Strange things were happening before Tangshan Earthquake happened. For several days the water in the village wells
At 3:42 on the morning of 28 July 1976, everything began to shake,
2 . The Amazon rainforest spreads across nine South American countries but most of it (60%) is in Brazil. Brazilian scientists think they might have found a way to reverse the damage caused by deforestation and turn farmland back into forest. The secret lies in ancient local knowledge of soil.
Amazonian dark earth (ADE) is a thick, black soil found deep in the Amazon rainforest, and it could help restore forests around the world. ADE is a kind of compost — a soil made from dead plants and animals. Various kinds of compost are sold in gardening centers around the world, but ADE is unique. It was created by indigenous people (the descendants of people who lived somewhere before another culture arrived and took over) from the Amazon between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago. The Amazonian people, today known as Amerindians, created ADE using charcoal from fires, animal bones, food waste and poo. It contains microbes, including bacteria that help to turn chemicals in the soil into useful nutrients that feed plants and trees.
Vast areas of the Amazon have been cut down, mostly to make way for grassland for raising cattle. Scientists are looking for a way to turn grassland back into rainforest and revive forest ecosystems. These support thousands of animal and plant species, many of them unique to the area. Forests also absorb lots of carbon dioxide, a gas that cause climate change.
To see if the Amazon’s special soil could help, the scientists grew grasses and trees in ADE, regular earth and a mixture of both. Trees grown in ADE were up to six times taller than those in regular soil. ADE takes hundreds of years to create, so the scientists can’t simply make more. Team member, Dr. Siu Mui Tsai, said that instead they want to try and “copy its characteristics”, especially its helpful microbes, and see if it could help to restore natural habitats.
1. What are Brazilian scientists trying to do?| A．To bring forests back. | B．To measure damage. |
| C．To reduce farmland. | D．To dig out ancient soil. |
| A．Dead plants. | B．Animal bones. | C．Food waste. | D．Bacteria inside. |
| A．The reasons for cutting down forests. | B．The benefits of raising cattle. |
| C．The significance of forest ecosystems. | D．The influence of climate change. |
| A．Amazonian dark earth is helpful to microbes. |
| B．Amazonian dark earth is produced in large quantities. |
| C．Microbes are beneficial to the revival of forests. |
| D．Microbes are the characteristics of the natural habitats. |
1. 活动时间，地点;
2. 活动内容；
3. 希望获准。
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右； 2.请按如下格式作答。
参考词汇: 国际部环保社 the International Department's Environment Protection Club 减塑Less Plastics
Dear Mr. Smith，
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
4 . It was July 15, 2021, and my friends had helped me celebrate my 31st birthday.
Earlier in the day I had prepared for the
As I drifted off to sleep, I was awakened by the
I admit it, I began to
Any effects of the celebratory drinks I’d had earlier were now gone. I heard the garden door starting to crack under the
I tried to pull the door open, but the force of the water wouldn’t
If I had
I came close to drowning that day. But rather than keep thinking about that, I prefer to
| A．unimportant | B．unlikely | C．unnoticed | D．unbearable |
| A．warning | B．report | C．challenge | D．statement |
| A．Besides | B．Moreover | C．Therefore | D．Still |
| A．air | B．sand | C．water | D．someone |
| A．laughed at | B．appreciated | C．blamed | D．shouted at |
| A．coldness | B．push | C．sound | D．fear |
| A．moved | B．excited | C．inspired | D．shocked |
| A．grabbed | B．lost | C．forgot | D．left |
| A．operate | B．reflect | C．panic | D．cry |
| A．powerful | B．quiet | C．broad | D．winding |
| A．guidance | B．control | C．protection | D．pressure |
| A．equipment | B．belongings | C．surroundings | D．escape |
| A．thrown away | B．cut up | C．torn apart | D．broken into |
| A．help | B．let | C．stop | D．influence |
| A．managed | B．tried | C．determined | D．expected |
| A．bedroom | B．backyard | C．hallway | D．basement |
| A．woken up | B．jumped down | C．moved away | D．run out |
| A．secretly | B．tragically | C．accidentally | D．possibly |
| A．request | B．recall | C．realize | D．research |
| A．survived | B．recovered | C．matured | D．refused |
5 . Wood stork, which was on the brink of extinction in 1984, has recovered enough in Florida and other Southern states. The American wildlife officials proposed removing the waterfowl (水禽) from the endangered species list.
This symbolic species, which is the only stork native to North America, has rebounded (反弹) because dedicated partners in the southeast have worked tirelessly to restore ecosystems that support it. In addition, the wood stork has increased its range in coastal areas. The birds have adapted to new nesting areas, tripling the number of colonies across their range from 29 to 99 in recent years.
Credit goes mainly to the wildlife protections provided by the Endangered Species Act(ESA), which can impose restrictions on a variety of activities in areas where such species are, located, such as development, mining and oil drilling. The act saved the wood stork and it helped; preserve and rebuild vital habitats throughout the southeast, which has improved water quality and benefited countless other species who call the area home. The Endangered Species Act has saved 99% of the species that have been on the list since 1973, with 100 types of plants and animals delisted because they have recovered or are at least stable.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that restoration of the wood stork’s habitat, especially in the Florida Everglades and adjacent Big Cypress National Preserve, led to a, sharp increase in breeding pairs. Those numbers had shrunk to just 5,000 pairs in 1984, whereas there are more than 10,000 pairs today.
“The proposed delisting of the wood stork is a significant milestone and a remarkable, achievement of the hard work by federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes, conservation organizations, and private citizens in protecting and restoring our most at-risk species,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said.
If the wood stork is delisted, officials said it would remain protected by other laws including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Clean Water Act. A monitoring plan, would be put in place for at least five years to ensure the stork population remains stable.
1. What can be inferred about the wood stork from the text?| A．Its population is increasing. | B．It has already died out. |
| C．It is widely distributed worldwide. | D．It is the most endangered species. |
| A．Charity organizations. | B．Federal agencies. |
| C．Protections of the ESA. | D．Local companies. |
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
| A．Effect of the Big Cypress National Preserve Counts |
| B．Saving of the Endangered Wood Stork Progresses |
| C．Efforts to Restore the Wildlife Habitat Pay Off |
| D．Protection of American Native Species Works |
6 . In Xihu district, Hangzhou, among the mountains, lies a unique garden, with breathtaking views in the forests. This site, once an abandoned mine (矿场), was discovered in 2019 by landscape designers Yu Weizeng and Chai Rong.
Yu and Chai share a deep passion for the beauty of mountains and water, and a love for life itself. They and two other partners spent years working on it and managed to change it from a wasteland into an attractive garden.
“On fine days, we set up tents outside for camping together with friends. Gathering around a huge rock, we enjoy simple pleasures such as drinking coffee and playing the guitar. On rainy days, the sound of raindrops pattering against the surface of the pool creates a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. During full moon nights, we lie on the rocks, admiring the moonlight,” Yu says.
A key feature in the garden is a reflective water pool set in the main space. As the sun sets, its light bathe the cliff (峭壁) in various colors, with the mountain’s reflection mirrored in the pool.
“We aimed to bring nature even closer,” Yu says.
In a quiet corner of the garden, there’s a narrow entrance leading to a space where a thin upright window has been artfully placed. Outside the window, a red maple tree has been planted, offering a picturesque view.
“In the past, people lived in harmony with the natural world. They could step outside to see mountains and cross rivers. However, the rapid pace of urbanization (城市化) has disrupted this connection,” he says.
“Our approach involves using our technical talent to solve certain problems, and then allow nature to take its course,” Yu says.
1. Why did Yu and Chai keep on building the garden?| A．They wanted to change the wasteland. |
| B．They both have a strong love for nature. |
| C．They intended to attract people to visit it. |
| D．They thought they could make money from it. |
| A．What they see. | B．What they do. |
| C．What they think. | D．What they enjoy. |
| A．Cut off. | B．Cut in. | C．Cut up. | D．Cut out. |
| A．Man can defeat nature. |
| B．Man can change nature. |
| C．Man should be at one with nature. |
| D．Man should make the most of nature. |
7 . Have you ever had the feeling that you can’t think when there is too much noise around? Did you ever think a fish could experience that feeling too? A recent paper published in Science titled “Soundscape (声景) of the Anthropocene Oceans”, combined over 10,000 scientific papers, confirming that undersea life knows that exact same feeling, more often than not. Anthropogenic (人为的) ocean noise, also known as underwater noise pollution, has created a dramatic impact on marine life due to “human-caused” activity within and neighboring our oceans.
Disney Pixar’s animated film Finding Nemo educated us about the ocean, and specifically within the ordinary world of a clown fish. A fact many may not know is that clown fish spend the first part of their lives as larvae (幼体), drifting with the current of the ocean until they become strong enough to swim against it. Once they are powerful and strong, they head home in sheltered coral reefs. There is only one drawback-the fish can’t physically see the reef, but they can hear it. The only problem is, if they can’t hear it, will they ever make it home?
Our anthropogenic ocean noise, such as cargo ships, ship and boat propellers (螺旋桨), surfing, deep sea mining, etc. are causing destruction of marine life. According to Time, sound is the sensory signal that travels the farthest through the ocean. Anthropogenic noise drowns out the natural soundscapes, putting marine life under immense stress. Altogether, this stress then affects their general health, disrupts their behavior, physiology, reproduction and, in extreme cases, causes death. Marine life can adapt to noise pollution, however, only if they can escape it. This only renders further complications of forcing species to leave their traditional breeding regions or their families.
Now, what if we told you there is already a solution? Multiple solutions, ideas and designs are currently in the works or already exist to reduce and reverse the damage of anthropogenic ocean noise. As Time explains, from wind-powered ships to noise-reducing propellers, floating wind turbines and “bubble curtains” that muffle construction noise, the solutions are already available and in some cases, cost-effective. The authors of the paper hope it will catch the attention of policymakers, who historically speaking, have ignored the matter still to this day.
Of all the challenges ocean creatures are battling, luckily sound pollution is the easiest compromise (妥协方案) humans can make. Once the noise has decreased, marine life will be able to better manage everything else it is up against.
1. What do we know about “Soundscape of the Anthropocene Oceans”?| A．It analyses how sound travels in the ocean. |
| B．It discusses different types of ocean pollution. |
| C．It explores the effects of noise pollution on sea life. |
| D．It studies how sea animals communicate with each other. |
| A．present their life cycles |
| B．show how terrible their living conditions are |
| C．introduce a famous animation about the ocean world |
| D．stress the importance of natural soundscapes to sea life |
| A．Reduces. | B．Causes. | C．Solves. | D．Prevents. |
| A．publicize the knowledge of soundscape |
| B．regulate human’s activities on the ocean |
| C．emphasize the importance of animal protection |
| D．draw people’s attention to anthropogenic ocean noise |
Soon after the quakes, the army sent 150,000 soldiers to Tangshan to dig out those
9 . Guide to “Clean & Green” Home Recycling
Welcome to the “Clean & Green” home recycling initiative (倡议)! Our goal is to assist households in reducing their environmental footprint by providing step-by-step instructions on effective recycling practices.
Understanding Recycling Types
Every city has its own recycling standards, but the followings are generally universal:
Plastics: These include bottles, containers, and other packaging materials. Always clean plastics before recycling to avoid pollution.
Paper: Newspapers, magazines, and cardboard are recyclable. However, soiled or wet paper should be discarded as regular waste.
Glass: Bottles and jars of all colors can be recycled. Ensure they are free of food waste.
Metals: Common recyclables are aluminum cans and tin foil (锡纸). Remove any food waste before disposal (处理).
Steps for Effective Home Recycling
Collection: Use separate bins for each type. Mark containers to avoid confusion (迷惑).
Preparation: As mentioned above, clean the items. This prevents waste and increases the recyclability of the materials.
Storage: Avoid overfilling recycling bins. Overpacked bins might lead to improper sorting at recycling facilities.
Drop-Off: If your city doesn’t offer roadside pickup, locate your nearest recycling drop-off point.
Stay Informed: Recycling guidelines can change. Regularly check city websites for “Clean & Green” updates.
Recycling DOs and DON’Ts
DO encourage neighbors and friends to adopt recycling habits.
DON’T mix different types in one bin.
DO invest in composting if possible; it’s another great way to reduce waste.
DON’T recycle dangerous or electronic waste with regular recyclables. Ask your city for proper disposal methods.
Benefits of Recycling:
Reduces landfill (垃圾填埋) waste.
Conserves natural resources and energy.
Prevents pollution by reducing the need for raw materials (原材料).
Supports public health by minimizing exposure to harmful things.
Join the “Clean & Green” initiative today and play your part in creating a bright future for the next generations!
1. Which of the following materials needs to be cleaned before recycling?| A．Paper | B．Plastics | C．Metals | D．Glass |
| A．To sell recycling bins. | B．To encourage composting (堆肥). |
| C．To reduce households’ environmental footprints. | D．To update recycling guidelines frequently. |
| A．Electronic waste can be recycled with regular recyclables. |
| B．You should mix different types in one bin to save space |
| C．It’s important to stay updated on recycling guidelines. |
| D．Wet paper is preferred for recycling as it’s easier to process |
Last Friday a storm hit two villages,
A farmer said the storm began early in the morning and
They managed to climb out, but then he saw that one of his children was
A woman said that her husband had just left for work when she noticed that her house was shaking. She rushed outside right away with her children.
