1 . How many plastic carrier bags have you got in your house? I seem to have cupboards full of them and it feels like they’re taking over my home! The shopping bag is just one example of the milion things we use made from this useful material, plastic. But unfortunately, it’s not the easiest thing to recycle and this is causing an environmental problem.
Most of our everyday plastic items end up in landfill, left to rot away for many years. But some of it blows away, causing damage to the natural environment and harming wildlife. The problem is most serious in our oceans.
The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, described how remote islands act as a “sink” for the world’s rubbish. They become collecting points for fishing items and everyday things including toothbrushes, cigarette lighters and razors (剃须刀); things that we throw away. Dr Jennifer Lavers from the University of Tasmania says, “Almost every island in the world and almost every species in the ocean is now being shown to be impacted one way or another by our waste.”
This highlights the potentially deadly effect of our disposable culture. When we throw something away, it doesn’t just disappear, it goes somewhere and because of the long-lasting nature of plastic, it takes a lot time to decompose (分解) and stays there causing great damage to the ocean’s ecology.
Some other recent worldwide research estimates that 90% of all seabirds have swallowed plastic. And worse still, this plastic is broken down into tiny particles (颗粒) over a long period by the wind and the waves, then sea creatures at the bottom of the food chain ingest (咽下) them. These creatures are eaten by the fish that we eventually consume.
The solution to this problem would be to use less plastic. So next time you pick up a carrier bag, or buy a plastic bottle of water, spare a thought for the birds and animals on the remote islands. What do you do to help the environment?
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph of the text?A.To explain an idea. | B.To create a suspense. |
C.To introduce the topic. | D.To summarize the text. |
A.Because of its lasting nature. |
B.Because we use so much of it. |
C.Because of our disposable culture. |
D.Because it causes damage to the ocean’s ecology. |
A.Seabirds. | B.Sea creatures. | C.Fish. | D.Human beings. |
A.To consume less plastic. |
B.To pick up a carrier bag. |
C.To buy a plastic bottle of water. |
D.To see birds and animals on the remote islands. |
A narrow escape
A holiday in Penang is an annual affair for my family. My parents grew up in Penang and are very fond of Penang food. In December every year, we drive up to the island to spend three days visiting their favorite food spots.
This year, we started our journey up north on a Friday morning. The drive was interrupted by stops at Bidor Town and Kampar so it took us six hours to reach our destination. We stayed at one of the hotels in Batu Ferringhi. The beach was just a short walk from the hotel entrance and our rooms had a lovely view of the sea. We spent our first evening playing on the beach. After dinner, we returned to our rooms to play Monopoly. My parents have a rule for our holidays which is that we should spend time doing things together. There was to be no TV and no Internet.
The next morning, we went to Bukit Bendera and then spent the rest of the afternoon in town visiting our favorite hawker stalls (小贩摊位). As we were having tea at a shop, we overheard people talking about an earthquake near Sumatera, an island in Indonesia. But we didn’t care too much. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel and then went to the beach. We took a walk along the beach, picking up seashells along the way. Suddenly, I noticed a strange thing. The sea seemed to be retreating (后退) from the shore. I felt a little uneasy, so I asked my father to look at the curious occurrence. My father took one look and went pale. We saw a grey line in the distance moving towards the shore. It seemed to grow taller by the second. It was a tsunami (海啸)!
注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
My farther should shouted at us to run back to the hotel.
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We waited a long time before going downstairs.
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3 . Recently, more than 100 Asian elephants made their way across The Mall in front of London’s Buckingham Palace. They weren’t live animals, however, but life-sized elephant sculptures that were handmade by Indigenous community members from the jungles of Tamil Nadu in South India.
The environmental art exhibition is called CoExistence. It was headed by Elephant Family and The Real Elephant Collective, a British Charity and nonprofit socio-environmental enterprise aimed at raising awareness for the Indian elephant. Meant as a response to the increasing conflicts between humans and animals, the campaign’s goal is to start a movement of global empathy (共鸣) for members of the animal kingdom who, like the powerful elephant, have found themselves sharing natural habitats with fast-growing human populations.
The sculptures were made using an invasive(侵入式的) weed called lantana, whose removal coincides with benefits to wildlife in protected areas, where the elephants began their migration. Flying alongside the elephant are sculpted flocks of bird species that have been declared extinct or endangered in the UK.
The project helps demonstrate this unique time in history where the worldwide reduction in human activity from COVID-19 has had an overall positive effect on certain pockets of wildlife species around the planet.
“Today marks the first significant step on the herd’s 13,000 miles migration around the world. Over the past 18 months, many countries have gone into lockdown,” said Ruth Ganesh, Creative at The Real Elephant Collective and Elephant Family Trustee. “Brought about by sad circumstances, this great pause is providing crucial guidance on how to best share space with animals in our crowded planet. The elephants are here to tell their story about the inspiring ways we can coexist with all the other living beings that make our world magical—from tigers and monkeys, to nightingales and elephants.”
1. What’s Paragraph 1 mainly about?A.Life-sized elephant sculptures in London. |
B.The Mall before London’s Buckingham Palace. |
C.An analysis of the effect of COVID-19 on wildlife. |
D.Caring for London’s elephants during COVID-19. |
A.To warn people not to kill elephants. |
B.To call on humans to live peacefully with animals. |
C.To solve the problem about the extinction of wildlife. |
D.To raise the awareness of protecting wildlife during COVID-19. |
A.Some birds and kites. | B.Some live animals. |
C.Some sculptured birds. | D.Some volunteers saving endangered wildlife. |
A.COVID-19 has a negative effect on wildlife. |
B.Elephants are loved more than other living beings. |
C.The lockdown helps people realize how to coexist with wildlife. |
D.He is confused about the worrying circumstances during the lockdown. |
4 . Plenty of businesses have suffered during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but business for Laura Stone is booming.
Laura is the founder of Sydney by Kayak, a company that offers guided kayak (皮艇) tours of Sydney Harbor (海港) in Australia. Not only did their business not decrease during the pandemic, but one of their tours is actually more popular than ever.
A few years ago, Laura was paddling in the harbor when she noticed trash (垃圾) floating in the water. For reference, the United Nations Environment Programme estimates that about 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year, causing big problems for wildlife.
Laura was so appalled by the garbage in the water that she decided to dedicate a few paddles each week to trash cleanup. Incredibly, her clients were immediately on board with the idea, so Sydney by Kayak now leads four to five garbage-collecting tours every week!
At the start of the pandemic, Laura assumed her business would drop off as many others had. Instead, desperate for purpose and a way to get outdoors, people went to her “Clean Up Kayak” tours. They now routinely take about 441 pounds of garbage out of the harbor each week!
“We’ve been quite surprised, even through the pandemic, we’ve been very busy,” Laura said. “Because they can’t travel, people are looking for something to do, that is not just good for them, but also good for the environment.”
Each tour begins with participants preparing a paddle, bucket, picker stick, and sieve (筛子). Some people come back multiple times for the satisfaction of collecting trash from the harbor. Julie Greening, for example, has done about 10 tours so far and says “every little bit is worth it”.
“There’re 7 billion people on this planet, so everyone does a little, and of course it’s going to help,” she says.
Fresh air, sunshine, exercise, good company, and a great cause: What else do you need? Laura has found on an incredible, pandemic-proof business idea that helps the earth as much as it helps participants.
1. Why is Laura’s business more popular during lockdown?A.Because her business is related to guided kayak tours. |
B.Because she helps tackle the litter problem in the oceans. |
C.Because she deals with the food problem for ocean wildlife. |
D.Because she has unique business skills compared to other businessmen. |
A.Shocked. | B.Curious. | C.Satisfied. | D.Excited. |
A.Caring and devoted. | B.Active and gifted. |
C.Creative but selfish. | D.Hard-working but mean. |
A.Sea Kayak Adventure Group |
B.Properly Maintain Your Kayak |
C.How to Clean the Outside of Your Kayak |
D.Kayakers Remove Trash from Sydney Harbor |
1. What are the kids doing?
A.Putting up a poster. |
B.Cleaning up the road. |
C.Emptying the trash can. |
A.Serious. | B.Helpful. | C.Confident. |
6 . How to Survive a Lightning Strike?
According to the National Weather Service, almost two-thirds of lightning accidents occur as people enjoy leisure activities outdoors.
Keep an eye on the sky
Before you head out for hiking, check maps to locate visitor centers, campground buildings, or rest areas along your route. Once you hear thunder, see lightning, or sense that a storm is approaching, don’t hesistate to use your plan. Hikers are strongly advised to watch continually for the nearest shelter.
Know the storm’s distance
Count the seconds between the flash and the following sound of thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five to calculate the number of miles between you and the storm. For example, if the number of seconds is 30, then the distance inbetween equals six miles, and find shelter immediately.
A.Make a safety plan |
B.Check the weather forecast ahead |
C.If this simple math is still confusing |
D.If you get indoors as soon as possible |
E.People are struck while camping, hiking or boating |
F.Staying calm will help you avoid meeting further dangers |
G.Car campers can stay in the vehicles when no other shelter is available |
7 . Recycling is good for our planet, but it can be confusing. Can I recycle plastic bags? What about pizza cartons? Toothpaste tubes? Which bin should I use? There are so many questions, and more than half of Americans are unsure about how to recycle.
Know what to put in the recycling bin. Keep it simple and focus on the most commonly recycled items, such as paper, glass, aluminum and plastic.
Wash or clean items. Do a quick clean to make sure there is no food left in containers before you put them in the bin.
Don’t bag it. Unless you live in a place that requires it, like New York City, keep the recyclables lost in the bin. “A lot of the time, it’s not safe for our employees to tear those bags open, or it takes too much time,” said Keller. “
A.Know what is not recyclable. |
B.The answers are not hard to find. |
C.A lot of bagged stuff goes right to the landfill. |
D.Plastic bags can be used again or returned to grocery stores. |
E.If you really don’t know if an item is recyclable, then just throw it in the garbage. |
F.This is really important if you only use one bin because food items could ruin paper. |
G.Hard plastics like water and soft drink bottles or anything like these can be recycled. |
Floods and landslides are hard
Areas
To protect against natural disasters, safety measures need to be taken by governments. Communities need to have small plans in place because
9 . In the 2010s, 34-year old Brianne Miller travelled around the world as a marine (海洋的) biologist. No matter how remote the location, she made the same alarming discovery: large amounts of plastic polluting the water and threatening marine life. Miller knew she needed to do something.
Canadians throw out three million tons of plastic waste each year, 33 per cent of which comes from food packaging. Miller, determined to solve the problem at the source, envisioned a shop that not just banned the use of plastic bags—a place that avoided both wasteful packaging and the bad habit of wasting food itself.
To put her thought into practice, in June 2018, Miller opened one of the first zero-waste grocery stores in Canada. She named it Nada. You can bring your own containers (容器), though it’s not necessary: right by the front door are recycled glass or plastic containers, free for the taking.
The early days of the pandemic (疫情) were hard on the business. Because food sales were restricted (限制), Nada closed its doors to the public for 18 months. But then Miller turned to online ordering and delivery. The zero-waste deliveries are made by e-bike and electric vehicles. Everything from olive oil to fresh eggs comes delivered in recycled containers, which are collected and reused for the next round of deliveries.
Those containers do so much more than just reduce waste. They get people thinking big, just as Miller had hoped they would. “You can see how many times the container has been used,” she says.
1. What made Miller take action to deal with plastic waste?A.The terrible situation of the ocean life. |
B.The strong desire to travel all over the world. |
C.The great responsibility of researching plastic. |
D.The respect and admiration from other biologists. |
A.Doubt. | B.Demand. | C.Advise. | D.Imagine. |
A.It asked consumers to pay for plastic containers. |
B.It went out of business because of the pandemic. |
C.It provided environmental friendly delivery service. |
D.It suggested people to buy less food to reduce waste. |
A.Kind and ambitious. | B.Creative and determined. |
C.Brave and humorous | D.Optimistic and confident. |
10 . Zheng Haiqiang and Ni Decong rose early on Jan. 24, before the break of dawn, to monitor Hainan gibbons (长臂猿). After a one-hour hike, they heard the animals howling, located their positions, and excitedly found one holding a baby cub.
There are 20 gibbon species recognized worldwide, of which six are known to come from China. The Hainan gibbon is the most endangered of them all and one of the world’s rarest primates. They can mainly be found in Bawangling National Nature Reserve in Changjiang county, western Hainan, which is part of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park.
Forty years ago, Bawangling formed a monitoring team, which consists of forest rangers and experienced villagers. The members of the monitoring team, like Zheng and Ni, will get up at 4 am every day. Science and technology help to scope out and predict locations where they may be able to observe the gibbons, and then they’ll wait for them to start howling at around 6 am, before taking photos and recording the lives of the gibbons.
The Hainan gibbons are a critically endangered and important flagship species. They serve as an indicator of the health and stability of the tropical island’s entire ecosystem, according to Qi Xunming, director of the Education and Publicity Division of Bawangling Branch of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Administration. “If the number of Hainan gibbons increases, it indicates that the local environment is healthy, complete and functioning well”, Qi says.
To educate people on the island’s exclusive residents, exhibitions have been held in schools and communities across the province. From Oct. 24 to 31, a science exhibition, Into the Mysterious “Gibbon Universe” of the Bawangling National Nature Reserve-the Familiar and Unfamiliar Facts of Hainan Gibbons was held at Hainan Library. With interesting, vivid and informative pictures and illustrations, the exhibition presented the living habits and population changes of Hainan gibbons, as well as the effects of conservation on the animal and its habitat.
“Hopefully, with more education and publicity, the national park administration will recruit more talents, and young people with a relatively high educational background will join the monitoring team”, Qi adds.
1. Why did Zheng and Ni get up early on Jan. 24?A.To finish mountain hiking. |
B.To register for a monitoring team. |
C.To locate and observe the Hainan gibbons. |
D.To take photos of Bawangling National Nature Reserve. |
A.Their number affects the local environment. |
B.They are well-protected by the monitoring team. |
C.They are the most endangered of all the primates. |
D.They are closely relevant to the entire local ecosystem. |
A.The monitoring team is helping local authorities with exhibitions. |
B.The administration will put more money into the conservation construction. |
C.More people will take an active part in Hainan gibbons’ protection in the future. |
D.Schools and communities paid no attention to Hainan gibbons before the exhibition. |
A.Hainan Gibbons: Rare but Helpful Creatures |
B.Monitoring Team: Hard but Meaningful Work |
C.Science Exhibitions: Approaching the Hainan Gibbons |
D.Bawangling National Nature Reserve: A Place of Biodiversity |