1 . Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastics that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. Officially, they are defined as plastics less than five millimeters in diameter(直径). .
The problem with microplastics is that — like plastic items of any size — they do not readily break down into harmless molecules (分子). Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose, and in the meantime, cause damage to the environment. On beaches, microplastics are visible as tiny colored plastic bits in sand. In the oceans, microplastics pollution is often consumed by sea animals.
Some of this environmental pollution is from littering, but much is the result of storms and winds that carry plastics into our oceans. Single-use plastics, plastic items meant to be used just once and then thrown away, are the primary source of microplastics in the environment.
Microplastics have been detected in sea animals, in commercial seafood, and even in drinking water. Alarmingly, standard water treatment facilities cannot remove all the traces( 痕迹) of microplastics. To further complicate matters, microplastics in the ocean can combine with other harmful chemicals before being swallowed by animals.
Scientists are still unsure whether consumed microplastics do damage to human or animal health - and if so, what specific dangers they may cause. Even so, many countries are taking action to reduce microplastics. A United Nations resolution has discussed the need for rules to reduce microplastics to oceans, wildlife, and human health.
1. What does the underlined word “decompose” mean in Paragraph 2?A.Break down. | B.Fade away. . |
C.Dry up. | D.Give out. |
A.Water treatment facilities fail to remove their traces. |
B.People might consume them through drinking water. |
C.They can combine with other chemicals inside animals. |
D.They have been a blow to commercial seafood industry. |
A.Many governments turn a blind eye to microplastics. |
B.It has been confirmed that consumed microplastics are harmful. |
C.Measures will be taken to reduce microplastics in the environment. |
D.Scientists have known what specific dangers microplastics may cause. |
A.inform the public of an environmental issue |
B.arouse the awareness of protecting seawater |
C.persuade scientists to look into microplastics |
D.introduce the microplastics treatment methods |
2 . Last year, the bushfires in Australia burned more than 12.35 million acres of land. At least 25 people were killed and 2000 homes destroyed. According to the BBC, that was the most casualties(伤亡) from wildfires in the country since 2009. The University of Sydney estimates that 480 million animals have died in South Wales alone.
Zeke Hausfather, an energy systems analyst and climate researcher at Berkeley Earth, said warmer temperatures and extreme weather made Australia more susceptible to fires and increased the length of the fire season. "The drier conditions combined with record high temperatures in 2019 created main conditions for the disastrous fires. Australia's fires were worsened by the combination of those two. 2019 was the perfect storm for being the warmest year on record for Australia and the driest year on record for Australia," Hausfather added on Friday.
Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, said warmer ocean temperatures are also contributed to more variable weather around the world. Trenberth believes that global warming contributed to energy imbalances and hot spots in the oceans, which can create a wave in the atmosphere that locks weather patterns in places, causing longer rain events in Indonesia, for example, and at the same time contributing to drought in Australia. He said that once an area experiences drought conditions for two months or more, it increases the risk of fires catching and spreading. Those changing weather patterns due to global warming make drought events longer.
Climate experts stress that climate change is not the only factor in the severity(严重) of wildfires. How land is managed can also impact the amount of fuel available for fires. Practices like controlled bums and other factors can impact the risk to people and property, such as warning systems and the type of development in a given area. Changing those policies has great potential to limit future damage from wildfires along with changes to how fire management resources are dispatched(派遣).
1. What are the numbers about in paragraph 1?A.The causes of Australian fires. | B.The results of Australian fires. |
C.The damaged areas of Australian fires. | D.The property destruction of Australian fires. |
A.Very quickly to adapt to. |
B.Very seriously to focus on. |
C.Very likely to be influenced by. |
D.Very easily to be protected against. |
A.Longer dry weather contributes to global warming. |
B.Global wanning is also a main cause of the bushfires. |
C.Warmer ocean temperatures leads to the fires directly. |
D.The imbalanced energy leads to the temperature rising. |
A.To stress the effects of Australia fires. |
B.To show the methods for land management. |
C.To predict the seriousness of Australia fires. |
D.To provide some advice about reducing fire damage. |
3 . What is ecofashion? Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.
There is some concern that eco-friendly fashions are just a trend that we will eventually grow tired of but in fact, more and more people are concerning about this and we can make sure that doesn’t happen.
A.Then, how to solve the problems? |
B.They relate directly to our personal health. |
C.Because choosing ecofashion can also contribute to our personal health, though it is mostly done by way of keeping the health of the planet. |
D.In addition to this, there is a lot of waste produced in the process, especially in the form of polluted water. |
E.The fashion industry has developed quickly. |
F.On the other hand, as consumers we can all make contributions by selecting environmentally friendly clothing and reducing clothing consumption. |
G.A closer look at the fashion industry points out many problems. |
Escaping a fire is a serious matter. Knowing what to do during a fire can save you life. It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone in the family, such as stairways and fire escapes, but not lifts.
From the lower floors of the buildings, escaping through windows is possible, learn the best way of leaving by windows with the least chance of serious injury.
The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. An average person, hanging by the finger-tips will have a drop of about six feet to the ground. It is about the height of an average man. Of course, it is safer to jump a short way than to stay in a burning building.
Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed. Or smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may leaked(渗) into the room.
On a second or third floor, the best windows for escape are those that open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto cement(水泥) might end in injury. Bushes(灌木丛) and grass can help to break a fall.
根据以上短文内容,然后从每题所给的四个选项中选择最佳选项。
1. It is important to _______.
A.put out the fire in the burning house |
B.know the ways to escape the fire |
C.jump off a burning house |
D.keep the door closed |
A.if there are some bushes on the ground |
B.if you are strong enough |
C.if you live on a lower floor |
D.If you have a long rope |
A.You can escape though stairways. |
B.You can choose fire escapes. |
C.Escape from the windows that open onto a roof. |
D.Use a lift to come down at once. |
A.you can get fresh air | B.you can call for help |
C.you can easily jump off | D.you can be seen first |
A.Escaping from the Windows |
B.Save Yourself in the Burning House |
C.Knowledge on Fire |
D.Waiting for Help |