In an age of rapidly growing urbanization, rooftop farming has emerged as a sustainable response
Rooftop farming, also
As urban populations continue to grow, rooftop farming fosters community engagement
2 . Whales are celebrated for being the largest and most intelligent creatures in the ocean. Now, biologists have discovered that they also capture (捕获) tons of carbon from the atmosphere, a service with an economic value of US $1 trillion for all the great whales, according to a new study published by the International Monetary Fund. The study points out that protecting whales, normally viewed as a human good, also has a monetary motivation.
“The carbon capture potential of whales is truly incredible,” said the report. “Our conservative estimates put the value of the average great whale at more than US $2 million, and easily over US $1 trillion for the current stock of great whales.” Whales absorb carbon in their bodies during their long lives, some of which stretch to 200 years. When they die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, taking the carbon with them. According to the study, each great whale traps around 33 tons of carbon dioxide on average. A tree during the same period only contributes to 3 percent of the carbon absorption of the whale.
Whale populations are today a smidgen of what they once were. It is estimated that there are slightly more than 1.3 million whales in the ocean, a quarter of their pre-whaling number of 4 to 5 million. Some species in particular, like the blue whale, are only 3 percent of what they used to be. “We can create financial methods to promote the restoration of the world’s whale populations,” said the report’s authors. “Rewards could help those who pay significant costs as a result of whale protection.”
With the Paris Agreement coming into force next year and the effects of climate change ever more widespread, we must prevent the harm to whales. Researchers analyzed that unless new methods are put forward, it would take over 30 years to double the number of current whales, and several generations to return them to their pre-whaling numbers. “Society and our own survival can’t afford to wait this long,” they said.
1. What does the new study reveal about whales?| A．They are money-makers for good. | B．Their intelligence is unquestionable. |
| C．They are a natural climate solution. | D．Their survival is threatened by carbon. |
| A．To indicate all matter regarding green efforts. | B．To illustrate whales are friendly to the oceans. |
| C．To highlight whales’ carbon capture potential. | D．To emphasize the importance of tree planting. |
| A．Climate change intensifies. | B．Whale populations stay low. |
| C．Our survival is endangered. | D．Whale protection is a priority. |
| A．Protect whales to protect the planet | B．How to restore whale populations |
| C．Live in harmony with ocean giants | D．Whales can guarantee our survival |
3 . Google recently announced that it has begun using carbon-free electricity from a geothermal (地热能) project to power data centers in the state of Nevada.
Tim Latimer is chief and co-founder of Fervo Energy based in Houston, Texas. His company is working with Google on its geothermal project. Latimer said that getting electricity on the grid from geothermal resources is an event many new energy companies never reach. He added that he believes geothermal energy will become more well-known than in the past.
The International Energy Agency(IEA) has long suggested geothermal could be an answer to climate change. The IEA said in a 2011 document that geothermal could reach 3.5 percent of global electricity production each year by 2050. The Paris-based international group says geothermal energy could prevent almost 800 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Fervo Energy is using this first test to launch other projects that will provide more electricity to the grid. The company is currently completing some work in southwest Utah for a 400-megawatt project. Google and Fervo Energy started working together in 2021 to develop geothermal power. The plant near Winnemucca, Nevada, is now operating and is sending about 3.5 megawatts to the grid.
Google announced in 2020 that it would use what it calls “carbon-free” energy every hour of every day, wherever it operates, by 2030. Many energy experts believe huge companies like Google can play a part in increasing the use of clean energy.
Terrell noted the company was also an early supporter of wind and solar projects, helping those markets grow to where they are today. “It’s a very similar situation. Now that we’ve set a goal to be 24/7 carbon-free energy, we have found it will take more than just wind, solar and storage,” Terrell said.
The United States leads the world in using heat from the Earth for electricity production. U. S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said earlier this year that advances in new geothermal systems will help introduce this form of energy to areas where it has been thought to be impossible. This makes it possible to find energy in more places.
1. What is Tim Latimer’s attitude to working with Google?| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. | C．Concerned. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Fervo Energy has launched many geothermal projects before. |
| B．Geothermal energy will take the place of solar energy. |
| C．Getting electricity from geothermal resources has been widely used. |
| D．Geothermal energy has the potential to tackle environmental problems. |
| A．CO2 emission is to blame for climate change. |
| B．Carbon-free electricity only exists in our dream. |
| C．Google is setting a good example in environmental protection. |
| D．Wind and solar projects are more important than geothermal project. |
| A．Geothermal: an answer to climate change |
| B．Google: a company launching a new project |
| C．IEA: an organization contributing to global warming |
| D．CO2: the leading factor to global warming |
1. What positive news do the scientists report regarding low-carbon technologies?
| A．The usage of low-carbon technologies has increased. |
| B．The costs of many key low-carbon technologies have fallen dramatically. |
| C．The efficiency of low-carbon technologies has improved significantly. |
| A．The reliance on existing technologies. |
| B．The lack of government policies. |
| C．The dependency on new technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. |
| A．They promote healthier lifestyle choices. |
| B．They reduce reliance on pharmaceuticals. |
| C．They increase awareness of environmental issues. |
| A．They are not widely accepted by the scientific community. |
| B．They are still very expensive and at an early stage of development. |
| C．They have a negative impact on the environment. |
5 . Bringing species like beavers (河狸) back to England is no longer a priority, the government said on Friday to criticism from wildlife groups.
A recent report shows that one in six UK species are at risk of extinction. In September more than 60 conservation organizations reported a significant decline in species due to expansions in farming and the effects of climate change. In recent years, animals and plants have been reintroduced by charities as part of efforts to restore the country’s reduced biodiversity.
Despite the government allowing this, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee concluded in July that there was an absence of long-term plans on how to manage this. In response, the government has now said that the "reintroduction of species is not a priority".
The government said it was focused on increasing biodiversity through habitat restoration. The government's environment department has come under scrutiny (详细审查) for not doing more to prevent sewage dumping and other forms of pollution in England's waterways.
Sir Robert Goodwill, chair of the Committee, said he was disappointed with the government response. Bringing back extinct species is a controversial issue- although farmers and landowners appear broadly supportive, there are risks of reintroducing new species, and without clear guidance, problems could arise.
A recent study showed that river barriers similar to those built by beavers can protect communities at risk of flooding. But there have also been cases documented in Europe where beavers have built their dams in places that have damaged crops and changed rivers.
Joan Edwards, director of Policy &Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts said, “Reintroducing wildlife must be part of the UK government’s arsenal (武器) for tackling nature loss and climate change—it is astonishing there is no strategy for doing so.”
“The return of wild beavers can help to recreate lost wetlands, with a knock-on effect that benefits other wildlife including insects, invertebrates and birds. Beavers also slow the flow of water, which can reduce flood risks to towns and villages,” she said.
1. What does paragraph 2 want to convey?| A．The situation of species in the UK Severe. |
| B．Reintroduction of species in the UK is not a priority. |
| C．Expansions in farming have a great effect on climate change. |
| D．The UK government's response to reduced biodiversity is disappointing. |
| A．By restoring habitat. | B．By offering guidance. | C．By expanding farming. | D．By developing strategy. |
| A．It was messy. | B．It was controversial. | C．It was beneficial. | D．It was costly. |
| A．The advantages of reintroducing wildlife. | B．The responses to a government statement. |
| C．The effects of climate change on farming. | D．The approaches to increasing biodiversity. |
6 . Three years ago, Juan Carlos Sesma had a realization. Global warming and climate change seemed to be a mounting problem, with scientific records indicating rising temperatures and sea levels across the world. At the same time forest fires, logging, and aggressive human expansion meant the supply of trees which helped to regulate and remove greenhouse gases from our atmosphere was dwindling .
He decided the best way to tackle a problem this large was to combine two of the most powerful forces emerging in technology: big data and robotics. Sesma founded a new company called CO2 Revolution, whose plan was to use drones(无人机) to better understand where new trees should be planted and to automate the process of planting so that much larger areas of forest could be repopulated. The company designed a special smart seed that helped to deliver just the right amount of protection and nutrition to the young saplings. The overall goal was to considerably lower the time and cost of large-scale re-forestation.
CO2 Revolution isn’t alone. In the UK, a startup called Biocarbon Engineering ran a trial earlier this year where it used drones to help replant Mangrove trees in Myanmar. It has also deployed(部署) its technology in Australia, South Africa, and Morocco. “In a lot of places, people will either have a map taken by aeroplane, or just use Google Earth satellite imagery.
They’ll draw things out freehand and manually plant, either by hand or tractor,” said CEO Susan Graham in a recent interview.
The challenge for all these startups is to find ways to create a profitable, or at least sustainable, business model. For Sesma and the team at CO2 Revolution, recent regulatory action has highlighted one potential pathway. “We offer a solution that allows clients to carry out massive plantings, increasing forest mass and thus compensating for their carbon footprint.” Amid growing calls for carbon sequestration, this kind of effort might prove not just noble, but financially sensible for large corporations.
1. What drove Sesma to set up CO2 Revolution?| A．Big data and robotics. | B．Forest fires and human expansion. |
| C．Global Warming and climate change. | D．Powerful forces emerging in technology. |
| A．Declining. | B．Changing. | C．Recovering. | D．Expanding. |
| A．Drones are populated in larger areas of forests. |
| B．CO2 Revolution calls for a profitable drone model. |
| C．Biocarbon Engineering sets up worldwide technology centers. |
| D．Smart seeds are designed to improve the accuracy of planting. |
| A．Conventional. | B．Valueless. | C．Beneficial. | D．Impractical. |
7 . Students at the Calhoun School in New York City have much more than a roof over their heads. They have a rooftop garden, with lush grass, colorful flowers and fragrant herbs. “Green roofs” are sprouting up all over, from schools to city skyscrapers. And roofs aren’t the only things going green. Architects are finding all sorts of new ways to build buildings that are easier on the environment. These schools, homes, and offices are called “green buildings”.
Normally it takes a lot of energy to run appliances. Too often, that energy comes from burning fossil fuels. So green buildings are designed to do all these things with much less energy. An energy-smart building starts with thick walls. A layer of insulation (隔热材料) traps air to stop heat from passing through. That keeps heat inside in the winter, and keeps heat outside in the summer. This saves energy for heating and cooling.
Heat pumps are another power-saving way to stay comfortable. A ground heat pump moves heat through pipes that run through the ground next to the building. A few feet under the ground, the temperature stays around 10℃ all year round. Water flowing around the pipes helps heat the building in winter and cool it in summer.
Another way to build green is to use recycled materials. That saves the cost and pollution of manufacturing something new. In the Chicago Center for Green Technology, the ceiling tiles (瓷砖) are made of pressed newspaper. The bathroom floors are tiled with recycled glass, and the stall walls are recycled plastic. Builders have found many creative ways to re-use old materials.
As more people become concerned about climate change, more buildings are going green. Green buildings produce less of the gases that warm the planet. City planners like green buildings because they save money. And they are healthier for the people who work and live inside. But you don’t need to build a whole new building. Simple changes like shading windows and planting trees can make any home greener—and a better Earth home for us all.
1. How are green buildings designed to keep warm in the winter?| A．By-burning fossil fuels. | B．By using thick walls with insulators. |
| C．By running heating devices. | D．By equipping buildings with appliances. |
| A．saving water | B．using recycled materials |
| C．using less energy | D．reducing greenhouse gas emissions |
| A．Education. | B．Culture. | C．Economy. | D．Technology. |
| A．Recycling: to make a better earth for us all |
| B．Heat Pumps: a new approach to saving energy |
| C．Green Roofs: more than a roof over our heads |
| D．Building Green: to hug the earth more kindly |
8 . 为了保护环境、节约能源，越来越多的人选择低碳生活。作为中学生，我们能为环保做些什么呢？请你根据以下要点提示用英语写一份倡议书，呼吁你们班同学保护环境。
要点提示：
1.少使用塑料袋；
2.循环使用旧课本；
3.少乘电梯，节约用水、用电；
4.多植树；
5.最好步行或骑自行车上学。
注意： 1.词数80左右（格式、开头和结尾已给出，不计人总词数）；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
My fellow students,
Our environment is becoming worse and worse. As students, what can we do to protect the environment?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In fact, even the simplest everyday activities can make a difference to the environment. I believe that by working together we can make the world a better place to live in.
9 . BANGKOK - The world is “failing” on a commitment to stop and reverse (彻底改变) deforestation by 2030, with global losses increasing last year, a group of NGOs and researchers warned Tuesday.
In 2021, leaders from over 100 countries and territories -representing the vast majority of the world’s forests-promised to stop and reverse forest loss by 2030. But an annual assessment released Tuesday found global deforestation actually increased by four percent last year, and the world remains well off track to meet the 2030 commitment. “That 2030 goal is not just nice to have, it’s essential for maintaining a livable climate for humanity,” warned Erin Matson, a lead author of the Forest Declaration Assessment.
Forests are not only key habitats for animal life but serve as important regulators of the global climate and carbon sponges that take in the emissions human activity generates. However, deforestation last year was over 20 percent higher than it should have been to meet the leaders’ commitment, with 6.6 million hectares of forest lost, much of it primary forest in tropical regions.
“Data year over year does tend to shift. So one year is not the be-all, end-all,” said Matson. “But what is really important is the trend. And since the baseline of 2018 to 2020, we’re going in the wrong direction.”
The assessment was not universally depressing, with about 50 countries considered on course to end deforestation. In particular, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia saw “dramatic reductions” in forest loss. Those gains are at risk however, the report warns. In Brazil, for instance, while there has been renewed interest in protecting the Amazon, another key ecosystem - the Cerrado savannah - has instead become a target.
The report praised new rules introduced by the European Union intended to block the imports of commodities(商品) that drive deforestation. But it called for stronger global action, including more money to conserve forests, and the end of subsidies to sectors like agriculture that drive deforestation.
“The world is failing forests with disastrous consequences on a global scale,” said Fran Price, WWF’s global forest lead. “Since the global commitment was made, an area of tropical forest the size of Denmark has been lost. We want to see nature and forest high on the agenda!”
1. What does the assessment indicate?| A．Tough policies should be introduced. | B．Deforestation is intensifying. |
| C．Commitment should be taken seriously. | D．Global warming is worsening. |
| A．It is normal that data changes sharply. | B．The assessment is far from accurate. |
| C．Emphasis should be put on the trend. | D．To have a clear goal in place matters. |
| A．The widespread damage to forests. | B．Proper measures yet-to-be-taken. |
| C．The ban on nature-related products. | D．Some bright sides of the situation. |
| A．Forest conservation is a priority. | B．Forest restoration is a long-term project. |
| C．Forest destruction is just regional. | D．Forest assessment should be globalized. |
10 . People have come to understand the enormous impacts-beneficial as well as harmful- plastics have on human lives and the environment. As polymer (聚合物) scientists committed to inventing sustainable solutions for real-world problems, we set out to tackle the issue of plastic waste by rethinking the way polymers are designed so we could make plastics with recyclability built right in.
Everyday items including milk jug, grocery bags, and takeout containers are made from a class of polymers called polyolefins. These plastics are really durable (耐用的) because the chemical bonds in those polymers are extremely stable. In a world set up for disposable (一次性的) items, durability is no longer a design feature but rather a design drawback. Imagine if half the plastics used today were recyclable through twice as many processes as they are now. Also conventional recycling requires careful sorting of all the collected materials, which can be challenging with so many different plastics. For example, separating paper from metal doesn’t require complex technology, but sorting a container from a milk jug of a different polyolefin is difficult to do without the occasional mistake.
In a study published in Science in October 2023, we described a series of polymers with only two building blocks-one soft polymer and one hard polymer-that behave like polyolefins but could be chemically recycled. Connecting two different polymers multiple times until they form a single, long molecule (分子) creates what’s called a multiblock polymer. By changing how much of each polymer type goes into the multiblock polymer, our team produced a wide range of materials with properties that covered all polyolefin types.
Using the same strategy but by adding hydrogen, we could disconnect the polymers back into their building blocks and easily separate them to use again. When we made new polymers out of these recycled plastics, they performed just as well as the original materials even after several rounds of chemical recycling. So we were able to create materials with similar properties of the plastics the world relies on. We believe this work is a step toward more sustainable plastics.
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about concerning plastics?| A．Their multiple uses. | B．Their chemical properties. |
| C．Their recycling challenges. | D．Their classification criteria. |
| A．mixing building blocks with long molecules |
| B．integrating chemicals into the two polymers |
| C．combining two different multiblock polymers |
| D．adjusting the percentage of the two polymers |
| A．They are made from sustainable materials. |
| B．They can be recycled by adding hydrogen. |
| C．Their reliability outperforms traditional plastics. |
| D．Their properties change with rounds of recycling. |
| A．Designing for Recycling | B．Classifying Plastic Waste |
| C．Replace Plastics with Polymers | D．Technology Creates the Future |
