1 . Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing promise in earthquake prediction, challenging the long-held belief that it is impossible. Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, have developed an AI algorithm(算法) that correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week in advance during a trial in China and provided accurate strength calculations for the predicted earthquakes.
The research team believes their method succeeded because they stuck with a relatively simple machine learning approach. The AI was provided with a set of statistical features based on the team’s knowledge of earthquake physics, and then instructed to train itself using a five-year database of earthquake recordings. Once trained, the AI provided its prediction by listening for signs of incoming earthquakes within the background rumblings(隆隆声) in the Earth.
This work is clearly a milestone in research for AI-driven earthquake prediction. “You don’t see earthquakes coming,” explains Alexandros Savvaidis, a senior research scientist who leads the Texas Seismological Network Program (TexNet). “It’s a matter of milliseconds, and the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. Even with the 70% accuracy, that’s a huge result and could help minimize economic and human losses and has the potential to remarkably improve earthquake preparation worldwide.”
While it is unknown whether the same approach will work at other locations, the researchers are confident that their AI algorithm could produce more accurate predictions if used in areas with reliable earthquake tracking networks. The next step is to test artificial intelligence in Texas, since UT’s Bureau TexNet hastions and over six years worth of continuous records, making it an ideal location 300 earthquake sta for these purposes.
Eventually, the authors hope to combine the system with physics-based models. This strategy could prove especially important where data is poor or lacking. “That may be a long way off, but many advances such as this one, taken together, are what moves science forward,” concludes Scott Tinker, the bureau’s director.
1. How does the AI forecast earthquakes?| A．By identifying data from the satellites. |
| B．By analyzing background sounds in the Earth. |
| C．By modeling data based on earthquake recordings. |
| D．By monitoring changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. |
| A．The ways to reduce losses in earthquakes. |
| B．The importance of preparing for earthquakes. |
| C．The significance of developing the AI prediction. |
| D．The limitation of AI algorithms in earthquake prediction. |
| A．Conducting tests in different locations. |
| B．Applying the AI approach to other fields. |
| C．Building more earthquake stations in Texas. |
| D．Enlarging the database to train the calculation accuracy. |
| A．Stable but outdated. |
| B．Effective but costly. |
| C．Potential and economical. |
| D．Pioneering and promising. |
2 . Waterways are important for every country around the world. They provide not only water for everyday use but also routes for transport. However, due to industrial activity, many of them are now polluted.
Dakota Perry from the US has experienced water pollution first-hand. The 15-year-old high school girl told Alabama Local News that she spends a lot of time going on boat rides with her dad on the river behind their house. However, the river has become littered with plastic bags, bottles and cups. Perry wanted to clean up the water so she could continue to enjoy the river. So, with the help of her father, she designed a system to collect and remove rubbish in waterways.
In May, Perry put forward her solution at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair held in Georgia, US, and received a Judge’s Award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for her project.
According to the Science News for Students website, her system was inspired by the Dutch Great Bubble (气泡) Barrier in Amsterdam, which creates a flow of bubbles that trap waste and directs it to a catchment system. But Perry tried to challenge herself and make her system more environment-friendly. She planned to create a curtain of bubbles that stretched the river diagonally (对角地). The curtain would stop the floating rubbish and then push it toward the shore. Once there, a conveyor run by a solar-powered battery would carry the waste to a dustbin.
In her backyard pool, Perry used an air compressor (压缩机) to send air through a pipe full of holes to create a stream of bubbles. She experimented with different amounts of pressure to make sure there would be enough bubbles to form a full curtain. “For the bubble system to actually work and collect rubbish,” she explained to Science News for Students, “I have to know how much pressure the air compressor is supposed to push out.”
After she tested her system for collecting rubbish, Perry found that it worked better than expected. Next, she plans to work out how to use the power of the river to run the air compressor.
1. What motivated Perry to design a rubbish-collecting system?| A．Her father’s encouragement. |
| B．Her desire to protect a nearby river. |
| C．A visit to a science and engineering fair. |
| D．An invention of a Dutch high school student. |
| A．It was designed by Perry alone. |
| B．It makes power to run the air compressor. |
| C．It collects solar energy to remove rubbish. |
| D．It creates a bubble curtain to block rubbish. |
| A．Advantages of the system. | B．The way of testing the system. |
| C．The improvement on the system. | D．Challenges in the design process. |
| A．Efficient and ambitious. | B．Helpful and hardworking. |
| C．Responsible and creative. | D．Professional and adventurous. |
3 . Climate change is causing more areas to turn into deserts. This issue is affecting the lives of 250 million people as land that used to be good for farming becomes dry and unproductive. Around one-third of the world’s land is impacted, including regions in Africa, southern Europe, Asia and America.
Sand to Green is a Moroccan company that can transform a patch of desert into a sustainable (可持续的) and profitable plantation in five years, according to Wissal Ben Moussa, its co-founder and chief agricultural officer. The solution is using agroforestry (农林业)to create a new kind of agriculture that is sustainable and that can be resilient (有适应力的) in front of climate change.
The system can be set up close to any source of salty water, which Sand to Green cleans using energy from the sun. It then grows different types of fruit trees and plants together in the same area—a method called mixed planting—and waters the plants’ roots directly with the cleaned water, to reduce water loss to the air. The soil is regenerated using what Sand to Green calls “green manure”, a mixture that includes compost, biochar(生物炭)and microorganisms that help the soil “wake up”. Biochar is a form of charcoal that can help dry soil hold on to water.
In a five-hectare trial in southern Morocco that’s been running since 2017, Sand to Green has tried out a variety of plants in search of the best performers. Among the intercropping herbs (草本植物) that have been successfully trialed are rosemary, geranium, vetiver and citronella, which Ben Moussa describes as “very low-maintenance and very high-profit”.
Sand to Green is now working to scale up to a 20-hectare commercial site, also in southern Morocco. It says a site of that size would cost around $475,000 to set up and would start bringing financial returns in about five years.
According to Ben Moussa, with this system they create biodiversity, which means better soil, healthier crops and a bigger yield. The plantation can generate 1.5 times more yield, thus making more money than a farm that grows only one type of crop in the same space.
1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 1?| A．Deforestation. | B．Desertification. |
| C．Global warming. | D．Urbanization. |
| A．To preserve the crop’s survival rate. |
| B．To protect water from pollution. |
| C．To make a new type of soil. |
| D．To help people adapt to climate change. |
| A．It aims to plant more trees. |
| B．It earns a good reputation. |
| C．It develops new plants. |
| D．It produces good results. |
| A．Expand. | B．Object. | C．Refer. | D．Prefer. |
4 . “The era of global warming has ended and the era of global boiling has arrived,” the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said after scientists confirmed July 2023 was the world’s hottest month on record.
“Humanity is in the hot seat,” Guterres told a press conference on Thursday. “For vast parts of North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, it is a cruel summer. For the entire planet, it is a disaster. And for scientists, it is clear that humans are to blame. Climate change is here, it is terrifying, and it is just the beginning. The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.”
Guterres urged politicians to take swift action. “The air is unbreathable, the heat is unbearable, and the level of fossil fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable. Leaders must lead. No more hesitancy, no more excuses, and no more waiting for others to move first. There is simply no more time for that.”
“It is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5℃and avoid the very worst of climate change but only with dramatic, immediate climate action. We have seen some progress, but none of this is going far enough or fast enough. Accelerating temperatures demand accelerated action.”
The WMO secretary general, Petteri Taalas, said, “The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever before. Climate action is not a luxury but a must.”
Other climate scientists confirmed the findings. Karsten Haustein at Leipzig University found the world was 1.5℃ hotter in July 2023 than in the average July before industrialisation.
Marina Romanello, a climate and health researcher at University College London, said, “We have data showing how the very foundations of health are being undermined by climate change. But we still have time today to turn the tide and to ensure a liveable future for us and our children.”
1. What made Guterres feel worried?| A．Global economy. | B．Natural disasters. |
| C．Serious pollution. | D．Rising temperatures. |
| A．To appeal to quick action. | B．To change people’s concept. |
| C．To frighten the general public. | D．To make his report vivid. |
| A．By analyzing some facts. | B．By quoting some experts. |
| C．By offering statistics. | D．By giving explanations. |
| A．Global Boiling: It Is Time to Act. |
| B．Global Boiling: Who Is to Blame? |
| C．Global Boiling: It Isn’t That Serious |
| D．Global Boling: What Measure Should Be Taken? |
5 . Nature has the power to alter an element’s identity with time and space. This is evident by the transformative effect Britain’s deep coal mines have been showing after decades of being one of the biggest reasons for pollution. Now, they’re being employed to supply green energy to the town of Gateshead. The town is the first place to experience something like this in the country, but the success of the phenomenon has encouraged the authorities to apply it to other towns.
In 2021, coal was just producing 2% of electricity in the UK. Most of the electricity in the country is being supplied through oil and gas. This has resulted in massive abandoned coal mines all across the country. As years went by, these mines were flooded with water, making it a source of geothermal（地热的） energy, which is used to generate heat and electricity. Gateshead hosts such a mine in its town, whose council, therefore, launched a mine water project in March 2023.
The authorities put in a large central heat pump in the mine. Mine water can often sit with a temperature of 45℃. The water is then pumped using appliances to home heat pumps. The process increases the temperature further. The water then goes ahead and warms up the interior space and home water supply. After the heat from the water has been used, it’s sent back to the mine where it again goes through the same process. The project has been successful in supplying low-carbon heating to 350 high-rise buildings, a college and several office buildings.
“Recovering heat from mine water below the ground within abandoned coal mines provides an exciting opportunity to generate a low-carbon secure supply of heat, benefitting people living or working in buildings on the coalfields,” said Gareth Farr, head of heat and by-product innovation at the Coal Authority.
The water resources through the mines are estimated to be two billion cubic meters or half the amount of water in Loch Ness. Farr added, “With many millions of people living upon abandoned coalfields in Great Britain, the potential for mine water heat could be significant.”
1. What does the town of Gateshead feature?| A．It’s been one of the most heavily polluted areas. | B．It has the most deep coal mines nationally. |
| C．It mainly relies on geothermal energy. | D．It is the first one to reuse abandoned coal mines. |
| A．They were quite remote. | B．Prices of coal declined a lot. |
| C．There weren’t enough miners. | D．The UK prioritizes cleaner energy. |
| A．The number of abandoned coal mines is stably increasing. |
| B．The future of sourcing energy from coal mines is promising. |
| C．The dependence on water resources in the UK is decreasing. |
| D．The technique to take advantage of mine water is impressive. |
| A．An innovative way to obtain green energy. | B．A method of living in harmony with nature. |
| C．A national project for abandoned facilities. | D．A discussion on the future of coal mines. |
6 . In recent years, the popular idea of reducing carbon footprints by eating locally to cut down food miles has come under close examination. However, a recent study published in Nature Food indicates that global food miles might account for as much as 20 percent of food-related emissions, a significantly higher percentage than previous estimations. This statement begs the question: Are food miles more significant than we initially believed?
Food miles represent the distance food travels from production to consumption, with previous studies suggesting that the emissions from these miles are tiny compared to the emissions produced during the food growing process. For instance, producing one kilogram of beef generates almost 99 kg of CO2, while apples only produce 0.4 kg per kilogram. If the goal is to minimize dietary carbon footprints, it would be more beneficial to choose foods with lower overall carbon footprints, even if they have to travel a distance. Therefore, reducing meat and dairy intake could prove to be a more effective strategy.
The recent study doesn’t contradict (相矛盾) this conclusion. The reason why the reported proportion is higher is that the calculation includes all transport involved, including the transportation of fertilizers, farm equipment, and pesticides (杀虫剂). Hannah Ritchie, a researcher at the University of Oxford, suggests that a term other than “food miles” would be more appropriate to avoid any confusion. If the study had followed the standard definition of food miles, the per-centage would drop to 9 percent, which corresponds more closely with the 4 to 6 percent found in prior research.
Moreover, the study theorizes that even if all food was produced in the countries where it is consumed, the reduction in emissions would only be 1.7 percent overall. This is due to the fact that a larger proportion of food would be transported by road rather than by sea, with trucks producing higher emissions per ton of cargo than ships.
“So, overall, the bottom line is still that what you eat has a much bigger impact on emissions than the distance that food has to travel to reach you,” said Ritchie.
1. What has the recent study found?| A．Food production has caused a lot of carbon emissions. |
| B．Carbon emissions from food miles are increasing rapidly. |
| C．Carbon emission reduction largely depends on eating locally. |
| D．Global food miles lead to more carbon emissions than expected. |
| A．To explain the benefits of apples |
| B．To highlight food production’s effect |
| C．To compare beef and apple production |
| D．To advocate short-distance transportation |
| A．Supplying high-calory foods |
| B．Upgrading food delivery systems |
| C．Reducing meat and dairy consumption |
| D．Avoiding chemical pesticides for plants |
| A．Unfavourable. | B．Supportive. | C．Tolerant. | D．Uncertain. |
7 . As the Earth turns, its rotational axis (自转轴) naturally move a bit. Anything from ocean currents, to shifting molten rock under the crust, to the melting (融化) of glaciers caused by climate change can cause the axis to drift (飘移). Water stored in artificial lakes and seasonal changes in atmospheric winds can play a role as well.
But global warming isn’t the only human-caused factor moving the planet’s axis as some of us believe. A new study estimates that between 1993 and 2010, the pumping of groundwater and the resulting sea-level rise caused the axis lo drift by about 2.6 feet. “Every mass moving around on the surface of the Earth can change the rotational axis,” said Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University.
In the study, the researchers used a computer model to look at the effects of different factors on the shift of the axis. When they didn’t include groundwater removal in their model, their predictions did not match the level of shift that scientists have observed. But when they look into account the massive amount of pumped water — which totaled more than two trillion tons between 1993 and 2010 ― their model fit the real-world observations. From this analysis, the researchers estimate that the axis is moving 1.7 inches per year due to groundwater removal. Of the factors the study looked at, pumping groundwater was the second-largest contributor to the axis drifting, behind the melting Greenland ice sheet.
The paper calls attention to just how much water humans have pumped, as Clark Wilson, a geoscientist at the University of Texas, tells Science. “The precise number doesn’t matter really. What matters is that the volume is so huge that it can impact the polar drift of the Earth,” he says. “Groundwater removed from sites at the Earth’s midlatitudes (中纬度), such as in the U.S. and India, has a large impact on polar drift, compared with extraction at the equator or the poles. However, most of the pumping has occurred in these high-impact zones, causing the water removal to have a bigger effect on the axis,” says Wilson.
1. What does the author aim to do with the second paragraph?| A．To correct a wrong belief. | B．To describe a phenomenon. |
| C．To provide related data. | D．To test a new theory. |
| A．putting it to field tests |
| B．storing related information in it |
| C．comparing it with real-world facts |
| D．doing real-world observations with it |
| A．The melting of ice sheet. | B．The atmospheric winds. |
| C．The artificial lakes. | D．The groundwater pumping. |
| A．Factors That Affect the Earth’s Rotation |
| B．Challenges of Groundwater Our World Faces |
| C．Climate Change Has Shifted the Earth’s Axis |
| D．Groundwater Pumping Has Changed the Earth’s Axis |
8 . In 2008, when National Geographic Explorer and photojournalist Martin Edstrom learned about the discovery of Hang Son Doong in Vietnam, he realized the cave’s vast “room”—as large as a city block—would be a perfect showcase for the 360-degree and virtual reality(VR) technologies he was using. And while he loves heading to remote places, he doesn’t regard this part of his work as “exploration”. “I find that going to these remote and challenging places brings out the best in me creatively,” he says.
Edstrom traveled with a small team deep into the jungle to reach the remote entrance to the cave. There, they used robotic camera heads, a single DSLR and several smaller camera rigs to build immersive(沉浸的), 360-degree environments that viewers could “inhabit” via VR headsets. This technology was beginning to go mainstream, with Facebook launching their 360-video service in 2015.
The media that Edstrom and his team created allows people to have an intimate (亲密的)—though digital—experience of a natural wonder that few will ever witness firsthand. “The joy of this is really that I get to step out of these restrictions of the frame. I can put people inside the experience,” Edstrom explains. “They get to see what I see.”
Inspiring wonder of the natural world can also help catalyze positive action. The discovery of Hang Son Doong prompted great interest from investors looking to capitalize on the site’s heritage value, including one company that proposed running a cable car through a section of the cave. By drawing international attention to the cave, Edstrom’s 360-degree interactive videos may have played a part in ensuring its preservation: for now, just one tour operator is licensed by the Vietnam government to conduct expeditions to Hang Son Doong, and these are limited to four days. For Edstrom, this is exactly the kind of outcome he’s looking for.
1. Why did Edstrom travel to Hang Son Doong?| A．To attend a photo exhibition. |
| B．To test a new VR technology. |
| C．To photograph for a magazine. |
| D．To explore further into the cave. |
| A．It is supported by simple equipment. |
| B．It is similar to Edstrom’s technology. |
| C．It is still leading the world in VR technology. |
| D．It is designed for Hang Son Doong tourists. |
| A．Deal with. | B．Figure out. | C．Keep up. | D．Bring about. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Confused. | C．Guilty. | D．Worried. |
9 . Campaigners opposing the building of new wind farms often point to the possibility that the blades of wind turbines (涡轮机) can cut careless birds to bits. No one doubts that wind turbines kill some birds. But a new analysis of American data, published in Environmental Science & Technology, suggests the numbers have little impact on bird populations.
Wind power has expanded dramatically in America over the past 20 years. Many studies have analysed the effects in specific locations or on specific bird species. But few have looked at the effects on wildlife at the population level. Dr. Katovich, an economist at the University of Geneva, used the Christmas Bird Count, a citizen-science project. Volunteers count birds they spot over Christmas, and the society edits the numbers. Its records stretch back over a century.
Dr. Katovich assumed, reasonably, that if wind turbines harmed bird populations, then the numbers seen in the Christmas Bird Count would drop in places where new turbines had been built. He combined bird population and species maps with the locations and construction dates of all wind turbines in America, with the exceptions of Alaska and Hawaii, between 2000 and 2020. He found that building turbines had no obvious effect on bird populations. That reassuring finding held even when he looked specifically at large birds that many people believe are particularly easy to be struck.
Dr. Katovich didn’t limit his analysis to wind power alone. He also examined oil-and-gas extraction (提取). Like wind power, this has boomed in America over the past decades. Comparing bird populations to the locations of new gas wells revealed an average 15% drop in bird numbers when new wells were drilled, probably due to a combination of noise, air pollution and the disturbance of rivers and ponds that many birds rely upon. When drilling happened in places designated by experts as “important bird areas”, bird numbers instead dropped by 25%. Such places are typically migration hubs, feeding grounds or breeding locations.
Wind power, in other words, not only produces far less planet-heating gas than fossil fuels. It appears to be significantly less damaging to wildlife, too. Wind turbines might look dramatic, but their effect on birds isn’t.
1. What does a new analysis find about wind farms?| A．They take the lives of careless birds. | B．They improve birds’ living conditions. |
| C．They do little harm to bird populations. | D．Their harmful effects on birds vary a lot. |
| A．By counting bird numbers in different locations. |
| B．By relating bird numbers to turbines’ distribution. |
| C．By researching perfect places to build turbines. |
| D．By studying the decline of birds near turbines. |
| A．The wide spread of wind turbines. | B．The over-development of farming. |
| C．The lack of environmental concern. | D．The drilling of wells for oil and gas. |
| A．Wind Turbines and Birds Can Co-exist | B．Oil Drilling Shares the Sky With Birds |
| C．Several Factors Lead to Bird Decline | D．Campaigners Oppose Bird Disturbance |
China will build the world’s largest national park system, and a layout plan will be released soon. The plan is being drafted
