1 . Gracing every continent of the Earth, wetlands are essential to the planet’s health, often compared to its vital organs, acting as arteries (动脉) that carry water and as kidneys that filter harmful substances.
Wetlands serve as protectors: they form protective barriers against tsunamis and absorb the excess rainfall. During the dry season in dry climates, wetlands release the stored water which helps delay the attack of drought and reduce water shortages. They also store vast quantities of carbon, helping ease climate change. Home to some of the most diverse and rich ecosystems, wetlands support one billion people. 40 percent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.
World Wetlands Day is observed each year on 2 February to increase people’s understanding of the importance of wetlands and raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the threatened natural treasure.
“We are proud to join in this celebration and recognize the unique and valuable ecosystem services provided by wetlands. We are committed to doing our part to conserve and protect wetlands, and we are calling on all of you to join us in this vital cause,” said UNCCD (The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.
To date, nearly 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded or lost, with 35 percent in the last 50 years alone. That is why on this World Wetlands Day, UNCCD is joining the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and other partners to highlight the examples of countries and communities making strides in wetland restoration.
As stressed by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, successful wetland restoration requires a joint effort from governments, civil society and the private sector. Investments in science for technology innovation, infrastructure for effective management and financial mechanisms for project implementation (实施) can turn the tide toward a better future for wetlands.
1. How does the author present the current situation of wetlands in paragraph 5?| A．By giving examples. | B．By listing figures. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Follow the trend. | B．Break the ice. | C．Run the risk. | D．Change the game. |
| A．Wetland ecosystem. | B．Wetland restoration. | C．Wetland exploration. | D．Wetland biodiversity. |
2 . US forests could become a “substantial carbon source” by 2070, suggesting that forests could worsen global warming instead of easing it, a new Agriculture Department report says.
US forests currently absorb 11 percent of US carbon emissions (释放), equal to the combined emissions from 40 coal power plants. The report predicts that the ability of forests to absorb carbon will start declining after 2025 and that forests could emit up to 100 million metric tons of carbon a year as their emissions from decaying (腐烂) trees go beyond their carbon absorption.
The prediction suggests that this will require the US to cut emissions more rapidly to reach net zero, according to Lynn Riley, a senior manager of climate science. “Eleven percent of our domestic emissions. That is a really significant portion,” Riley said. “As we work to decarbonize... forests are one of the greatest tools available. If we were to lose that, it means the US will contribute that much more” in emissions. The report also assesses and predicts the extent of renewable resources provided by the nation’s forests and undeveloped landscapes, including farmlands, wetlands and grasslands.
According to the report, the loss of carbon absorption is driven in part by natural disasters which are increasing in frequency and strength as global temperatures rise. Development in forested areas, which the report predicts will continue to increase, is having the same effect as people increasingly move to the so-called wildland urban areas. Aging forests also contribute as older, mature trees absorb less carbon than younger trees of the same species, and the US forests are rapidly aging.
More aggressive forest management can help by cutting down a small portion of aging forests to make ways for younger trees that absorb more carbon. A thorough study of each forest should be done before removing older trees, Riley said.
1. Why could US forests become a “substantial carbon source”?| A．They fail to absorb enough carbon. | B．They begin to emit carbon increasingly. |
| C．They may emit more carbon than absorb. | D．Mature trees outnumber young trees. |
| A．US forests have lost their role in carbon absorption. |
| B．It is urgent for the US to reduce carbon emissions. |
| C．The US has contributed to 11% carbon emissions. |
| D．The loss of forests contributes to less carbon emissions. |
| A．Improper tree species. | B．Removal of aging trees. |
| C．Decreasing urban development. | D．Frequent severe natural disasters. |
| A．Aging Forests —a Major Emitter of Carbon. |
| B．Growing Forests —a Solution to Carbon Emissions. |
| C．Reducing Forests —a Threat to Global Warming. |
| D．Decaying Forests —a Consequence of Global Warming. |
3 . A small group of Cuban dive instructors have started a project to grow coral (珊瑚) and replant it. The divers hope to restore part of Cuba’s barrier reef (堡礁). And they are working with limited financial support and using materials recovered from the coast.
Luis is one of the project’s leaders. The 44-year-old fisherman grew up on Cuba’s north coast. He said, “It’s incredible to see the loss of coral in the past 30 years.” He added, “Our dream is to make the parts of the barrier reef that have lost their coral grow again.”
To make that happen, Luis worked with other dive instructors and neighborhood schoolchildren with the support from Cuba’s environmental organizations. They began collecting pieces of coral spread across the ocean floor after large storms three years ago. The pieces were then hung on branches of underwater “trees” made from old plastic pipes and supported by fishing lines recovered from the coast. They were then “replanted” on the coral reef, fixed by nails driven into the rock. In a year, most survive and grow enough to repopulate the part of the barrier reef between 60 to 80 meters in length.
Like many coral reefs around the world, the ones in Cuba are threatened by changing water temperatures, destructive plants and animals, pollution and over-fishing. It is reported that the world has already lost 30 to 50 percent of its coral reefs.
Karine is a French diver who just visited Cuba for the first time. She said the reef looked better than others she had seen on dives elsewhere in the world, including in Africa. “The coral needs to be protected,” she said after two dives on a recent trip to nearby Varadero. She said, “It’s good to see that in Cuba they take care of what they have, and that it is still not too affected by too much tourism.”
1. What can we infer from the recovery of the Cuba’s barrier reef?| A．It is just a new project to start. |
| B．It is a slow and difficult process. |
| C．It is mainly carried out by schoolchildren. |
| D．It is greatly supported by the government. |
| A．They are fastened to the rock by fishing lines. |
| B．They are supported by the trees on the ocean floor. |
| C．They are placed firmly by nails driven into the rock. |
| D．They are hung by old plastic pipes collected on the coast. |
| A．Endangered. | B．Beneficial. | C．Plentiful. | D．Harmful. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Concerned. | C．Positive. | D．Disappointed. |
4 . I strongly believe that individual actions make a difference to our environment. I’ve been a vegetarian for more than two decades, choose to be child-free partially because I can’t justify my genes’ importance over the shocking amount of resources needed for raising another American, and haven’t owned a car in four years. Those things, over time, will absolutely reduce my impact on our beautiful world, and the more people do them, the greater the impact is.
But it’s not nearly enough.
While I will continue to do my part to fight climate change, I have to wonder why there isn’t an equal effort by those who have the biggest impact. According to a recent report, 71% of greenhouse gases are produced by just 100 companies. Surely, working to minimize their emissions (排放物) will do far more, much faster than me talking people’s ears off on Facebook about eating less meat. After all, I have been doing that kind of work for 20 years now, and we are still headed towards climate disaster.
Why should so much of the solution to global warming be on the shoulders of individuals?
When President Kennedy decided we needed to beat the Russians to the moon landing, he didn’t encourage housewives to figure out bow to get there. He got the smartest and most talented people together to solve the challenges. NASA got us there, with lots of hard work and late nights, and also full encouragement and funding from the US government.
But this is not the case with climate change. Big companies are let off the hook while we take on the huge burden of dealing with the emissions of the biggest and most powerful. That strikes me as just plain unfair. The serious threats of climate change require an all-hand-on-deck response. Corporations need to do their part, because I can’t do it on my own.
1. Why does the author choose not to have a child?| A．America doesn’t have large amounts of resources. |
| B．A child can’t justify the importance of her genes. |
| C．She tries to avoid the trouble of raising a child. |
| D．She wants to reduce her impact on the environment. |
| A．Minimizing companies’ emissions. |
| B．Recommending a vegetarian diet. |
| C．Talking with friends on Facebook. |
| D．Heading towards climate disaster. |
| A．To praise housewives’ contribution. |
| B．To remember a former president. |
| C．To stress the importance of government’s role. |
| D．To encourage NASA to take on the challenge. |
5 . When glaciers melt, they leave behind infertile (贫瘠的) landscapes. But a new study found that within just three years, such exposed land was restored by llamas (美洲驼), whose activity enriched the soil and promoted plant growth. By the foot of Peru’s melting Uruashraju glacier, researchers partnered with local farmers to farm llamas on four specific plots. For three days a month from 2019 to 2022, the llamas grazed (吃青草) the plots, fertilizing them with waste and spreading seeds from droppings.
As is the case worldwide, glaciers are disappearing in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca mountains at an alarming rate. And as the ice melts, nearby ecosystems wither: They lose access to summertime supplies of freshwater and sometimes encounter harmful acidic minerals in rocks once covered by the glaciers.
Llamas may help count er some of these effects. Their transformation of the land, as seen in the new study, could reduce rock weathering and help the soil hold onto more dampness, thus limiting the acidic runoff that can poison farmers’ crops. Such pollution is one reason why local farmers partnered with the researchers. The animals’ behavior could one day even generate new grasslands as soil quality improves.
The idea that animal grazing may positively impact a landscape is not new. Nor is rewilding, the push to bring key species back to their native ecosystems, unique to the Cordillera Blanca mountains. In Finland, for example, the Indigenous Sami are working to reintroduce reindeer in deforested land, potentially restoring it. But the size and speed of the changes the llamas helped bring about surprised the researchers. From 2021 to 2022, the average amount of plant cover in the llama plots grew from about 9 percent to nearly 14 percent—faster than it did in four control plots. The research underscores the valuable roles animals play in shaping landscapes, says ecologist Kelsey Reider of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., “The animals themselves are doing a lot.”
1. What did the new study find?| A．Llamas could help improve ecology. | B．Llamas needed to be exposed to soil. |
| C．Llamas might survive poor situation. | D．Llamas were able to stop ice melting. |
| A．Expand. | B．Arise. | C．Integrate. | D．Worsen. |
| A．Because they longed to be more learned. |
| B．Because they profited from the research. |
| C．Because they wanted to keep llamas away. |
| D．Because they failed to know llamas’ behavior. |
| A．Llamas restore the forest in Finland. | B．Wildlife helps a lot in restoring nature. |
| C．The idea of rewilding isn’t common. | D．The research should collect more data. |
6 . Ensuring that your home is as energy-efficient as it can possibly be is essential. Take the steps listed below, and you’ll be living in an energy-efficient home in no time.
The old boilers (锅炉) are not as energy-efficient as the very latest models in this field.
Only when you know how much energy you use can you take action to be less wasteful and more resourceful in this instance.
With just twelve years (now seven years) to go until climate change alters earth forever, now is the time for you to play your part in protecting the planet that you live in.
| A．The investment demanded in this instance is significant. |
| B．Taking such action will help you adapt to climate change. |
| C．Generally, this type of device will cost between £25 and £40. |
| D．It means you should try to keep track of energy consumption. |
| E．By putting the above advice into practice, you’ll be green soon. |
| F．Most of your home’s wasted energy will escape through your roof. |
| G．It might be high time to update yours if you haven’t done so for years. |
7 . Early fifth-century philosopher St. Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him. Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it. Today’s state-of-the-art atomic(原子的) clocks have proven Einstein right. Even advanced physics can’t decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you’re asking.
Forget about time as an absolute. What if, instead of considering time in terms of astronomy, we related time to ecology? What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo(节奏) of human life? We’re increasingly aware of the fact that we can’t control Earth systems with engineering alone, and realizing that we need to moderate(调节) our actions if we hope to live in balance. What if our definition of time reflected that?
Recently, I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that’s connected to circumstances on our planet, conditions that might change as a result of global warming. We’re now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers, which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes. We’ve programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate. If the rivers run faster in the future on average, the clock will get ahead of standard time. If they run slower, you’ll see the opposite effect.
The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics. It’s a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame(时间框架), and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones. Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet. Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies.
Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars, early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena. In pre-Classical Greece, for instance, people “corrected” official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season. Temporal connect ion to the environment was vital to their survival. Likewise, river. time and other timekeeping systems we’re developing may encourage environmental awareness.
When St. Augustine admitted his inability to define time, he highlighted one of time’s most noticeable qualities: Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context. Any timekeeping system is valid, and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．Everyone can define time on their own terms. |
| B．Timekeeping is increasingly related to nature. |
| C．The qualities of time vary with how you measure it. |
| D．Time is a major concern of philosophers and scientists |
| A．evaluate an argument |
| B．introduce an approach |
| C．present an assumption |
| D．highlight an experiment |
| A．Those who do not go on river time will live an imbalanced life. |
| B．New ways of measuring time can help to control Earth systems. |
| C．Atomic time will get ahead of river time if the rivers run slower. |
| D．Modern technology may help to shape the rivers’ temporal frame. |
| A．History is a mirror reflecting reality. |
| B．We should live in harmony with nature. |
| C．A fixed frame will make time meaningless. |
| D．It is crucial to improve the definition of time. |
8 . A smoke bomb from a party started a major blaze (火焰) near Los Angeles in September,just one of many recent wildfires ignited (引燃) by people. Now, an analysis of satellite data shows human-caused blazes spread much faster and kill more trees than ones ignited by lightning.
Fire has always been a part of California’s natural history. But several centuries of human settlement have created new conditions that promote its spread.Studies have shown human ignition is to blame for 84% of all wildfires in the United States,and 97% of all those that threaten homes.
Human-caused fires always seemed more extreme, says Stijn Hantson,a fire ecologist at the University of California,Irvine,who led the new research. But measurements of how fast they spread and their impacts on ecosystems (生态系统) in California had not been explored, he notes.
To examine those differences, Hantson and his colleagues analyzed satellite data for 214 wildfires in California between 2012 and 2018.Human-caused fires typically spread about 1.83 kilometers per day, more than twice as fast as lightning-ignited burns,the team reports.The faster spreading fires also burned more violently and killed “double or triple” the trees as lightning-caused ones.
However, there is no fundamental difference in the chemistry of a human-caused blaze. “A fire is a fire” Hantson says. “It’s the surrounding things that matter.” Causes of fires ranging from improperly thrown cigarettes to sparking (冒火花) power lines could ignite a blaze on any given day, he says, while lightning strikes and dry thunderstorms only happen seasonally.
The researchers tracked meteorological data and found that human-caused fires were more likely to start on days with extreme weather conditions,and were more associated with drier,less-forested landscapes. This adds to scientists’ understanding of how humans are extending the fire season, says Nathan Mietkiewicz, an ecologist with the National Ecological Observation Network.
1. The author uses some data in paragraph 2 to show that ________.| A．wildfires are mostly caused by humans |
| B．most wildfires threaten people’s homes |
| C．wildfire is a part of California’s natural history |
| D．wildfires break out frequently in the United States |
| A．To prove how extreme human-caused fires are. |
| B．To find out the causes and solutions of wildfires. |
| C．To explore the speed and effects of wildfires caused by humans. |
| D．To examine the differences between a human-caused blaze and a nature-caused one. |
| A．By giving examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| D．By giving definitions. |
| A．Human-caused fires and lightning-caused fires are basically different. |
| B．Lightning strikes and thunderstorms can always lead to wildfires. |
| C．Wildfires only happen in dry,less-forested areas. |
| D．Humans are to blame for the extended fire season. |
9 . The southern Spanish city of Seville has become the first in the world to name and classify heatwaves— much in the way that tropical storms or hurricanes are named-in an effort to better protect residents (居民) as periods of excessively hot weather become more frequent.
The year-long pilot project in one of Spain’s hottest cities classifies heatwaves into three categories (类别, 范畴), named from a list that includes Xenia and Wenceslao.
The project is part of a broader set of measures from emission (排放) reduction to decarbonisation, aimed at countering climate change, said the city’s mayor, Antonio Mufioz. “We are the first city in the world to take a step that helps us plan and take measures when this type of weather event happens— particularly because heatwaves always hit the most vulnerable (弱),” Mufioz said.
The pioneering programme comes days after Spain sweltered (热得难受) through one of its earliest heatwaves on record and after a May that ranked as the hottest in 58 years. The frequency of heatwaves in Spain has doubled compared with previous decades.
Central to the project is an algorithm that could forecast heatwaves up to five days in advance and categorize them based on the potential effect on human health and mortality. Each category is tied to specific measures such as the opening of swimming pools or sending health workers to check on the elderly or other at-risk individuals.
Heatwaves that reach category 3— the most severe will be named in the order of the Spanish alphabet. The first five names have already been chosen: Zoe, Yago, Xenia, Wenceslao, Vega.
The aim is to build awareness of the deadly effect of climate change and potentially save lives. “Heatwaves have been dubbed ‘the silent killer’ for a reason,” said Baughman McLeod. “They have unseen effect on our economies, attack the most vulnerable members of society, and kill more people than any other climate-driven danger, yet the dangers they may cause are totally underestimated and gravely misunderstood.”
1. What does the underlined word “countering” in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．Fighting against. | B．Writing down. |
| C．Taking control of. | D．Keeping track of. |
| A．To make emission reduction. | B．To deal with the climate change. |
| C．To compare heatwaves with hurricanes. | D．To keep people safe from heat disasters. |
| A．What effects heatwaves have. | B．Why there are more heatwaves. |
| C．How heatwaves are classified. | D．When heatwaves strike most. |
| A．The heatwaves cause the most deaths. |
| B．The climate change is going silently. |
| C．The dangers of heatwaves are usually ignored. |
| D．The economy is totally destroyed by heatwaves. |
10 . Animal appear to predict earthquakes by sensing electricity in the air — the first study to find reliable evidence of the phenomenon has shown.
Cameras revealed an “amazing” drop in the number of animals up to 23 days before a major quake hit their rainforest home at Yanachaga National Park in Peru. Lead scientist Dr Rachel Grant, from Anglia Ruskin University, said, “The results showed that just before the earthquake, animals’ activity dropped right down.”
On a normal day the cameras placed around Yanachaga National Park record between 5 and 15 animals. But in the 23 days before the earthquake, the number of animals dropped to five or fewer per day. No animals were photographed at all on five of the seven days immediately before the quake.
Another study showed that animal activity remained normal in the park over a different period when seismic (地震的) activity was low. Co-author, professor Friedemann Freund, said, “The cameras were located at an altitude of 900 meters. If air ionization occurred, the animals would escape to the valley below, where there were fewer positive ions ( 离子). With their ability to sense their environment, animals can help us understand small changes that occur before major earthquakes.”
Other evidence suggested that before the earthquake, the air around the high mountain sites filled with positive ions that can be produced when rocks are placed under stress. Positive ions have been known to cause ill effects in humans as well as animals. Scientists believe the animals were made to feel uncomfortable by the positive ions, leading them to avoid the area. They are thought to have escaped to lower ground, where the air was less ionized. The findings may help experts develop better short-term seismic forecasts.
1. How did scientists conduct the study?| A．By comparing different animals’ habits. |
| B．By observing animals in high mountains. |
| C．By explaining the positive ion phenomenon. |
| D．By analyzing images of animals they obtained. |
| A．The ground at a lower altitude is less ionized. |
| B．Cameras normally record more animals per day. |
| C．Earthquake warnings can be detected in lower places. |
| D．The activity of animals and earthquakes is consistent. |
| A．The findings make for accurate seismic forecast. |
| B．Animals tend to be uneasy with more positive ions. |
| C．Positive ions make humans and animals depressed. |
| D．All the animals remain abnormal before the earthquake. |
| A．Negative Influence of Positive Ions. |
| B．Ions’ Destruction to the Environment. |
| C．Animals’ Behavior Before Earthquakes. |
| D．Creatures’ Ability to Predict Earthquakes. |
