1 . Darrell Blatchley, a marine biologist and environmentalist based in the Philippine city of Davao, received a call from the Philippines, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (渔业与水产资源局) early Friday morning reporting a death of a young whale.
When the necropsy (尸检) was performed, Blatchley told NPR, he was not prepared for the amount of plastic they found in the whale’s stomach. “It was full of plastic nothing but nonstop plastic.” he said “It was filled to the point that its stomach was as hard as a baseball.” That means that this animal has been suffering not for days or weeks but for months or even a year or more,” Blatchley added.
Blatchley is the founder and owner of the D’Bone Collector Museum, a natural history museum in Davao. In the coming days, the museum will display all the items found in the whale’s system. Blatchley and his team work with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other organizations to assist in rescue and recovery of marine animals.
“Within the last 10 years, we have recovered 61 whales and dolphins just within the Davao Gulf,” he said. “Of them, 57 have died due to man whether they took plastic or fishing nets or other waste, or gotten caught in pollution — and four were pregnant.”
Blatchley said he hoped that the latest incident would launch the issue of plastic pollution in the Philippines and across the globe. “If we keep going this way, it will be more uncommon to see an animal die of natural causes than it is to see an animal die of plastic,” he said.
1. What can be inferred from the second paragraph?A.The whale was starved to death. |
B.Blatchley was shocked at what he found. |
C.The dead whale must have swallowed a baseball. |
D.Blatchley didn’t make preparations for the necropsy. |
A.Waste collected from the ocean. |
B.The whole system of the whale. |
C.Things found in the whale’s body. |
D.Many different tools of whaling. |
A.Uncommon. | B.Worrying. | C.Inspiring. | D.Mild. |
A.A Whale Found Dead of Plastic |
B.Stand Up for Protecting Whales |
C.Plastic Threatening Our Existence |
D.Natural Death or Merciless Murder |
2 . Scientists have come up with a new way to measure ocean trash(垃圾) and the numbers are even worse than thought. In 2010, eight million tons of plastic trash ended up in the ocean from coastal countries far more than the trash floating on the surface of the ocean. That ' s bad news. The even worse news is that the tonnage may increase by as much as ten times in the next decade unless the world finds a better way to improve how trash is collected and managed.
The new study identifies the major sources of plastic trash and names the top 20 countries producing the greatest amount of ocean trash. The United States is 20th. The rest of the list includes 11 Asian countries, Turkey, five African countries, and Brazil.
The size of the difference is huge --- 20 to 2,000 times more than the amount of floating trash. To make the figure eight million tons understandable, Jenna Jambeck, who led the study, compares it to lining up five grocery bags of trash on every foot of coastline around the globe. "And by 2025, those five grocery bags of plastic are going to be ten bags," she says. That would be 155 million tons a year if present trash management practices remain the same."
Ocean plastic has turned up everywhere. It has been found in the deep sea and buried in Arctic ice with terrible consequences for some 700 species of wildlife in the ocean.
The study has also created a new mystery. Because what flows into the ocean is so large, scientists now have to figure out where else it collects and in what amounts. "But what we need to do now is close the gap." says Richard Thompson, a scientist from the U.K.
1. What is the most serious problem concerning ocean trash?A.There is no way to get rid of it. |
B.Eight million tons of trash goes into the ocean. |
C.A lot more trash may be put into the ocean in the future. |
D.The way to measure ocean trash hasn't been found. |
A.showing the causes | B.describing a process |
C.making comparisons | D.making a classification |
A.what is harmless and what is dangerous |
B.what is on the surface and what is in the deep sea |
C.what is found and what can be recycled |
D.what is from America and what is from other countries |
A.Doubtful. | B.Hopeless. | C.Critical. | D.Concerned. |
3 . Garbage sorting has become a hot issue around China, especially after Shanghai began carrying out a regulation on July 1.
Beijing, as a forerunner in environmental protection, has thus been expected to follow suit. The capital of the country has long been campaigning for sorting and recycling household waste, as part of its environmental drive for sustainable growth, local media reported.
The current regulation gives garbage sorting responsibilities to government departments, property management groups and other organizations. It also gives rules for companies, outlining how they’re responsible for waste collection, transportation and treatment. Only individuals are not subject to responsibilities.
The long-awaited revision will soon change the situation, “Taking out the trash without sorting it properly will be illegal,” said Sun Xinjun, director of the Beijing Commission of Urban Management. In Shanghai, violators are now fined up to 200 yuan ($30)for trash-sorting violations. The maximum fine in Beijing will not be less than that, he said.
The Beijing city government first set out to promote garbage sorting in 2009. Authorities have since called on citizens to sort their household waste into four types-recyclable waste, kitchen trash, dangerous waste and others-and leave it in a corresponding dustbin or trash can. Blue-colored dustbins signify items within are recyclable, green represents kitchen trash, red corresponds to dangerous materials and grey to other waste.
To promote the awareness of garbage sorting and expand the base of participants, authorities have employed workers to help residents on the spot. With intelligent devices, those who throw in recyclable waste at given sites will be rewarded with bonus points, which can be used to buy daily goods. At some communities, there are no color-coded dustbins. Instead, a scheduled garbage collection service is offered to help improve the environment. In other communities, workers offer a door-to-door service to collect recyclables or kitchen waste.
Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group has been promoting new garbage sorting facilities such as recycling cabinets and smart kitchen waste trash cans since 2016, Xinhua News Agency reported. Nearly 26,000 metric tons of household waste is generated across Beijing on a daily basis and 29 terminal garbage disposal facilities are working at full capacity. Nearly 9.3 million tons of household waste was processed in the city last year.
1. According to the passage, which dustbins should some used coke cans be thrown into?A.Grey-colored dustbins. | B.Red-colored dustbins. |
C.Green-colored dustbins. | D.Blue-colored dustbins. |
A.new technology has been applied to help deal with garbage |
B.Beijing carried out a more severe rule on garbage sorting than Shanghai |
C.the change of the current regulation has aroused objection among citizens |
D.the amount of household waste in Beijing is far from something disturbing |
A.How to Sort Garbage in China | B.The Current Regulation in Beijing |
C.Garbage Collection in Beijing | D.Waste Recycling Project Counts |
A.a book review | B.a travel brochure |
C.an environment report | D.a geography essay |
4 . “Birds” and “airports” are two words that, paired together,don’t normally paint the most harmonious picture. So it really raises some eyebrows when China announces plans to build an airport that is for birds.
Described as the world’s first-ever bird airport, the proposed Lingang Bird Sanctuary(保护区)in the northern coastal city of Tianjin is, of course,not an actual airport. Rather,it's a wetland preserve specifically designed to accommodate hundreds-even thousands-of daily takeoffs and landings by birds traveling along the East Asian-Australian Flyway. Over 50 species of migratory (迁徙的)water birds,some endangered, will stop and feed at the protected sanctuary before continuing their long journey along the flyway.
Located on a former landfill site,the 150-acre airport is also open to human travelers.(Half a million visitors are expected annually.) However,instead of duty-free shopping,the main attraction for non-egg-laying creatures at Tianjin’s newest airport will be a green-roofed education and research center, a series of raised “observation platforms” and a network of scenic walking and cycling paths totaling over 4 miles.
“The proposed Bird Airport will be a globally significant sanctuary for endangered migratory bird species, while providing new green lungs for the city of Tianjin.” Adrian McGregor of an Australian landscape architecture firm explained of the design. Frequently blanketed in smog so thick that it has shut down real airports, Tianjin is a city---China’s fourth most populous----that would certainly benefit from a new pair of healthy green lungs•
1. The underlined phrase “non-egg-laying creatures” in Paragraph 3 refers to?A.Visitors. | B.Designers. |
C.Endangered water birds. | D.Planes. |
A.People cannot watch birds up close here. |
B.It is located on a 150-acre landfill site. |
C.It functions as an actual airport and a wetland preserve. |
D.It provides migratory birds with food and shelter. |
A.The airport will become a permanent home for birds. |
B.Tianjin will win worldwide fame in the future. |
C.Tianjin’s air quality will improve thanks to the airport. |
D.Tianjin will be able to accommodate more people. |
A.Airports shut down and open up. |
B.China is to open the first Bird Airport. |
C.Airports turn into green lungs. |
D.Birds are no longer enemies to airports. |
5 . Some years ago, Michel-Andre found himself staring at the body of a dead whale on a beach in the Canary Islands. It was obvious that the animal had been struck violently by a ship——but why? Only later, after surveying the whales which lived in the area and measuring the increase of sound pollution from ships did it become clear that there was a link.
The whales had become desensitised to the noise of approaching boats and were being struck by them, often seriously. “We never thought that this could be something that could kill,” recalls (回忆) Andre, who is the director of the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics at the Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona.
Andre has spent 20 years developing an advanced system to better understand why incidents like this happen. His underwater microphones have exposed a world of deafening sound and animal communication never observed with such clarity(清晰) before.
It was not an easy task. Sound waves don't travel through water in the uniform, predictable way they do through the air. Instead, the temperature, salinity (盐度) and, flow of water have great effects on their path.
What can be done? One solution is to change shipping routes to courses where ships are statistically less likely to meet animals. It’s also possible to slow ships down to 18km/h or less, which is less likely to seriously injure a whale.
As for dealing with the root cause of the problem, the UN’s International Maritime Organisation has already published guidelines on how to quieten ships, but it will be a while before the effects of such changes might be observed.
“The ocean is not our world,” comments Andre. But it is ours to look after. And thanks to his work, we can better understand the effects of subsea sound pollution.
1. What does the underlined word “desensitised” in Paragraph 2 mean?A.Stubborn. | B.Flexible. | C.Dull. | D.Friendly. |
A.To lower the speed of ships. |
B.To reduce the number of ships. |
C.To set up preserves under the sea. |
D.To give the injured animals timely treatment. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Disapproving. | C.Positive. | D.Uncaring. |
A.A great expert. | B.Noise in the sea. |
C.Animals in the sea. | D.Sea exploration technology. |
A. infections B. factors C. particularly D. separate E. seriously F. passive G. mixtures H. significantly I. present J. negative K. exposed |
Air pollution triggers (引发)more heart attacks than using cocaine and poses as high a risk of sparking a heart attack as alcohol, coffee and physical exertion, scientists said on Thursday. Anger, marijuana (大麻)use and chest or respiratory (与呼吸有关的)
The findings, published in The Lancet journal, suggest population-wide
Nawrot’s team combined data from thirty-six
A report published late last year found that air pollution in many major cities in Asia exceeds the WHO’s air quality guidelines and that poisonous
7 . An art program is helping students at some of the lowest performing schools in the United States.
On June 8,much of the world
This year, the theme is “Our Oceans, Our Future,” with special emphasis on finding solutions to plastic pollution, and
The world's oceans
Nearly half of all species on Earth depend on the oceans for survival, and for many of the rest, including people, the oceans
The oceans are also
And yet, as much as 40 percent of the world’s oceans are
Once there, it begins to
On World Oceans Day, we must remember that the health and safety of our oceans is our collective
A.makes | B.observes | C.watches | D.establishes |
A.impact | B.energy | C.effort | D.attempt |
A.promoting | B.defending | C.preventing | D.protecting |
A.carry | B.wrap | C.involve | D.cover |
A.abundance | B.effect | C.influence | D.feature |
A.destroy | B.improve | C.damage | D.spoil |
A.accessible | B.indispensable | C.harmful | D.available |
A.certainty | B.doubt | C.phenomenon | D.symptom |
A.revolution | B.contribution | C.resolution | D.distribution |
A.hardly | B.barely | C.nearly | D.heavily |
A.importance | B.concern | C.value | D.priority |
A.makes its way | B.loses its way | C.fights its way | D.goes its own way |
A.break out | B.break down | C.break into | D.break through |
A.digested | B.disliked | C.enjoyed | D.swallowed |
A.source | B.resource | C.responsibility | D.wealth |
8 . According to the International Ecotourism Society, eco-travel is “responsible travel to natural areas that protects the environment, maintains the well-beings and involves education”. Eco-travel is on the rise, as more and more people become conscious about their carbon footprint.
Expert from Boundless Journeys, Matt Holmes, who works-on travel experiences towards conserving areas said, “As scientists and non-scientists learn more about how we human beings are impacting the planet, I think. more people want to do what they can while still exploring the world. Our guests are definitely interested in that aspect of our journeys. Travelers can farm their own food in Italy, managing their use of water and using solar or wind power. They can also visit n family-run camp that cares for retired logging elephants in Myanmar, know a park entry fee goes to a conservation organization in Costa Rica, employ and train members of the local community or partner with a protection group. There are lots of options for seeking out greener holiday.”
Most people believe that eco-travel is expensive and it is true. Matt explained “Anti-poaching patrols (巡逻) need to be paid, solar energy equipment costs a lot to install, building with environmentally friendly, materials is more expensive and so on. The extra cost is necessary, as you re paying to minimize your footprint and protect the places you visit, which is exactly what eco-travel is about. The financial success and sustainability (可持续性) of an eco- focused operation doesn’t come from thin air.” The industry is trying to make eco-travel affordable and make it accessible to the common people.
1. What is the positive influence of eco-friendly travel?A.It enables travelers to protect the environment while traveling |
B.It keeps human beings healthy and happy in a friendly atmosphere. |
C.It teaches us to be responsible for the development of economy. |
D.It offers some valuable education about the knowledge of gardening. |
A.eating delicious food in Italy | B.visiting elephants in the zoo |
C.working together with a protection group | D.raising park entry fee in Costa Rica |
A.Why eco-travel is expensive. |
B.How we can make eco-travel less expensive. |
C.What material are used in eco-travel. |
D.Where we can go for eco-travel. |
9 . Coca-Cola, which reportedly produced more than 3 million tons of plastic packaging in 2017, announced Thursday it wants to “help fix the world’s plastic waste problem one community (社区) at a time.”
The soda giant is doing so by providing $ 5.4 million for recycling programs in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Houston. In these cities, partners, like The Green Blue Institute and The Recycling Partnership, which receive the money, will work together to improve recycling rates.
“We focus on areas where we have the ability to make the biggest influence on communities through the funding and expert skills of Coca-Cola employees,” Carlos Pagoagoa, Coca-Cola’s group director of community partnerships, said in a statement. “In each city, local partners will work together to identify barriers to recycling on a local level and test a range of solutions,” he added. “We hope the learnings from these ‘model markets’ can offer solutions to other cities facing similar challenges.”
As part of the effort, The Recycling Partnership and the city of Atlanta, where the cola company’s headquarters are based, will send street teams out to open recycling carts and leave citizens cards informing them what they can and can’t recycle, and let them know how their efforts work.
“Two of the most urgent problems with recycling in the U. S. today are lack of access, followed by pollution in recycling,” Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, said in a statement. “We know from the success of Atlanta in 2017 that the citizens want to recycle, and that communicating with them in the street works.”
Last year, Coca-Cola announced its task to collect and reuse a bottle or can for each one it sells, and increase the amount of its products out of recycled materials to 50% by 2030. The brand also aims to make all its packaging fully recyclable by 2025.
1. What does Coca-Cola company intend to do in the program?A.Produce less packaging. |
B.Help deal with plastic waste. |
C.Pick up waste in communities. |
D.Build a plant to recycle plastic waste. |
A.How Coca-Cola conducts its program. |
B.What organizations participate in the program. |
C.How Coca-Cola chooses cities for the program. |
D.What the local people do in Coca-Cola’s program. |
A.Sort out various waste in the city. |
B.Look into the cause of pollution. |
C.Instruct local people what to recycle. |
D.Hand cards to the locals in person. |
A.Promising. | B.Difficult. | C.Pioneering. | D.Costly. |
Every Wednesday at 7 pm, a group of running enthusiasts from different countries gather at a bar in Shanghai before setting
Called “plogging”, this new fitness activity originated in Sweden in 2016 and was introduced to Shanghai in 2018. The term is a combination of the words “jogging” and “plocka upp”,
By the summer of 2018, just a few months after Trash Running China was founded,