1 . Earth Day falls on April 22 each year to inform people about environmental problems and inspire them to act. It first came into being in 1970, followed in 1972 by World Environment Day. It has been celebrated ever since, slowly but surely picking up steam. Interestingly, it remained a grassroots affair for 20 years before spreading out to 140 countries in 1990. Now, it is celebrated around the world. Humans still face many challenges, such as climate change and plastic pollution. But we can all make a difference.

When Claire was in the seventh grade, she learned about plans to expand and modernize her middle school. As a follower of Earth Day, she wanted to help. Claire asked the school board to add solar panels to the project because, she explained, clean energy would contribute to a truly modern school, and help her school pursue sustainable development.

The board liked the idea but said it could contribute just $25,000, one-fifth of the cost. So Clarie turned to the community, looking for a solution. Her friends and neighbors shared her enthusiasm. Soon Claire organized a group of kids and adults, who set to work raising the rest. They wrote grant (拨款) requests, put on a talent show and asked for donations, even going door-to-door for them at Halloween. And they appealed to charitable foundations too. One donated more than half the cost!

After two years of hard work, the group paid for the solar panels, which now supply one-fourth of the school’s electricity needs, saving the district thousands of dollars. “My favorite part about this project was that one person could start something small and then the project could grow and have a big impact on the community,” Claire said “There are always going to be barriers and hard parts. When there’s a challenge presented to you, use it as a learning moment and an opportunity to overcome it.”

You can be a hero for the environment, so find out what can be recycled where you live.

1. What can we learn about Earth Day from the first paragraph?

A．It was first celebrated on April 22, 1972.	B．It gained instant popularity worldwide.
C．It aims to raise environmental awareness.	D．It promotes solutions to human challenges.

2. Why did Claire give advice to her school?

A．To sell the solar panels.	B．To make her school greener.
C．To improve academic grades.	D．To beautify the school campus.

3. What is paragraph 3 of the text mainly about?

A．The vital role of charities.	B．Difficulties in raising money.
C．Constant efforts on the project.	D．Financial support from the public.

4. Which of the following can best describe Claire?

A．Responsible and determined.	B．Generous and creative.
C．Energetic and reliable.	D．Curious and adventurous.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

For those consuming Asian food, using chopsticks     1    (be) almost second nature. About 20 to 33 percent of people in the world use chopsticks     2     a daily basis. Not all of those are disposable (一次性的),     3     no doubt many are.

Felix Böck, a student at the University of British Columbia, was eager to find a way to recycle wood from construction projects, and he had a particular interest in bamboo. One day he found a drawer in his friend’s house     4    (fill) with disposable bamboo chopsticks, and an idea hit him.

He decided to give     5     second life to disposable chopsticks by making them into home     6    (decoration) or other accessories (配件). He told the idea to restaurant owners,     7    (convince) them to install recycling bins in their restaurants. He cleaned the chopsticks, pressed them into square pieces and coated them with glue. The square pieces were then     8    (creative) arranged into household and office products. Böck’s company, called Chop Value, has repurposed chopsticks into desktops, cutting boards and even table games.

Since 2016 when the company     9    (found), Chop Value has rescued billions of chopsticks from landfills. Instead of an economy of the typical take-make-dispose model, Chop Value seeks to create one     10     transforms waste into a usable resource.

4 . Nobody wants to snack on plastic bags or soda rings, but according to a recent study from the University of Neweastle, we could be consuming roughly a credit card's worth of plastic every week.

Microplastic, which are less than a quarter-inch size and come in various shapes, have polluted the natural world and infiltrated(渗入)our bodies. The first clue to microplastic exposure in humans came around 2013, when scientists discovered plastic particles in seafood prepared for consumption. But in 2019, when the University of Newcastle study was published, the scientific community understood that the problem was considerably broader. Microplastics shed off clothes and tires and have been found in beer, honey, table salt and other food items. We breathe in plastic staying in the air and drink plastic floating in our drinks. It's no stretch to conclude that our exposure is significant. What we don't know is what this means for us.

The amount of evidence collected on this subject is growing rapidly, according to Scott Coffin, a toxicologist(毒理学家). Studies done on mice and rats have found that plastic in their bodies can severely damage cells and cause stress.

Because microplastics are too small to clean up, the only solution is to stop plastic waste at the source. And doing so would take a thorough adjustment, given that plastics are deeply embedded in our economy and lifestyle. Stopping using them would fundamentally affect countless industries, including textiles(纺织业), transportation and manufacturing.

"I think we need to have more studies coming out that are directly related to human health before we see a lot more concern from the general public," Scott said. "It takes a lot to convince people that something that is really convenient for them to use is something they should sacrifice."

The question of microplastics and human health needs more attention—from the scientific community ,the general public, the government and funding groups. The issue isn't being ignored, but it's not being prioritized either.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us about microplastics?

A．Their wide usage in daily life.

B．Their harm to human health.

C．Their significant exposure in humans.

D．The new study conducted on them.

2. What does the underlined part "this subject" refer to?

A．The way that microplastics exist.

B．The pollution caused by microplastics.

C．The relationship between microplastics and human health.

D．The reason for the existence of microplastics.

3. How to solve the problem according to Scott?

A．To cut down plastic production.

B．To carry out more studies on mice and rats.

C．To invent something more convenient than plastics.

D．To promote people's awareness on the harm brought by microplastics.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage?

A．Is Microplastic pollution harmful to our health?

B．Why is Microplastic pollution everywhere?

C．Why is plastic harmful?

D．What do you know about Microplastics?