1 . Monkfish are low in calories and they are easy to cook. They can be cut into pieces, mixed with egg whites, cornflour and salt, and then put into boiling water for a few minutes. There is only one problem with monkfish: they are ugly. With their eyes sticking out and wide mouths full of sharp teeth, they are frightening.
In the Netherlands, fishermen who caught them used to throw them back. They are still usually sold without their heads, but the days of throwing them away are long gone. Japanese diners love the fatty liver; while Italians may still call them toad tails, that doesn’t stop them from eating the fish. People have been encouraged to eat more monkfish, as well as other unattractive creatures — in order to ensure the biodiversity of the ocean environment.
There are more examples for sea animals going from “purposely avoided” to “willingly consumed”. In America, lobsters used to be fed to prisoners — a result of their abundance but also, no doubt, because they are difficult to eat and look frightening. Not until the late 19th century did they become fantastic dish. Today they are so desirable that Maine, where most American lobsters are caught, has the images of these creatures printed on many of its vehicles.
Sometimes fashion goes the other way. Turtles were plentiful in early America, but in the 19th century they became fashionable: few foods were more recommended than turtle soup. Americans ate some species of turtle nearly to extinction. Yet today turtle-eating is more closely associated with remote and uncultured areas.
Among cooking choices, people prefer the rare and the beautiful one than the unattractive one. But such narrow-minded food choices can have bad results: some species may not survive human preference for them. Better to stare into monkfish’s eyes than to contribute to the permanent loss of a species.
1. How were monkfish treated in the Netherlands?| A．They were abandoned by local fishermen. | B．They were popular due to their fatty livers. |
| C．They were called toad tails from time to time. | D．They were considered a danger to the ecosystem. |
| A．To stress its abundance in America. | B．To make a comparison with monkfish. |
| C．To prove prisoners used to be fed on seafood. | D．To show people’s food habits keep changing. |
| A．Turtle-eating has been out of date now. |
| B．Turtles have completely disappeared in America. |
| C．Turtles were purposely avoided among food choices. |
| D．Turtle-eating was against fashion in the 19th century. |
| A．To introduce rare undersea wildlife. | B．To encourage people to eat seafood. |
| C．To explain why people dislike monkfish. | D．To call for the protection of biodiversity. |
2 . More than one billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the U.S. every year, and after they’ve been used on Halloween, millions of them will end up in a landfill (垃圾填埋地) and become methane, which is a greenhouse gas. “Compared to carbon dioxide, methane warms the atmosphere in a shorter amount of time, which means it’s a particularly strong cause of climate change,” says Kay McKeen, the executive director at SCARCE, an environmental education organization based in Illinois.
That’s why, in 2014, McKeen and her SCARCE co-workers began Pumpkin Smash, a collection event where local Illinois residents can bring their rotting (正在腐烂的) pumpkins to 69 different locations to send them off to compost bins (堆肥箱), and smash (粉碎) them to pieces. “It puts nutrients back in our soil, it saves water, and it doesn’t make methane gas — it’s just a win-win,” says McKeen. By their own calculations, the group has saved 538 tons of pumpkins from the landfill.
But not everyone has access to pumpkin-smashing events. Since pumpkins are a great source of human nutrition, some people turn to home cooking. “Not one pumpkin goes to the landfill from our kitchen. It is a common ingredient in baked food like muffins, bread, and pies,” says Una Hagen. Pumpkin flesh can also be fermented (发酵), notes Elizabeth Flournoy: “I have been making wine from pumpkins!”
Some people throw pumpkins outside for deer, or raccoons to eat. While pumpkins are generally safe for wildlife to eat, experts say it’s best to let them hunt for their own food. Feeding wild animals can spread disease when animals gather. Some states, like Colorado, fine residents who intentionally feed wildlife. And trying to feed animals like deer can unintentionally attract animals like bears and lead to human-wildlife conflict. Instead, see if any local farms are collecting pumpkins as treats for their pigs, goats, and other animals — or for any other purposes. The website Pumpkins for Pigs shows animal farms around the country that take uncarved and unpainted pumpkins.
1. What can we learn about Pumpkin Smash?| A．Its aim is to reduce pumpkin pollution. | B．It collects pumpkins worldwide. |
| C．Its effect has been questioned. | D．It is highly profitable. |
| A．By making food with them. | B．By using them as fertilizer. |
| C．By using them for decoration. | D．By sending them to landfills. |
| A．It is a waste of food. | B．It disturbs the ecological balance. |
| C．Pumpkins are harmful to wild animals. | D．Wild animals may cause harm to humans. |
| A．Pumpkin events. | B．Problems caused by pumpkins. |
| C．Ways to give pumpkins a second life. | D．Reasons to lead a pumpkin-free lifestyle. |
3 . Climate change is making a safe, slow adjustment to heat much harder by upending(颠覆)what we’d typically expect as seasons change.
Although late summer can bring more extreme temperatures, early heat waves have a particularly dangerous influence. A large body of research tends to find that early summer heat waves can have higher rates of death compared to later in the season.
There are a few explanations for this phenomenon. One theory is that the most vulnerable populations will fail to fight the higher temperatures at the start of the season, so there are fewer vulnerable people in the more intense heat waves a few months later. A second explanation is the acclimatization(气候适应)effect, since people need time to adjust to heat. How much time a person needs to physiologically adapt depends.
The way we adapt to early season heat isn’t just about physiological changes in our bodies. Behavior makes a difference too, as do policies and infrastructure that help people cope.
The US still has few policies that help protect people from the most extreme summertime heat. Even the protections that exist around heat don’t focus on the vital early season. Besides, the protection measures, where they do exist, don’t typically kick in until after a certain date or when temperatures are above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which is far beyond what some vulnerable populations can handle.
“We barely have enough resources to deal with what’s occurring right now,” said University of Arizona professor of urban planning Keith Ladd. “With climate change, we’re seeing increasing frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves, so we need to adjust our response.”
1. What can we learn from paragraphs 3 and 4?| A．Our adjustment to heat varies from person to person. |
| B．Infrastructure will hardly affect our adaptation to early heat. |
| C．Old people can properly fight higher temperatures in early summer. |
| D．Physiological changes make a big difference to our behavior. |
| A．Its response needs adjustment due to climate change. |
| B．It has enough resources to deal with the present situation. |
| C．Only a few measures concentrate on the deadly early season. |
| D．Its policies can effectively help protect people from the early season heat. |
| A．Technology. | B．Nature. | C．Population. | D．Politics. |
| A．Climate change leads to early summer heat. |
| B．Why can early heat waves lead to more deaths? |
| C．How can we adapt to early season heat? |
| D．Early heat waves can be the deadliest. |
4 . Automaker General Motors has announced the expectation of achieving carbon neutrality (中和) by 2040. On the way to that goal, the company hopes to get rid of automobile emissions (排放物) by 2035.
GM said it will take a science-based approach to become carbon neutral, balancing carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, it plans to remove gas-powered vehicle production by 2035. It intends that by 2025, 40% of its vehicles will be battery powered.
“General Motors is joining governments and companies around the globe working to establish a safer, greener and better world,” said Mary Barra, GM chairman and CEO. “We encourage others to work together and make a significant influence on our industry and on the economy as a whole.”
Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, just over 28%, the Environmental Protection Agency reported. That is why GM and other industry leaders have joined the Science Based Targets initiative, which calls on businesses to take action to do with climate change.
A clear step for GM to become carbon neutral is to switch from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. Traditional gas vehicles make up about 75% of GM’s greenhouse emissions, the company said. Their production facilities make up the other 25%, but the manufacturer aims to control the ratio (比率) by using wind and solar energy. GM said it will power its U.S. factories with 100% renewable energy by 2030 and globally by 2035.
The bigger obstacle falls on the consumer. An electric vehicle is significantly more expensive. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says the average electric car costs $ 19,000 more than a gasoline-powered car. But GM has spent years improving its battery technology. Maybe that’s the reason why it can get rid of automobile emissions in the next 14 years with much confidence.
1. What measure is GM taking to achieve the goal of removing carbon dioxide emissions?| A．Working with global organizations. |
| B．Cutting back on battery-powered cars. |
| C．Gaining industrial and financial support. |
| D．Reducing production of cars powered by gas. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. |
| C．Critical. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Renewable energy. | B．Fast food. |
| C．Transportation. | D．Electric vehicles. |
| A．Consumer. | B．Environmentalist. |
| C．Producer. | D．Advertiser. |
5 . In an industrial area close to Egypt’s northern coast, colored lights and nine huge shining artworks made of factory waste materials by seven recycling artists brightened the night.
The artworks, mostly made of wastes of iron, plastic and wood, are on display at the first edition of the Alamein Art Festival. The festival being held at an industrial park owned by Industrial Development Group (IDG) in the Mediterranean resort city of New Alamein was organized by Art D’Egypte, an Egyptian platform for art and heritage.
“The one-month festival, which kicked off on Thursday, seeks to promote the concept of environmental sustainability (持续性) through art,” said Nadine Abdel-Ghaffar, founder of Art D’Egypte and chief organizer of the festival. “Through their eco-friendly art installations (装置), Egyptian contemporary artists call on people to be aware of protecting the environment and the climate.”
One of the artworks on display features two large leaves standing side by side inside two opposing metal frames, looking like two pages of an open book. “It sends a message to factories that the materials they regard as wastes can be used for good purposes by artists in creating artworks, which can make a place more beautiful, “said experienced Egyptian sculptor Omar Tossoun and explained how he created his sculpture A Leaf.
In the center of the open-air exhibition area, visitors’ attention is drawn to a colorful 6-meter-tallshining object that looks like a jellyfish. It took two months for Marwa Magdy to finish the artwork called Jellyfish, which took half a ton of wasted iron.
Visitors have been impressed by the concept of recycling waste materials into artworks. “If you look around, the artists have really done very nice works. It is such a brilliant idea to use something that otherwise would be discarded and make it into a beautiful piece of art,” said Yehia Hamad, one of the visitors.
1. What can we know about the Alamein Art Festival?| A．It lasts about two months. |
| B．It isn’t popular with visitors. |
| C．Its artworks were created by 9 artists. |
| D．Its artworks were made of factory waste materials. |
| A．Nadine Abdel-Ghaffar. | B．Omar Tossoun. |
| C．Marwa Magdy. | D．Yehia Hamad. |
| A．Recycled. | B．Thrown away. | C．Bought. | D．Fixed up. |
| A．Omar Tossoun: An Experienced Artist |
| B．Alamein Art Festival: An Important Festival |
| C．Recycling Artists Turn Factory Waste into Artworks |
| D．Huge Shining Artworks Attract World’s Attention |
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7 . Rivers are very important. Humans rely on them for food and water. But rivers can destroy things, too. They can flood, or rise over their banks, making the water run into the nearby land. Floods can also kill humans and wildlife. However, floods are not always bad. Some ecosystems need them every once in a while.
Flooding can not only drown animals but also destroy habitats. For example, a flood in India in 2012 killed many one－horned rhinos. Flood waters can pick up dirt from riverbanks, which makes the water dirty. Too much dirt will clog rivers and streams, preventing the river from flowing. Sometimes flood waters can carry pollution to the sea and harm marine life. In addition, flood waters can carry disease, including hepatitis A and cholera.
However, not everything about floods is bad. Sometimes they bring new life to ecosystems. Flood waters carry nutrients to the nearby land. Over time, the water dries up and leaves behind particles (微粒) of dirt and mud. The particles are called sediment(沉淀物) which can be good due to its ability to improve the dirt and helps plants grow. Floods are important to some animals as well. For instance, some animals see floods as a sign that it is time to mate or migrate. Floods leave sediment on river beds where baby fish can grow and carry nutrients for small animals in the water to eat. Moreover, in dry seasons, water might dry up, but floods help refill the wetlands, keeping the ecosystem going.
Floods are a part of nature. They can destroy living things and the environment. But some ecosystems need floods to survive.
1. What’s the possible meaning of the underlined word “clog” in paragraph 2?| A．become | B．pollute | C．block | D．develop |
| A．Nutrients carried by floods can make soil richer. |
| B．Floods make all the animals migrate more easily. |
| C．Tiny fish going with floods feed some animals. |
| D．Floods can improve the dirt and help plants grow. |
| A．The way in which floods feed animals. | B．The benefits of floods to ecosystems. |
| C．An effective means of improving soil. | D．The reason for people’s appreciating floods. |
| A．The Many Effects of Flooding. | B．The Secret of Flooding. |
| C．Floods－Not Everything Is So Bad. | D．Floods－a Part of Nature. |
8 . Scientists say they have found high levels of small plastic particles(颗粒) in Arctic snow. A German-Swiss research team collected snow samples(样本）from the Arctic and other areas. They included northern Germany, the Bavarian and Swiss Alps, and the North Sea island of Heligoland.When the researchers examined the samples in a laboratory, they were surprised to find very high levels of microplastics.
Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic. These plastic particles are generally smaller than 5 millimeters in length. They come from the breakdown of man-made plastic products and industrial waste.
The study found the highest levels of microplastics came from the Bavarian Alps. One snow sample from the area had 154,000 microplastic particles per liter. Samples collected from the Arctic had much lower levels. However, even samples from the Arctic contained up to 14,000 particles per liter.
The study also attempted to explore how some of the material could have been carried in the atmosphere. A limited number of earlier studies did find microplastics in the air of some cities, including Paris, Tehran and Dongguan, China.
Bergmann Melanie co-wrote the report on the new study. She believes the new study clearly shows that “the majority of the microplastic in the snow comes from the air.” The new study suggests that much of the microplastic found in Europe and the Arctic comes from the atmosphere and snow.
While there is growing concern about the effect of microplastics on the environment, scientists are still studying their possible harmful effects on humans and animals. “I hope the new study will lead to more research on this issue. I think microscopic plastic particles should be included in worldwide observations of air pollution levels.We really need to know what effects microplastics have on humans, especially if inhaled with the air that we breathe.” Bergmann said.
1. Why did scientists collect samples from so many places in paragragh 1?| A．To make the research convincing. |
| B．To attract people to explore there. |
| C．To measure the length of microplastics . |
| D．To examine the samples easily in the lab. |
| A．The risks of microplastics. |
| B．The transport of microplastics. |
| C．The breakdown of plastic products. |
| D．The description of microplastics. |
| A．Many people threw them away at the Alps. |
| B．They were delivered to remote areas through air. |
| C．They could be caught sight of in the air. |
| D．They had no great effect on the environment. |
| A．Scientists are worried about the the influence of microplastics. |
| B．We have found a practical solution to the environment problem. |
| C．The effect of microplastics on human must be urgently researched. |
| D．There is no need to change observations of air pollution levels. |
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I’d like to tell you something about the problem of pollution we are facing to. As we know, the factory beside our school gives off heavy smoke all day long. Very loudly noises hurt our ears. Rubbish and waste were thrown here or there. It also sends out pollute water and poisonous gas. All this has done great harms to the health and study of the teachers and students. But after time goes by, little has done to change the situation. I don’t think you can study well before the problem is solved. We do hope if you’ll help and support us.
10 . With time going by, people have come to understand the importance of protecting the environment. But they can’t deal with everything by themselves. Take small steps, and you can make a difference.
• Think Green. Think about the environment as you live your life. If you turn off lights and TV when leaving the room, you’ll save energy.
• Shop Green. Shopping is fun, but buying things you don’t need is wasteful and even bad for the earth.
• Dress Green. What really matters is not the colour.
•
| A．Before you buy something, ask yourself how much you will use it. |
| B．Study Green. |
| C．It’s how the clothes were made. |
| D．You may care more about the qualities of the clothes. |
| E．Save it while you learn. |
| F．If you take shorter showers, you will save water. |
| G．Recycle more. |
