1 . Every week, Angela looked at her recycling bin, filled with shampoo bottles and plastic containers, with mixed feelings. Sure, it was a lot of plastic, but it was going to be recycled. Or so she thought. Then, her husband sent her some articles revealing that less than 6% of the country’s plastic gets recycled. She was shocked.
Determined to cut back on her plastic consumption, Angela got a starter kit from a company selling refillable household cleaners (家用清洁器). In it were tablets, containing concentrated hand soap as well as glass and bathroom cleaners, and four empty containers. She filled each one with tap water, then dropped in a tablet and watched it dissolve. If she was happy with the cleaners, she would order more tablets but reuse the containers. No new plastic required.
Given plastic’s harmful effects on the environment, nearly three quarters of Americans say they are trying to reduce their reliance on single-use plastic, according to Pew Research Center. Since plastic is everywhere and avoiding it altogether is extraordinarily difficult, some, like Angela, have revived a once-customary practice: refilling containers. Household cleaners seem particularly prepared for a refill revolution, for many can be easily concentrated and reconstituted (with water. If just 10% to 20% of plastic packaging are reused, a report from the World Economic Forum estimates, the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean will be cut in half.
Not everyone is as enthusiastic, though. Jan Dell, a chemical engineer, noted that many cleaning products are packaged in PET or HDPE, two types of plastic with relatively high recycling rates. So she is less concerned about them but far more concerned about the packaging of other products. “What companies should be focusing on is everything else that isn’t recyclable, that is single use and that often becomes plastic pollution,” she said, pointing to plastic bags and cups. “This is just a classic example of big corporations doing something to attract people’s attention over here on something that’s not the main issue to distract from all the single-use plastic they’re pushing out.”
1. Why is Angela mentioned?| A．To promote a tablet. | B．To lead in the topic. |
| C．To clarify a concept. | D．To recommend a kit. |
| A．Float over water. | B．Turn over in water. |
| C．Change color in water. | D．Mix with water. |
| A．Critical. | B．Favourable. |
| C．Conservative. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．A chemistry paper. | B．An academic report. |
| C．A lifestyle magazine. | D．A cleaner advertisement. |
2 . Solar stills (蒸馏器) provide a clever and simple means of purifying dirty or salty water, but they work at a rather slow rate. A new material has been shown to boost their performance, and it’s made from fruit waste which would otherwise be thrown away.
In its most basic form, a conventional solar still consists of a basin of undrinkable water that is set beneath a cover. The water evaporates (蒸发) as it’s heated by the sun, condensing (凝结) on the inside surface of the cover. That condensation—which is pure, clean water-drops down the cover and is collected in a separate container for drinking. In order to warm the dirty/salty water at a faster rate, scientists have developed materials that float on its surface, transforming sunlight into heat. They commonly use carbon obtained from coal.
To seek a less costly and more environmentally-friendly alternative, Prof. Edison and colleagues at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University looked to something that is free for the taking—fruit waste. More specifically, the scientists tried out coconut peels, orange peels and banana peels.
In a simple carbonization process, the fruit waste was heated at 850℃for a few hours, and mixed with a kind of chemical substance. Doing so transformed the fruit waste into a new material which has a very highlight-to-heat transforming efficiency.
When tested in a small solar still, this new material proved to be very effective at transforming sunlight into heat, causing the dirty/salty water to evaporate much more rapidly. And because the material is full of holes, the waters team is able to rise right through it, subsequently condensing on the inside of the still’s cover.
Prof. Edison and his team found material obtained from the coconut peels worked best, as it transformed sunlight to heat with an efficiency rate of 94%. They are now developing the technology further, and are seeking industry partners to help with its commercialization.
1. What is the paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The working principle of solar stills. |
| B．The advantages of conventional solar stills. |
| C．The new materials of building a solar still. |
| D．The different ways of purifying dirty water. |
| A．To solve the problem of environmental pollution. |
| B．To find out more eco-friendly materials. |
| C．To expand the applied range of the solar still. |
| D．To make solar stills much easier and less costly. |
| A．Get more wastewater from the solar still. |
| B．Test chemical substances in the solar still. |
| C．Obtain an efficient water-purifying material. |
| D．Take measures to improve water quality. |
| A．Scientists are transforming sunlight into heat |
| B．Simple process turns fruit waste into new material |
| C．Solar still s are the best way to get drinking water |
| D．New technology helps, solar stills reach the customers |
3 . While riding hard on a bike, do you feel like you are saving the planet? Or do you just feel out of breath? In fact, cycling is now considered one of the best weapons mankind can use in the fight against climate change.
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution (决议) in March supporting bicycles as a tool for dealing with climate change. The resolution calls on member states to “add the bicycle to public transportation, in the city and countryside, in developing and developed countries”, with all 193 members of the UN agreeing upon the resolution.
The decision has received positive comments from different groups in support of cycling and the environmental awareness internationally. “It’s an important step toward the recognition of cycling as an important means of transport,” said the European Cyclists Federation.
The resolution from the UN comes at a time when climate change has returned to the center of the world’s attention. On February 28, the UN published a new report assessing (评估) recent climate change trends (趋势). The report warns that the world’s average temperature will rise by 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), with more than 40% of the world’s population being “easily affected” to these temperature changes.
Cycling is an environmentally friendly means of transport. Choosing to take a bike instead of a car just once a day can reduce a person’s carbon emission (碳排放) from transport by 67 percent, according to a research by the University of Oxford. The research also found that cyclists produced 84 percent lower CO 2 emissions from all daily travel than non-cyclists.
Cycling has grown in popularity as people who take public transport to work wish to stay away from crowded public transport and also like taking any opportunity to exercise. Cycling culture has been further encouraged with the influence of COVID-19. In May 2020, bike sales in Spain increased 22 times compared with 2019. In London, large parts of the city are being closed off to cars so that people can walk and cycle safely.
More importantly, the resolution focuses on bike-sharing services, which could be seen as recognition of China’s bike-sharing success, noted CGTN. China has some of the largest bike-sharing systems in the world. This means of transport that produces zero emissions reduces the amount of CO2 sent out into the atmosphere (大气层) by 4.8 million tons every year, according to a 2020 report from the World Resources Institute.
1. What is the resolution aimed at?| A．Winning all member states’ support. |
| B．Making bicycles part of public transport. |
| C．Dealing with the problem of climate change. |
| D．Making people healthier and more athletic. |
| A．The whole world’s attention on climate change. |
| B．Cycling is encouraged in numerous countries. |
| C．China’s success in Bike-sharing systems. |
| D．More people wish to exercise more. |
| A．It get people to exercise and stay healthy. |
| B．It can largely reduce our carbon footprint. |
| C．It can reduce the influence of the COVID-19. |
| D．It helps us stay away from crowded public transport. |
| A．Cycling to improve health | B．Cycling to a climate solution |
| C．Why is cycling so important | D．A new resolution by the UN |
4 . Thanks to Earth, we have fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink and warm sunshine to enjoy. But it seems that we may have taken these things for granted and not realized that our planet is getting “sick”.
Among those environmental challenges, global warming sits at the top. Global average temperatures have risen by more than 0.5℃since 1992.
Scientists say that we are experiencing the sixth mass extinction in history. More than two-thirds of the world’s wildlife could be gone by the end of the decade if action isn’t taken soon.
However, we have made some progress. That’s because we gradually stopped using chemicals that can break down ozone, a gas that protects Earth.
| A．The change is a big deal |
| B．Now, scientists have given us a warning |
| C．But this is not the only problem people are facing |
| D．We can make a big difference when we act right now, the letter says |
| E．Scientists also conclude that global warming will continue for centuries |
| F．Some rare animals, like black rhinos, might just appear in the pictures soon |
| G．All the countries in the world should take action on behalf off future generations |
5 . During the summer of 2021, I flew to Greece to learn more about the wildfires there. I wanted to hear people’s stories, to understand what it meant to be displaced by environmental disaster.
In a cafe for people surviving the fire, I met brave children who now have to live with terrible scars, physical and emotional. I met a man who could not even speak to me, his eyes filling with tears.
I was expecting to hear a lot about loss; I was not expecting to learn so much about the attribution (归因) of blame. I came to understand how desperately people needed to blame a tangible entity (实体) –a person, a group of people, the government. Indeed, this was understandable and reasonable. The outbreak and mishandling of the fire needed to be explored, looked into and dealt with.
What surprised me, however, was that the survivors were completely silent over any mention of the climate crisis and global heating. It was made clear to me that this subject was unacceptable. Survivors felt that these issues had nothing to do with what they had suffered, and that the people actually responsible needed to pay.
But when it comes to climate breakdown, blame did not come to just one person, one corporation, one country. In Greece, the fire didn’t rage so hard because someone had set off a spark—— it raged so hard because years of global heating had dried up the land, part of a set of unsustainable (不能持续的) practices and inaction that had set our planet on fire. And now the fires are even worse.
The more I spoke to people, including climate scientists, the more I came to see that there is often a gap that separates science from public awareness. In her book “Engaging With Climate Change” Sally Weintrobe says that “many people who accept global warming continue to regard it as a problem of the future”. To my astonishment, this seemed to apply even to people who had themselves been affected directly by wildfires.
1. What did the author hardly expect to learn in Greece?| A．Kids’ scars. | B．Economic loss. |
| C．Survivors’ blame. | D．Duration of the fire. |
| A．It was closely related to global heating. |
| B．They couldn’t accept its massive destruction. |
| C．The government should be responsible for it. |
| D．It resulted from someone’s setting fire to the forest. |
| A．Much attention has been given to it. |
| B．People don’t consider it serious now. |
| C．Scientists are urged to apply efficient way to it. |
| D．People should make their opinions about it heard. |
| A．To inform readers of wildfires in Greece. |
| B．To encourage readers to donate to survivors. |
| C．To equip people with surviving skills in wildfires. |
| D．To raise people’s awareness about the climate crisis. |
6 . For the past 13 years, Martin Burrows has been working as a long-distance truck driver. Spending up to five nights a week on the road can be a lonely business, leaving him with plenty of time to notice his surroundings. “I kept seeing more rubbish everywhere and it was getting on my nerves. I decided I had to do something about it,” he says. One day, he stopped his vehicle, took out a trash bag and started picking up the garbage. The satisfaction after clearing a small area was remarkable.
Before his time on the road, Burrows spent over two decades in the military as a vehicle driver. His service saw him stationed throughout Europe and also on tours in Afghanistan. After returning to civilian life, he was diagnosed with PTSD (创伤后应激障碍) and had a mental health crisis in 2017. His involvement in fundraising for Help for Heroes led him to meet a man who used model-building as a distraction from PTSD. Burrows realized that his act of roadside cleanup had a similar calming effect on his mental well-being.
By 2019, Burrows had begun using his free time on the road to regularly clean up garbage. A passerby encouraged him to set up a Facebook group, which he called Truckers Cleaning Up Britain. “I was worried I’d be the laughing stock of my town for putting videos and photos up of me cleaning but people started to join,” he says. “I was amazed. The local council stepped in and gave me litter-picking supplies and we’re up to almost 3,000 members now.”
Since truckers are so often on the move, the Facebook page acts as a means of raising awareness rather than a platform for organizing cleanups. Burrows expressed his intention to continue the cleanup efforts as long as his physical condition allowed, as he still found joy in the process.
1. What initially caused Burrows to pick up roadside garbage?| A．He wanted to kill time by picking up litter. |
| B．He aimed to raise fund for soldiers with PTSD. |
| C．He felt annoyed to see the increasing rubbish. |
| D．He received the assignment from his employer. |
| A．It resulted in his embarrassment. | B．It increased his sense of isolation. |
| C．It worsened his stress and anxiety. | D．It brought him comfort and relief. |
| A．He feared being teased for his action. |
| B．He was lacking in advanced cleanup tools. |
| C．He was unsure about the group’s development. |
| D．He worried about the local council’s disapproval. |
| A．A Joyful Volunteer Experience | B．A Trucker’s Cleanup Initiative |
| C．A Fighting Hero against PTSD | D．A Platform for Environmentalists |
7 . I was a young newspaper reporter, and I wanted to succeed. My first job was in Latin America. It was almost my last job.
I had not planned to stay in the village of Zacate, but it had been raining hard for a whole day. So I had to stay there.
I found people there full of fear. This village was at the foot of a volcano. It was becoming more active. Men, women and children came to the square. A few helped each other and went out of town to get as far away from the volcano as possible, with large and full packs in their hands. Suddenly, I felt a strong earthquake. The villagers in the square ran away as soon as they felt the earthquake.
Suddenly, I saw black smoke rolling down the side of the mountain towards the village. Trees and grass burned up in a second. The volcano eruption(喷发) was coming so fast that in less than a minute the roads to the village were cut off. All I could do was watch and wait. Suddenly, my landlord(房东) cried out, “Look!” He pointed to a small hill, which was near to us. The lava(岩浆) was not coming over it but flowing on each side of the village, leaving the village centre undamaged. For a time, at least, we were safe, unless the lava grew much bigger.
My landlord gave me a wet blanket to cover myself to avoid the heat and we poured water over our heads to cool ourselves. We could hardly breathe because of the heat and the smoke of the burning houses. Thanks to my landlord, I survived the volcano.
1. The reporter stayed in Zacate because of ______.| A．his busy job | B．bad weather | C．an accident | D．an adventure |
| A．The news report. | B．The journalist. |
| C．The active volcano. | D．Their strict landlord. |
| A．The lava. | B．The thick smoke. |
| C．The village. | D．The small hill. |
| A．The landlord is very experienced. | B．The small village was flooded. |
| C．The lava killed a lot of people. | D．The rescuers saved the reporter. |
8 . A heatwave has hit many countries in Europe, pushing temperatures over 40℃. A heatwave is along period of unusually hot weather. The heat is expected to continue until the end of July.
The Italian Island of Sardinia reached 46℃ on 18 July. The Italy government has asked people to dress in linen (a thin, light material) and to stay indoors between 10 am and 6 pm. The government has asked people to drink plenty of water but avoid alcohol, fizzy drinks and coffee, which can make you feel thirstier. In Rome, the country’s capital, people aged over 70 can go to swimming pools for free to help them keep cool.
Wildfires have broken out in many places. In Greece, which recorded 41℃ on 18 July, fires near the capital, Athens, have destroyed huge areas of forest and thousands of people have been moved to safety. Heatwaves can make fires worse because hot weather dries plants, which fuel the fires.
In the US, temperatures in Death Valley, California, hit 53’℃ on 18 July, close to the hottest ever recorded on Earth. On 16 July, the US National Weather Service issued warnings in parts of the country, affecting more than 80 million people.
Despite the high temperatures in many European countries, the UK is not experiencing a heatwave. This is because a different weather pattern has brought rain and lower temperatures to the UK.
The heatwave in Europe is being caused by a weather pattern that has stopped the air from moving very much. That means the hot, dry weather has got stuck and temperatures have kept rising. Earth is also experiencing a natural climate pattern called El Nino (厄尔尼诺), which causes the water in the eastern Pacific Ocean to warm up more than usual. This can lead to hot weather around the world. Temperatures in some parts of Europe were expected to fall on 20 July.
1. Which place was the hottest on 18 July according to the text?| A．Rome. | B．Athens. | C．Death Valley. | D．Sardinia. |
| A．Because drinking coffee is unhealthy. |
| B．Because drinking coffee makes it hard to fall asleep. |
| C．Because you may feel thirstier after drinking coffee. |
| D．Because drinking coffee may cause your body temperature to rise. |
| A．To list an example. | B．To provide a figure. |
| C．To draw a conclusion. | D．To introduce an exception. |
| A．Wildfire Broke Out | B．Heatwave Sweeps Europe and the US |
| C．El Nino Causes Hot Weather | D．UK Experienced High Temperatures |
9 . Kathy Xu,a high school teacher,had always wanted to see a shark in the wild.The opportunity finally
After returning home,Xu learned about the shark trade
Curious,Xu
In late 2012,Xu
In the past decade,global demand for shark fins has
| A．existed | B．approached | C．came | D．scheduled |
| A．bounced | B．sprang | C．dropped | D．fell |
| A．taking place | B．coming along | C．taking off | D．coming out |
| A．cut | B．pay | C．agree | D．fetch |
| A．purchased | B．filled | C．packed | D．opened |
| A．slightly | B．rarely | C．terribly | D．partly |
| A．care | B．provide | C．,account | D．strive |
| A．competitors | B．tourists | C．hosts | D．participants |
| A．changed | B．discussed | C．canceled | D．made |
| A．continued | B．accomplished | C．lost | D．quit |
| A．population | B．life | C．species | D．production |
| A．extinct | B．missing | C．valueless | D．hidden |
| A．knowledge | B．grounds | C．necessities | D．stress |
| A．declined | B．increased | C．firmed | D．boomed |
| A．offer | B．distribute | C．use | D．earn |
10 . During the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, there was a lot of talk about the environmental efforts taken. Athletes slept on beds made from recycled cardboard. The medals were produced out of old appliances such as smartphones and laptops. Over 90% of Japanese cities, towns and villages participated in the two-year effort to collect recycled materials to produce 5000 medals. Eighty tons of small electrical devices were collected to make this project successful.
With the 2024 Olympics Games underway in Paris, new environmental efforts are coming into play. Observers will sit on chairs made of plastic recycled from local bins. This decision was made due to a lack of unused raw materials to make new seats, so the eco-construction firm Le Pave turned to make the seats out of waste. Around 11,000 seats will be made from recycled materials.
The plastic collection for Paris 2024 has been carried out in the region’s schools, and over five million coloured bottle caps have been recovered. Moreover, 80% of the 100 tons of recycled plastic needed to make the seats come from the yellow bins collections. This is all part of the Paris 2024 “zero waste” strategy to limit single-use plastic usage and encourage a circular economy.
The Olympic Games organizers are planning to make the Paris 2024 Games the greenest Olympic Games yet. They intend to employ a carbon-neutral approach that will lessen the climate impact of the Games by predicting, avoiding, reducing and balancing emissions and encouraging others to get involved. The Summer Games have emitted 3.6 million tons of carbon emissions in previous years. The Paris 2024 Games has set a carbon budget of 1.5 million tons which includes the emissions from construction, transportation and operations of the Games.
These plans are ambitious but are achievable. If Paris 2024 successfully reduces emissions and promotes a circular economy, it might set the standard for future Olympic and Paralympic Games, regardless of where they are held.
1. What were the 2020 Olympics medals made from?| A．Raw metal. | B．Recycled cardboard. |
| C．Reused plastic. | D．Used electronic devices. |
| A．To stop carbon emissions. | B．To make seats for athletes. |
| C．To collect coloured bottle caps. | D．To restrict single-use plastic usage. |
| A．Limitation to single-use plastics. | B．Reduction of carbon emissions. |
| C．Promotion of recycling in school. | D．Encouragement of a circular economy. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Intolerant. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
