1 . During the 20th century, an estimated 3 million great whales were hunted to provide humans with oil, meat and rose fertiliser. Roger Payne, a biologist and environmentalist, spurred (推动) a worldwide environmental conservation movement with his discovery that whales could sing.
This discovery was made in 1967 during his research trip to Bermuda (百慕大) when a navy engineer provided him with a recording of curious underwater sounds documented. Payne identified the tones as songs whales sing to one another and he was conscious from the start that whale song was to get the public interested in protecting an animal previously considered little more than a resource, curiosity or nuisance.
Payne saw the discovery of whale song as a chance to spur interest in saving the giant animals, who were disappearing from the planet. In 1970, Payne released the album Songs of the Humpback Whale. The record, a surprise hit, fueled a global movement to end the practice of commercial whale hunting and save the whales from extinction. It remains the bestselling environmental album in history.
The impact of the whale song discovery on the early environmental movement was immense. Many antiwar protesters of the day took on saving animals and the environment as a new cause. The humpback whale became the icon of a new environmental awareness. And the whales entered pop culture, no longer the fearsome beasts. In 1977, the whale calls were loaded on to the Voyager probes and sent into outer space.
Payne, graduating from Harvard University and Cornell University with a doctor’s degree, authored or co authored dozens of scientific papers, gave hundreds of lectures, made countless television programmes and films, and led 100 oceanic expeditions. Payne had started an ambitious new project: CETI, a combination of scientists using new technology to interpret what whales might be “saying”.
1. What caused the decline of the whale population in the 20th century?| A．Habitat loss. | B．The climate change. |
| C．Uncontrolled hunting. | D．The ocean pollution. |
| A．To boost interest in protecting whales. | B．To satisfy people’s curiosity about sea. |
| C．To achieve great commercial success. | D．To earn a reputation as a researcher. |
| A．Considerate. | B．Accomplished. |
| C．Courageous. | D．Patient. |
| A．The conservation of ocean environment. |
| B．Efforts to awake public ocean awareness. |
| C．A high-tech way to document whale tones. |
| D．A whale protection campaign by a biologist. |
Located in the north-east of Italy, Venice is
Venice
But only time will tell if this project is the right
3 . From the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the orange gardens of Seville, urban planners down the ages have taken inspiration from nature. And those living in the concrete and brick jungle have perhaps never appreciated green space more than during the covid-19 pandemic. During lockdowns, citizens have found parks and gardens an unexpected source of calm and joy.
The evidence of positive effects from nature includes studies on specific psychological conditions.
The evolving understanding of nature’s broad health benefits, plus our ongoing pandemic experience, is a big urge to build the green cities.
| A．How to build green cities is a problem. |
| B．What does an ideal green city of tomorrow look like? |
| C．Actually, the trend for urban greening has already begun. |
| D．This isn’t just a phenomenon in developed countries, either. |
| E．Clean air and water, nutrient recycling and flood defence are the bonuses. |
| F．Access to nature can improve sleep, reduce stress and increase happiness. |
| G．It has a huge impact on people’s perceptions of their health and well-being. |
4 . It is late autumn—millions of gardeners across the northern hemisphere, pulled on their thickest sweaters, spent hours clearing large piles of leaves and packed them into plastic bags at the end of driveways.
In the US alone, nearly 10 million tonnes of garden waste go to landfill every year. That is a large amount of effort, not just from an environmental viewpoint but from that of our aching backs, too. So where does this advice come from? Well, it largely comes from the belief that thick fallen leaves can make plants under them unable to breathe, especially shorter grass. They shut down important photosynthesis (光合作用) and get in the way of the growth of the shorter grass. However, this received wisdom has recently been questioned by researchers at Wisconsin University.
The key finding of their new research was that although clearing fallen leaves is one of the most common gardening practices, it makes very little sense. In natural ecosystems, fallen leaves help return nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth to the soil, which greatly improves soil condition. Removing leaves year after year breaks this ecological (生态的) balance. Letting some leaves stick around to cover your garden is a great way to help your grass and the local ecosystem.
They further explained that if up to 50percent of your grass lawn (草坪) is covered by fallen leaves, you might as well go back indoors and put your feet up. The advantages of this light leaf coverage far outweigh the disadvantages—the leaves will quickly break down and help next year’s lawn grow far better than if you had cleared them. Only at over 50 percent coverage do the Wisconsin researchers recommend clearing.
So why not consider leaving the leaves? Save time, carbon and effort, and in exchange get a healthier lawn from this garden waste—that seems like a pretty good deal. And how many plastic bags could be saved by simply not binning fallen leaves every year? In the US alone, about 700 million.
1. What does the author describe in paragraph 1?| A．An amazing autumn game. | B．A common sight in gardens. |
| C．A hot attraction in the north. | D．An extreme weather event. |
| A．Fallen leaves need not be cleared. |
| B．Fallen leaves protect shorter grass. |
| C．Fallen leaves block photosynthesis. |
| D．Fallen leaves are hard to break down. |
| A．it ruins city image | B．it breaks gardening rules |
| C．it affects local economy | D．it causes ecological damage |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Unclear. | D．Worried. |
5 . This past summer I set out on a journey to Canada’s Arctic. When I left I was wrapped in a blanket of uncertainty and
But when I first met the group members, I knew I didn’t have anything to
Approaching the Arctic, I was repeatedly
However, I also learned the pollutants carried by ocean from far away have a negative
During the journey, I talked with some
The Arctic is a land of incredible beauty which
| A．relief | B．anxiety | C．pride | D．argument |
| A．put up | B．prepare for | C．give up | D．worry about |
| A．easy-going | B．well-behaved | C．sensitive | D．flexible |
| A．failure | B．performance | C．adventure | D．conflict |
| A．embarrassed | B．ashamed | C．amused | D．shocked |
| A．watching | B．organizing | C．noticing | D．guessing |
| A．painfully | B．patiently | C．unconsciously | D．doubtfully |
| A．source | B．reaction | C．effect | D．development |
| A．rest | B．ease | C．peace | D．risk |
| A．hunt | B．explore | C．help | D．meet |
| A．demanding | B．learned | C．modest | D．rigid |
| A．classified | B．decorated | C．confused | D．occupied |
| A．promises | B．benefits | C．deserves | D．intends |
| A．take care of | B．make use of | C．run out of | D．became tired of |
| A．deny | B．ensure | C．argue | D．overlook |
6 . A recent global study, which surveyed 10,000 young people from 10 countries, showed that nearly 60 percent of them were extremely worried about the future state of the planet. The report also showed that nearly half of the respondents (受访者) said that such distress affected them daily, and three-quarters agreed with the statement that “the future is frightening.” This, and many other studies, show clearly that climate change is not just a threat to the environment. It also poses a very real threat to our mental health.
Psychologists have classified these feelings of sadness, distress, and worry about the current climate emergency as eco-anxiety. According to the Climate Psychology Alliance, eco-anxiety is defined as the “intense physical and mental discomfort in response to dangerous changes in the climate system.”
Eco-anxiety doesn’t just affect young people. It also affects researchers who work in climate and ecological science, burdened by the reality discovered in their findings, and it affects the poor people across the globe, who hopelessly bear the harmful impacts of climate breakdown.
In recent years, we’ve seen wildfires tear through Canada and Greece, and summer floods destroy regions in Pakistan that are home to nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that those impacted by air pollution and rising temperatures are more likely to experience mental distress.
The cause of this mental distress is absolutely external. According to Caroline Hickman, a researcher on eco-anxiety from the University of Bath, anyone experiencing these emotions is displaying entirely natural and rational reactions to the climate crisis. Her suggestion? Take eco-anxiety as a tool for good—as an emotion that can urge people to act in protection of our planet.
This is why, in 2024, we will also see more people around the world join the fight for climate justice and apply for jobs that seek sustainable development. Eco-anxiety is not something we will defeat with therapy—we will solve it by taking action.
1. What does the underlined word “distress” in paragraph1 mean?| A．Shock. | B．Anxiety. | C．Fear. | D．Anger. |
| A．It is a strong reaction to the natural disasters. |
| B．It is a kind of mental disease for the young people. |
| C．It is a physical and mental discomfort when we meet difficulties. |
| D．It is a strong physical and mental discomfort for the dangerous climate changes. |
| A．The process of eco-anxiety. | B．The impact of eco-anxiety. |
| C．The causes of eco-anxiety. | D．The benefits of eco-anxiety. |
| A．Defeat it with a therapy. |
| B．Just wait for a good solution. |
| C．Join the fight for climate justice. |
| D．Use it to urge people to protect our earth. |
7 . A powerful earthquake hit Morocco, killing thousands of people and causing huge damage over a large area.
The earthquake struck around 11 pm on Friday night. It was not only one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Morocco, but also the country’s deadliest earthquake in over 60 years. So far, the earthquake is reported to have killed over 2,900 people. The earthquake was especially precarious as it happened at night, when most people were asleep at home.
The center of the earthquake was in the Atlas Mountains, about 72 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh, a large city popular with tourists in the center of Morocco. Fortunately, many of its modern buildings survived the earthquake. However, the old part of the city, called the Medina, whose buildings are over 1,000 years old, was hit hard, leaving many of those buildings in ruins.
Outside of Marrakesh, the earthquake caused even more damage. In the Atlas Mountains, the earthquake’s center, there were many small villages. Many people in the area lived in simple houses made of mud, a traditional way of building in Morocco. But they’ re not strong enough to survive earthquakes and many of these houses simply fell apart, turning into sand. The Moroccan government has laws requiring buildings to be built more safely, yet these rules were often overlooked.
In larger cities, rescue efforts seemed to be going well. But it took a lot longer for help to reach remote (偏远的) areas in the mountains. That meant the local people in those areas had to deal with the situation on their own. They had to dig through the ruins with their hands, searching for survivors who were trapped. Moreover, many people were sleeping outside, unsure if their houses were safe enough.
More help was on the way. Many outside countries offered teams of experts and emergency supplies. But the government said too many different rescue teams could make the situation more confusing.
1. Why did the earthquake lead to the most deaths on record in Morocco?| A．It struck a large and tourist city. | B．It was powerful and happened at night. |
| C．The rescue teams arrived too late. | D．The traditional houses were not strong enough. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Powerful. | C．Unique. | D．Impressive. |
| A．They had no shelter to stay. | B．They ran out of food supplies. |
| C．They lost contact with the outside world. | D．They couldn’t get necessary rescue in time. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A travel journal. |
| C．A news report. | D．A cultural website. |
More than 11,000 scientists from 153 countries have sounded the alarm on climate change. In a paper
The scientists also gave some instructions to fight against global warming,
The scientists say the climate crisis is
9 . The scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme(酶) PETase have now created a new enzyme called “cocktail” , which can digest plastic up to six times faster.
PETase breaks down PET back into its building blocks, creating an opportunity to recycle plastic and reduce plastic pollution. PET is the most common thermoplastic(热塑性塑料) used to make single-use drinks bottles, which takes hundreds of years to break down in the environment, but PETase can shorten this time to days. The initial discovery set up the prospect of a revolution in plastic recycling, creating a potential low-energy solution to tackle plastic waste.
Now, the same trans-Atlantic team have combined PETase and its “partner”, a second enzyme called MHETase, to generate much bigger improvements: simply mixing PETase with MHETase doubled the speed of PET breakdown, and engineering a connection between the two enzymes to create a “super-enzyme”, increased this activity by a further three times.
The team was co-led by the scientists who engineered PETase, Professor John McGeehan and Dr Gregg Beckham. Professor McGeehan said: “Gregg and I were chatting about how PETase attacks the surface of the plastics and MHETase chops things up further, so it seemed natural to see if we could use them together. Our first experiments showed that they did work better together, so we decided to physically link them. It took a great deal of work, but it was worth the effort — we were delighted to see that our new enzyme is up to three times faster than the separate enzymes.”
The original PETase enzyme discovery indicated the first hope that a solution to the global plastic pollution problem might be within grasp, though PETase alone is not yet fast enough to handle the tons of PET bottles. Combining it with a second enzyme, and finding together they work even faster, means another leap forward has been taken towards finding a solution to plastic waste. PETase and the new combined MHETase-PETase both work by digesting PET plastic. This allows for plastics to be made and reused endlessly, reducing our reliance on fossil(化石) resources.
1. What can we learn about “cocktail” from the text?| A．It doubles the breakdown of plastics. |
| B．It takes hundreds of years to break down. |
| C．It contributes to breaking down plastic quickly. |
| D．It deals with the plastic waste three times faster. |
| A．A new study of PET. | B．The breakdown of PET. |
| C．The discovery of PETase. | D．The functions of PETase. |
| A．Co-leading the trans-Atlantic team. | B．Combining PETase and MHETase. |
| C．Attacking the surface of the plastics. | D．Talking about conducting experiments. |
| A．PET pollution is no longer a difficult problem to deal with. |
| B．New enzyme is speeding up our reliance on fossil resources. |
| C．MHETase-PETase makes the world free from plastic pollution. |
| D．Plastic-eating enzyme “cocktail” promises new hope for plastic waste. |
10 . More than 45,000 years ago, by the shore of present-day Tasmania, a local person picked up a large piece of thick, dark brown seaweed. And he realized that this giant piece of seaweed could be used to make a watertight(不透水的) bag. And 45,000 years later on mainland Australia, people are again turning to seaweed to solve pressing problems. Today, it is used to address the world’s climate crisis.
Winberg, a marine ecologist, has spent decades studying seaweed. She believes seaweed’s fast growth rate and ability to absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide can help fight climate change, clean the oceans, and change the way we farm, not just in the oceans but also on land.
Realizing seaweed’s potential as a climate solution, Winberg opened Australia’s first land-based, commercial seaweed farm in 2013. On her farm Winberg produces seaweed juices that are used in food, and medicines. Like plants on land, seaweed absorbs CO2 and grows biomass(生物量). Coastal marine systems can absorb carbon at rates up to 50 times greater than forests on land. Globally, seaweeds are thought to sequester nearly 200 million tons of CO2 every year — as much as New York States annual emissions. And when the seaweed dies, much of the carbon locked up in its tissues is transported to deep oceans.
The potential for seaweed doesn’t stop in the oceans. Winberg has found there are benefits on land, too. She believes that seaweed farming offers “huge potential” to not only address the climate crisis, but also feed a growing population in a sustainable way. According to Winberg, one hectare of a seaweed farm can produce more protein than the same amount of land used for cattle. “We’re sitting on undiscovered, renewable, sustainable resources,” she says.
In the thousands of years of human experimentation with seaweed, the scale of the challenges that seaweed can help solve has grown largely. But some things are still the same. To the Aboriginal Australians living in Tasmania who first discovered some of seaweed’s uses, it might have seemed like a wonder material as they made watertight bags out of it. To seaweed experts like Winberg today, this old idea is still ringing true.
1. What is mainly introduced about seaweed in Paragraph 1?| A．It’s history. | B．It’s origin. | C．It’s use. | D．It’s appearance. |
| A．Unclear | B．Critical | C．Doubtful | D．Favorable |
| A．By comparison. | B．By argumentation. | C．By example. | D．By simile. |
| A．People can only feel the seaweed’s benefits from the sea. |
| B．Seaweed can solve an increasing number of difficulties. |
| C．The seaweed today has no more advantages than before. |
| D．The potential for seaweed does not apply to the land. |
