2 . As the world's population continues to increase, so does the amount of global waste. According to data (数据) collected by the World Bank Group, nations are on pace to produce 4 billion tons of waste every year by 2100. Many experts are calling the problem of global waste a worldwide health crisis (危机) because the waste is polluting the world’s oceans, air and soil and is putting the health of all living things in danger.

For years, governments have been telling citizens that living a zero-waste lifestyle is the way to go. Now some stores are helping people do that.

Most grocery stores produce waste when they throw away food and packing material. In some cases, the food consists of fruit and vegetables that don’t look good any more. In other cases, it's packaged food that is nearing the "sell-by" date printed on the package. After the “sell-by” date passed, the food is not considered safe to eat. Thus, many stores throw out unsold packaged food before that date arrives.

To solve this problem, business people are opening smaller grocery stores. Instead of selling food in packages, these stores offer it in open containers (容器). Customers bring their own bags or clean containers to the store. There, they fill their bags or containers with everything from nuts and grains to oil and vinegar. They pay for only the amount of each product that they need. Zero-waste stores often sell fruit and vegetables as well. When these goods start to look old, they're sold at a cheaper price or given to the poor people. Inspired by these smaller zero-waste grocery stores, some large supermarkets are taking similar steps to reduce the amount of waste that they produce.

1. How does the writer begin this article?

A．By giving some detailed examples.

B．By reporting the results of experiments.

C．By discussing a major source of pollution.

D．By explaining an international agreement.

2. According to Paragraph 3, why do grocery stores sometimes throw away fruit and vegetables?

A．Because they have gone bad.	B．Because they don't look fresh.
C．Because they pass the "sell-by" date.	D．Because they near the "sell-by" date.

3. What do customers most likely bring to the smaller stores described in this article?

A．Empty baskets.

B．Old newspapers.

C．Large cupboards.

D．Plastic toys.

4. According to this article, what are some supermarkets doing?

A．They're building up partnerships with smaller stores.

B．They're following the example set by smaller stores.

C．They're putting several smaller stores out of business.

D．They're demanding that officials control smaller stores.

3 . In my everyday life, I am on an ongoing journey to figure out different ways to reduce my carbon footprint on the planet. A carbon footprint is the measure of influence our activities have on the environment, in particular climate change. It is calculated by the amount of greenhouse gas we produce in our daily lives. Fortunately, nowadays it is much easier to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices than, let's say, 20 years ago. But one question has been on my mind a lot lately: is it better to buy new eco-friendly products or used traditionally produced goods?

After doing some research, I have decided that some things are better new and others are better used. Let me try to explain.

A carbon footprint is made up of two parts, the primary footprint and the secondary footprint. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions(排放)of carbon dioxide(CO2)from the burning of fuels, including household energy consumption and transportation. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use-those related to their production and breakdown.

Based on this understanding, we have a good deal of control and responsibility over our carbon footprint. Things like dishes, clothes and furniture fall into the “secondary footprint” group, so less is more and we can focus on finding used goods to avoid the added production. However, for the car and the other appliances(设备)that we need we can go with new, energy-saving models. I heard somewhere that electronics and appliances give off 90% of their carbon footprint after they leave the factory. So it seems most reasonable to go for the energy-saving models. The main concern here is the amount of energy that goes into the making of new products and whether or not that extra carbon is worth the footprint the product will make once it gets to you.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．What appliances to buy to save energy.

B．What a carbon footprint means in our life.

C．How to identify different carbon footprints.

D．How to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices.

2. What do we know about the secondary carbon footprint?

A．It is related to our consumption of fuels.

B．It is made when we are buying the products.

C．It is less harmful than the primary carbon footprint.

D．It is counted as ours though not directly made by us.

3. Which of the following helps reduce our carbon footprint according to the author?

A．Using second-hand textbooks.	B．Using old and expensive cars.
C．Buying new but cheap clothes.	D．Buying new wooden furniture.

4. "The footprint" underlined in the last sentence refers to the CO2 produced in _________.

A．using the product	B．recycling the product
C．making the product	D．transporting the product

4 . The situation of the world’s plants is not good. One fifth of the kinds of plants are in danger of disappearing, according to a report.

“Plants are very vital to human beings,” said Kathy Willis, who led the new report. “Plants provide us with everything—food, fuel, and medicine, and they are very important for our climate controlling. Without plants we would not be here.”

The good news is that deforestation rates around the world have dropped largely since the 1950s. However, this report on the health of plants around the world shows that there is much more to be done.

The report predicts that there are now 390,900 kinds of plants. And about 21 percent of those plants are in danger of disappearing. “The good side is that we’re still discovering lots of new plants, about 2,000 each year,” said Dr. Willis. “The bad side is that we’ve seen a huge change in land cover, mainly caused by cultural activity, with a little bit of climate change in there as well.”

Human activity has a great effect on the danger of plants disappearing. As humans cut down forests to make room for agriculture, towns and cities, biodiversity is lost. This could not only affect our own food supply directly, but also affect the food web.

1. What does the underlined word “vital” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Useless.

B．Friendly.

C．Equal.

D．Important.

2. Which of the following does Dr. Willis agree with?

A．New plants are more than ever before.	B．About half the plants will disappear soon.
C．Many new plants are found every year.	D．Plants mustn’t be used to produce medicine.

3. What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A．We have made little progress.	B．There is a long way for us to go.
C．We have achieved our goal.	D．There will be nothing we can do.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Biodiversity Being Lost	B．Human Social Activity
C．Environment Protection	D．Nature Climate Change

5 . Balancing preservation of the land with our desire to travel is a challenge for us travelers. When seeing cities face constant resource and waste problems, I couldn’t help but think about how much travel can affect the environment.

Back in my youth, I was an environmental activist. But over the years, I leave the lights on. I fly a lot. I drink out of plastic bottles. I eat a lot of meat. And I love fish, especially tuna. However, recently, I’ve begun thinking harder about how travel affects the environment and how I affect the environment. In doing so, I’ve tried to be a lot more aware of my actions.

I don’t know if there is an easy solution for this problem. The most environmentally friendly activity is not to travel at all, but that’s unrealistic and too extreme. There’s so much money in travel that I don’t think the government and regulation can do much. Only when their profits are hurt will hotels, operators, and the industry as a whole begin to listen. Instead, it’s all about the consumers. The only good way is to get people to be more environmentally conscious and make better decisions.

Consumers have a lot of power. Why did Wal-Mart start selling only sustainable fish and whole milk? Consumers wanted it. I think if we as travelers begin to demand more environmentally friendly practices and avoid companies with poor environmental records, we can change things.

Now, I recycle more, I use fewer water bottles, I shut off the lights, Most importantly, I use operators and stay at places that are reducing their environmental impact.

Travel can destroy the environment but it doesn’t have to. We have the power to make things better. We can do small things and demand more of the places we stay and visit. We can and should demand more of places, and of ourselves.

1. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．My experiences of protecting the environment.

B．Can we balance travel and the environment?

C．Is there an easy way to solve environmental problems?

D．How can we travel in an environmentally friendly way?

2. Why does the writer list his actions over the years?

A．To show he is wealthy.

B．To tell he is fond of travelling.

C．To indicate he has become less environmentally conscious.

D．To explain his hobby.

3. What’s the realistic way to solve the problem according to paragraph 3?

A．People do not travel at all.

B．The government takes effective measures.

C．Tourism industry follows environmental rules.

D．Consumers become more environmentally conscious.

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．Travel will surely destroy the environment.

B．Few things travelers can do to protect the environment.

C．We can get a lot from the places we travel.

D．What travelers do can make a difference to the environment.

6 . Zoos divide opinion: there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species （濒危物种）.

To argue that zoos imprison（囚禁） animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about. Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer survive. Every single day, over one hundred animal species disappear. Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth’s species will become extinct.

Some animals are in danger because they are hunted. The population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent. Other species are in danger because of a lack of food. For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild.

Zoos have special breeding programmes（育种计划）to help those animals at risk. These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful. As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, “the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost stopped to exist（存在）twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild.”

Unfortunately, not everyone understands this important role zoos play. For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, “I can’t believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.”

However, this misses the point. A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!

1. What’s the writer’s attitude towards zoos?

A．He shows no opinion either for or against them.

B．He thinks that they are unnecessary and cruel.

C．He believes they play an important environmental role.

D．He expresses a desire that more of them be built.

2. According to the passage the world’s tiger population ______.

A．will rise by 5% next year	B．is relatively stable
C．is 95% smaller than in the past	D．has fallen to 95%

3. According to the passage some people do not agree with zoos because they ______

A．are too expensive to run	B．put animals in danger
C．do not provide enough food	D．keep animals locked up

4. According to the writer, the most important function of the zoo is to ______.

A．make a lot of money	B．entertain visitors
C．ensure animals’ survival	D．educate the public

7 . Discovering the proper classification for each piece of household waste before throwing it out—and avoiding fines of up to 50,000 yuan—has become as simple as taking a photo thanks to the efforts of a group of young programmers.

They have applied speech and picture recognition technologies to apps and other smartphone services to guide Shanghai residents through China's first mandatory garbage-separation plan. The rules require every citizen and institution to classify waste into four categories-recyclables, kitchen waste, hazardous waste and residual waste—with a long list of items in each category. Previously, everything went into one dustbin, and the dramatic change has made many Shanghai residents worried. Many residents say they are struggling to master the details quickly.

To smooth the process and raise public awareness, Shanghai government launched a campaign featuring posters and TV programs introducing garbage-sorting techniques.

“It has become a lasting topic for my family's mealtime discussions,” 27-year-old Shanghai resident Fang Chengxiang said. He said they used the Internet to find out how to classify waste properly. “I would often Baidu the name if I got confused,” Fang said, referring to China's leading search engine.

Most of the apps and services, which began springing up last month in app stores, on messaging tool WeChat and mobile payment service Alipay, allow users to type in the name of waste to identify which category it belongs to.

One of the apps using speech recognition is What Garbage, whose downloads topped 130,000 in the first week after it was released early this month.

It was designed by zzz studio, a team made up of a programmer, an advertising art director and a visual designer. Since they all have 996 jobs—meaning they work from 9 am to 9 pm six days a week—the app was designed in what little spare time they have.

Liu Yiyi, 23, a member of the studio, said it was designed to help people through the transition period, and it especially helps people sort ambiguous items. Actually, Liu Yiyi added, as Chinese become accustomed to rules, people will use the apps less often.

1. What can we learn about the garbage-separation plan?

A．The plan has benefited many cities.	B．The plan can only be carried out in Shanghai.
C．The plan initially came out from large cities.	D．Some apps can be used to help carry out the plan.

2. Why did the government use social media to introduce classifying techniques?

A．To draw main media’s attention	B．To make the plan easier to carry out.
C．To help people master the garbage details.	D．To stress the importance of sorting garbage.

3. What can we know according to Liu Yiyi?

A．The transition period will last a long time.	B．These apps can only help sort ambiguous items.
C．Chinese will become accustomed to these apps.	D．Less people will use these apps in the future.

4. What’s the main idea of this text?

A．Benefits of garbage-separation plan.

B．Significance of garbage-separation plan.

C．Young programmers make garbage-classification easy.

D．Carrying our garbage-classification plan is difficult.

8 . Endangered species

An endangered species is a group of animals that could soon become extinct.     1     Many species are nearly extinct and could disappear off the face of the earth very soon if we don’t do anything to save them. There are many reasons why species become endangered.

Habitat destruction is the main reason why animals become endangered and this happens in two ways. When humans move into a new area, the animals’ habitat is destroyed and there is nowhere for them to live and nothing to eat because humans chop down trees and build houses and farms.     2     Chemicals in rivers and poisons on farms cause the destruction of animals’ homes and food supplies.

    3     Animals have been brought to the edge of extinction because they are killed for their highly-valued meat, fur, bones or skin, or just for sport. Overfishing has resulted in many large sea creatures like whales and sharks becoming endangered species.

    4     We should take care not to pollute natural areas, and farmers or companies who destroy animal habitats should face severe financial penalties. The public can help out by refusing to buy any products made from these animals’ body parts. Governments can help, too, by making it against the law to hunt, fish or trade in endangered species. They can also provide funding for animal sanctuaries, to protect animals from extinction by breeding more endangered animals, which they later release into the wild.     5    

A．Animal habitats are also destroyed because of pollution.

B．Endangered species are also the result of hunting and fishing.

C．Eventually, all the creatures on Earth will enjoy being together.

D．Recent changes, however, have helped to improve the situation.

E．So what can individuals and governments do to protect endangered species?

F．Extinction happens when the last of the species has died out and there will be no more.

G．If we all cooperate and take these steps, we will protect these animals for future generations.

9 . Baggy has become the first dog in the UK—and potentially the world—to join the fight against air pollution by recording pollutant levels near the ground.

Baggy wears a pollution monitor on her collar so she can take data measurements close to the ground. Her monitor has shown that air pollution levels are higher closer to ground level, which has helped highlight concerns that babies and young kids may be at higher risk of developing lung problems.

Conventional air pollution monitors are normally fixed on lampposts at about nine feet in the air. However, since Baggy stands at about the same height as a child in a pushchair（婴儿车）, she frequently records pollution levels which are much higher than the data gathered by the Environment A gency.

The doggy data research was the idea of Baggy's 13-year-old owner Tom Hunt and his dad Matt. The English youngster noticed that pollution levels are around two-thirds higher close to the ground than they are in the air at the height where they are recorded by the agency. Tom has since reported the shocking findings to the government in an attempt to emphasise that babies are at higher risk of developing asthma（哮喘）.

Matt Hunt said he was "very proud" of his son because “when the boy gets an idea, he keeps his head down and gets on with it, and he really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma."

“Tom built up a passion for environmental protection at a very early age," Matt added. “He became very interested in gadgets（小装置）. About one year ago, he got this new piece of tech which is like a test tube. One Sunday afternoon, we went out to do some monitoring, and he said, why don't we put it on Baggy's collar and let her monitor the pollution？'So we did it."

Tom said, "Most of the time, Baggy is just like any other dog. But for the rest of the time she is a super dog, and we are all really proud of her."

1. With a monitor on her collar, Baggy can ____________.

A．take pollutant readings	B．record pollutant levels
C．process collected data	D．reduce air pollution

2. What can we learn from the Baggy data?

A．High places are free of air pollution.

B．Higher pushchairs are more risky for kids.

C．Conventional monitors are more reliable.

D．Air is more polluted closer to the ground.

3. What is Tom's purpose of doing the research?

A．To warn of a health risk.	B．To find out pollution sources.
C．To test his new monitor.	D．To prove Baggy's abilities.

4. According to the passage, which word can best describe Tom Hunt?

A．Modest.

B．Generous.

C．Creative.

D．Outgoing.

10 . Hardware in general, and smartphones in particular, have become a huge environmental and health problem in the Global South's landfill sites （垃圾填埋场）.

Electronic waste（ e-waste ） currently takes up 5 percent of all global waste, and it is set to increase rapidly as more of us own more than one smartphone, laptop and power bank. They end up in places like Agbogbloshie on the outskirts of Ghana's capital, Accra. It is the biggest e-waste dump in the world, where 10, 000 informal workers walk through tons of abandoned goods as part of an informal recycling process. They risk their health searching for the precious metals that are found in abandoned smartphones.

But Agbogbloshie should not exist. The Basel Convention, a 1989 treaty, aims to prevent developed nations from unauthorized dumping of e-waste in less developed countries. The e-waste industry, however, circumvents the regulations by exporting e-waste labelled as "secondhand goods" to poor countries like Ghana, knowing full well that it is heading for a landfill site.

A recent report found Agbogbloshie contained some of the most dangerous chemicals. This is not surprising: smartphones contain chemicals like mercury （水银），lead and even arsenic（砷）. Reportedly, one egg from a free-range chicken in Agbogbloshie contained a certain chemical which can cause cancer and damage the immune system at a level that's about 220 times greater than a limit set by the European Food Safety Authority（EFSA） . Most worryingly, these poisonous chemicals are free to pollute the broader soil and water system. This should concern us all, since some of Ghana's top exports are cocoa and nuts.

Some governments have started to take responsibility for their consumers' waste. For example, Germany has started a project that includes a sustainable （可持续的）recycling system at Agbogbloshie, along with a health clinic for workers. However, governments cannot solve the problem alone, as there is an almost limitless consumer demand for hardware, especially when governments green policies are focused on issues like climate change.

Only the manufacturers can fix this. A more economically sustainable and politically possible solution is through encouraging hardware manufacturers to make the repair, reuse and recycling of hardware profitable, or at least cost-neutral.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2？

A．Electronic products need improving urgently.

B．Electronic waste is too complex to get fully recycled.

C．Electronic waste requires more landfill sites across Ghana.

D．Electronic pollution is a burning question in Agbogbloshie.

2. What does the underlined word "circumvents" in Paragraph 3 mean？

A．Tightens.	B．Abolishes.
C．Gets around.	D．Brings in.

3. What should be the biggest concern according to the text？

A．The violation of EFSA's standards.

B．The lack of diversity in Ghana's exports.

C．The damage to chicken's immune system.

D．The threat of polluted food around the world.

4. What does the author think is the best solution to the e-waste problem？

A．Manufacturers' developing a sustainable hardware economy.

B．Governments' adjusting their green policies about e-waste.

C．Reducing customers 'demands for electronic products.

D．Letting governments take on the main responsibility.