia. “This is a real chance to avoid all that inefficiency.”
There are other benefits to using lab wood too. Lab grown wood can be handled to take on any shape — like 3 D printing — so it may be possible to build a table without glue or screwing parts together.
Beckwith, a mechanical engineering PhD student, was inspired by a visit to a farm to try to make land-use more efficient and environmentally sound. “That got me thinking: Can we be more strategic (战略上的) about what we’re getting out of our process? Can we get more yield for our inputs?” she told MIT News. “I wanted to find a more efficient way to use land and resources so that we could let more farmlands remain wild, or to remain lower production but allow for greater biodiversity.”
Today, the two largest uses of trees are to make wood products and paper. When new biomaterials become readily available, forests will lose their economic value and will be preserved for their environmental, health, and recreational value. These researchers, like Velasquez-Garcia, are speaking for the trees.
1. What does the author think of growing furniture according to Paragraph 1?A.It turns out to be convenient. |
B.It’ll cut down daily expense. |
C.It might have a bright future. |
D.It’s as important as making furniture. |
A.Risk. | B.Fancy. | C.Remove. | D.Delay. |
A.To make large profits. |
B.To keep biodiversity. |
C.To increase production. |
D.To use wild resources. |
A.Wide use of new biomaterials. |
B.Less use of wood products and paper. |
C.Making effective forest laws. |
D.Caring more for the environment. |
1. What did the Portuguese man depend on to move his boat?
A.Petrol. | B.Solar power. | C.Wind power. |
A.25 days. | B.30 days. | C.47 days. |
A.He wanted a good rest. |
B.He got delayed by the weather. |
C.He needed to repair his boat. |
Antarctica is one of the hardest-to-reach places on Earth. But a recent report shows ships
Invasive species are animals or plants that arrive in a place where they don’t normally live. When invasive species
In other parts of the world, invasive sea animals and plants have caused trouble after
The report makes several
Activities:
1. give a talk on water resources;
2. visit the waste water treatment plant (污水处理厂);
3. visit the exhibition of saving water。
注意:
1. 请勿提及与考生相关的真实信息;
2. 短文必须包括所给出的要点;
3. 可适当增加细节,使行文连贯;
4. 词数100左右,开头已给出,不计入总词数。
World Water Day
On March 22nd, the World Water Day, our school organized various activities to increase awareness of the importance of water.
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9 . Even if you live a green lifestyle at home,it's possible to ignore that travels may be harmful to the environment. Here are some steps you can take to reduce the harm that comes from traveling.
Make clear the environmental challenges. Every country has environmental challenges to deal with. For some,it is plastic bags,for others the amount of energy used on air conditioning or heating. Make sure you know them and act responsibly. Use water wisely,for example,when you are in dry countries.
A.Be as green as you are at home. |
B.Find eco–friendly accommodation. |
C.Eat locally grown foods as much as possible. |
D.Choose a green means of transportation. |
A Rubbish Collector's Work Is Never Done
Brian Kane was a rubbish collector in Denver, Colorado. Eight hours a day, five days a week, fifty weeks a year, he rode on the back of a garbage truck. At each stop, he would jog to the back of buildings, then drag heavy rubbish cans to the truck. Brian never complained.
Brian saw these hardships as opportunities to become strong and fit. His job was a training ground for his lifelong dream: to climb Mount Qomolangma. On his thirtieth birthday, Brian took a leave from his job and flew to Nepal to begin the long, difficult journey up Mount Qomolangma.
Brian first climbed to a base camp. He planned to bring three oxygen containers with him to the top. At 29, 028 feet, it would be hard to survive without extra oxygen. Over the next two months, Brian climbed to 26, 000 feet, to Camp Four—the last place to rest below the top of the mountain. But when Brian saw this camp, he fell to his knees. “Rubbish!” he cried. Nearly a thousand empty oxygen containers littered the camp area. Humans had turned this beautiful, far-away place into a big rubbish pile. Brian was very sad. But with a strong determination he continued to follow his dream. Two days later he stood proudly on the top of Mount Qomolangma. He had reached the “roof of the world!”
Two days after this great achievement, Brian put a dozen empty oxygen containers in his pack and headed down the mountain He smiled to himself as he realized that the work of a rubbish collector is great and never done.
1. What was Brian Kane?(不多于三个单词)2. What was Brian's lifelong dream?(不多于四个单词)
3. How did Brian feel when he saw the rubbish pile at Camp Four?(不多于两个单词)
4. What do you think of Brian Kane?(一个单词)