1 . If you look at the dynamic “Global Temperatures” map on NASA’s website, you can see the historic temperature change over time across the planet as the timeline goes from 1880 to the modern day. By 2019, the entire planet is in red, orange, and yellow colors, indicating temperatures much higher than the historical average in every country and human inhabitance.

If the timeline went to 2023, the map would look even worse. That’s because the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever, according to ocean monitors. July was the hottest month in recorded history. Next July could be worse. Unless we do something quickly, we face dealing with more and more dangerous and expensive natural disasters in the future.

Forest fires sent smoke from Canada across the North American continent, causing New York City to have the worst air quality in its recorded history. Heavy rainstorms fell on Vermont and the Northeastern United States in just a couple of days in the middle of July, which exceeded the amount that area would usually receive in two months and caused extreme damage to homes and businesses. Around the same time, flash flooding in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — north of Philadelphia — killed nearly a dozen people.

Erich Fischer, a researcher specializing in climate studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is concerned that natural disasters could get much worse in the future—and in ways we cannot predict. He called for a “strike for climate justice,” which actually took place on Sept. 15, 2023. “The strategy needs to be twofold (双重的) . We need to decrease carbon emissions as much as realistically possible. That is already happening with people using electric cars and other green technologies. At the same time, we also need to find ways to predict the risk of natural disasters ahead of time,” said Erich Fischer.

1. Why does the writer mention the data on NASA’s website in paragraph 1?

A．To explain a concept.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To provide a solution.	D．To make a prediction.

2. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The severity of natural disasters.	B．The worst air quality in New York City.
C．The extreme damage by flash flooding.	D．The cause of the forests fires in Canada.

3. What did Erich Fischer suggest to deal with the current situation?

A．He advocated a twofold strategy.

B．He suggested forbidding carbon emissions.

C．He required people to use more electric cars.

D．He emphasized the awareness of climate changes.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Hottest Month in History	B．Natural Disasters in the World
C．Extreme Weather Could Get Worse	D．Green Technology Would be Needed

2 . For the past 13 years, Martin Burrows has been working as a long-distance truck driver. Spending up to five nights a week on the road can be a lonely business, leaving him with plenty of time to notice his surroundings. “I kept seeing more rubbish everywhere and it was getting on my nerves. I decided I had to do something about it,” he says. One day, he stopped his vehicle, took out a trash bag and started picking up the garbage. The satisfaction after clearing a small area was remarkable.

Before his time on the road, Burrows spent over two decades in the military as a vehicle driver. His service saw him stationed throughout Europe and also on tours in Afghanistan. After returning to civilian life, he was diagnosed with PTSD (创伤后应激障碍) and had a mental health crisis in 2017. His involvement in fundraising for Help for Heroes led him to meet a man who used model-building as a distraction from PTSD. Burrows realized that his act of roadside cleanup had a similar calming effect on his mental well-being.

By 2019, Burrows had begun using his free time on the road to regularly clean up garbage. A passerby encouraged him to set up a Facebook group, which he called Truckers Cleaning Up Britain. “I was worried I’d be the laughing stock of my town for putting videos and photos up of me cleaning but people started to join,” he says. “I was amazed. The local council stepped in and gave me litter-picking supplies and we’re up to almost 3,000 members now.”

Since truckers are so often on the move, the Facebook page acts as a means of raising awareness rather than a platform for organizing cleanups. Burrows expressed his intention to continue the cleanup efforts as long as his physical condition allowed, as he still found joy in the process.

1. What initially caused Burrows to pick up roadside garbage?

A．He wanted to kill time by picking up litter.

B．He aimed to raise fund for soldiers with PTSD.

C．He felt annoyed to see the increasing rubbish.

D．He received the assignment from his employer.

2. How did collecting roadside garbage affect Burrows’ PTSD?

A．It resulted in his embarrassment.	B．It increased his sense of isolation.
C．It worsened his stress and anxiety.	D．It brought him comfort and relief.

3. What concerned Burrows when he started Truckers Cleaning Up Britain?

A．He feared being teased for his action.

B．He was lacking in advanced cleanup tools.

C．He was unsure about the group’s development.

D．He worried about the local council’s disapproval.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Joyful Volunteer Experience	B．A Trucker’s Cleanup Initiative
C．A Fighting Hero against PTSD	D．A Platform for Environmentalists

3 . A United Nations report found the ozone layer (臭氧层) is slowly recovering, more than 35 years after every nation in the world agreed to stop producing ozone-consuming chemicals. The ozone layer, a blanket of gas that exists between 10km and 50km above Earth’s surface, protects the planet from the sun’s powerful radiation.

“We see things getting better,” said Paul Newman, co-chair of the UN team that examines the health of the ozone layer every four years. The global average amount of ozone 30km high in the atmosphere won’t be back to 1980 levels until about 2040, the report said. And it won’t be back to normal in the Arctic until 2045.In Antarctica, where the ozone layer is so thin that there’s a big hole, it won’t be fully fixed until 2066, the report said.

The global effort to recover the ozone hole came out of a 1987 agreement called the Montreal Protocol. Professor Petteri Taalas said the recovering of the ozone layer showed what could be achieved when the world worked together. “Ozone action sets an example for climate action,” Professor Taalas said.

There were signs of recovering in the last report on the ozone layer four years ago but the improvements were only slight. “Those numbers of recovery have solidified a lot,” Mr. Newman said. Mr. Newman added the two main chemicals that damage the ozone layer—chlorine (氯) and bromine (溴)—were now in lower levels in the atmosphere. Chlorine levels were down 11.5 per cent since peaking in 1993 and bromine, which is more damaging to the ozone layer but is at lower levels in the air, dropped 14.5 per cent since its 1999 peak.

UN environment program director Inger Andersen has previously said the recovering of the ozone hole was “saving two million people every year from skin cancer”.

1. What do we know about the ozone layer from paragraph 1?

A．It made the whole world work together.

B．It can protect the sun from powerful radiation.

C．It is recovering at a speed more than expected.

D．It can produce some chemicals for consumption.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The average amount of ozone.	B．The present situation of ozone.
C．The places where ozone appears.	D．The times when ozone fully recovers.

3. What is Petteri Taalas’s attitude to dealing with climate change?

A．Surprised.

B．Uncertain.

C．Optimistic.

D．Doubtful.

4. What fact did Mr. Newman tell us?

A．There were some false data in the last report.

B．Chlorine and bromine levels in the air have come down.

C．Skin cancer is caused to a larger extent by the ozone layer.

D．Chlorine causes more damage to the ozone layer than bromine.

4 . Levon Biss was looking at insects from his garden through a microscope he bought for his son. For fun, they unintentionally placed an insect under the lens (镜片). “It is amazingly beautiful!” they both screamed.

The father had been making a career taking photographs for advertisements. But that experience gave him a new direction. Around the world, insect populations are in decline because of habitat loss and climate change. Biss thought that if people could see what he saw through his son’s microscope, they would care more about protecting insects.

So Biss turned to macrophotography: taking close-up pictures of small things, like flowers or bugs. His work has attracted attention not just for its unusual beauty. It also raises awareness about the need for conservation.

In 2016, Biss showed his first insect project, Microsculpture. The term refers to the features of an insect’s exoskeleton, or outer shell, which develops over time as the bug adapts to its environment.

Biss’s pictures capture the insects in all their microscopic details. Then he blows up the images until the insects become larger than life, some of them eight feet tall. But each image takes weeks to make. He uses a digital camera with a microscope lens. The camera is fixed on a computerized track, which allows Biss to take a shot, then move the camera by seven microns (微米) — a distance equals to about 1/10 the thickness of a human hair — for the next shot. In the end, Biss might take 10,000 shots of a bug. A computer combines these small pictures into a single image.

Biss’s latest exhibition is Extinct and Endangered at the American Museum of Natural History. He selected bugs that were extinct or endangered, hoping his photographs would serve as a better purpose. “I communicate visually,” he says, “The way I work is through pictures. But I think it’s my duty to shake things up and get people to pay attention.”

1. What made Levon Biss turn to macrophotography?

A．Beautiful insects.	B．Attractive environment.
C．An expensive microscope.	D．An accidental observation.

2. How does Levon Biss manage to capture insects’ microscopic details?

A．By taking a shot at them twice.

B．By adjusting the camera on a track.

C．By taking close-up pictures countless times.

D．By putting them in order on a computer.

3. What does the underlined phrase “shake things up” refer to in the last paragraph?

A．Get rid of the prejudice.

B．Take action to save wildlife.

C．Spare no efforts to face difficulties.

D．Make people think about nature differently.

4. Which of the following best describes Levon Biss?

A．Patient and responsible.	B．Wealthy and ambitious.
C．Polite and strong-willed.	D．Curious and easy-going.

5 . Two environmental groups want a major soft drink giant to be pulled out of the world’s largest climate conference over plastics concerns, arguing the material has become “the new coal”.

Just Zero and Beyond Plastics, two US-based groups, called on the United Nations Climate Change Conference to cancel Coca-Cola’ s status as a sponsor of this year’s COP 27 on Wednesday. They believed that the soft drink manufacturer’s role in the event is undermining the global fight against climate change and conflicts with the efforts to bring down emissions.

“COP 27 is supposed to focus on solutions to the serious climate crisis.” said Judith Enck, who heads Beyond Plastics, “Instead, we’re allowing it to be a stage for company greenwashing.”

She was joined in her remarks by Just Zero State Policy Director Peter Blair, who said the company’s sponsorship of COP 27 “makes it hard to see this meeting as anything more than a performative act.”

Coca-Cola has repeatedly emphasized its recycling commitments and investments, which include plans to achieve net-zero emissions by midcentury. But an annual audit of corporate brands by Break Free From Plastic, an international coalition, has notably named Coca-Cola “the world’s top plastic polluter” for four years running.

Critics charge that its pollution footprint speaks for itself. Coca-Cola has said that it is responsible for around 3 million metric tons of plastic packaging, an inevitable (不可避免的) waste product. Such numbers, advocates argue, should disqualify the company from COP 27 sponsorship.

“By pouring millions of dollars into sponsoring COP 27, Coca-Cola is making a shameful play to give the appearance of environmental responsibility.” said Blair. “But behind the scenes, Coca Cola launched campaigns to block improvements in real recycling and resist calls to transition away from single-use plastic bottles to reusable and refillable glass containers.

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

A．Making...less popular.	B．Making...less powerful.
C．Making...more reliable.	D．Making...more interesting.

2. What did Judith Enck and Peter Blair intend to express?

A．Their doubt and surprise.	B．Their confusion and curiosity.
C．Their support and expectation.	D．Their anger and disappointment.

3. Which can best describe Coca-Cola according to Peter Blair?

A．Do as you would be done by.	B．What’s done cannot be undone.
C．He who plays with fire gets burned.	D．Speak in one way and behave in another.

4. What would be the most suitable title for the text?

A．Coca-Cola—The World’s Top Plastic Polluter

B．Coca-Cola—One of the Sponsors of COP 27

C．Green Groups Try to Kick Coca-Cola Out of COP 27

D．Green Groups Demand That Coca-Cola Stop Pollution

6 . Ngoc Anh knows the value of trees. Years ago, he worked as a logger. He cut trees down illegally and sold them for money.

But very heavy rainfall and floods increasingly damaged his community in the central province of Quang Binh. The 36-year-old Ngoc started learning about the climate and natural crises. He changed his job and became involved in tourism and environmental conservation.

Now, Ngoc Anh is one of 250 former loggers to receive training from a tourism company. He works as a travel guide. He usually leads foreign tourists through forests and into some of the world’s largest caves in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

“Whenever I saw a large tree, my head used to calculate how tall the tree was and how to cut it into logs of different sizes,” Ngoc Anh said. “But now when I see such a tree, I will tell the tour group how valuable it is because there aren’t many left.”

Global Forest Watch estimated that the country had lost about 3 million hectares of forest from 2001 to 2020. That was a 20 percent diminution in 20 years. The losses were mostly driven by logging.

In 2007, the government started taking more measures to prevent illegal logging, which has helped slow the rate of deforestation.

Together with a park official, Ngoc Anh and other tour guides help guard the trails to keep poachers (偷猎者) away. They remove animal traps and clean up any waste.

Nowadays, Ngoc works for less than half the money he earned before as a logger. But he hopes to earn more as the tourism recovers.

1. Why did Ngoc cut trees years ago?

A．To make a living.	B．To make the most of trees.
C．To take advantage of the law.	D．To improve the housing conditions.

2. What’s the attitude of Ngoc Anh towards the trees now?

A．Doubtful.

B．Protective.

C．Cautious.

D．Uncaring.

3. What does the underlined word “diminution” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Growth.

B．Addition.

C．Decrease.

D．Production.

4. What do tour guides do besides guiding tourists?

A．They prevent illegal hunting.

B．They rescue animals in danger.

C．They urge tourists to protect animals.

D．They create a clean environment for animals.

7 . San Francisco’s public garbage cans have long outlived their lifespan (寿命) and need to be replaced. However, the current design is not enough for the city’s large population and the increasing number of tourists. The garbage cans also get messed up by the homeless. To address the issues, in 2018, San Francisco Public Works officials set out in search of a perfect garbage can. This proved harder than they had thought.

The officials had a few criteria in mind. The ideal garbage can had to be durable (耐用的) and easy to empty. It would also have a built-in sensor (传感器) to send warnings when full, cost between $2,000 to $3,000 a piece, and, most importantly, look good! After an extensive search failed to find a suitable off-the-shelf replacement, the committee asked local firms to design customized garbage cans.

The four-year exploration ended on July 18, 2022, with three selections. They include the “Slim Silhouette” “Salt & Pepper” and “Soft Square”. Since none of them meet all the required criteria, the officials have turned to the city’s residents for help.

The customized cans and three new off-the-shelf options have been placed across San Francisco for a 60-day trial. Residents can scan the QR codes on the cans and provide opinions on their use experience. A location map of each option is included at the end of the survey. The most popular garbage can will be publicized after the trial ends in mid-September.

The time spent on the project and the cost of the three customized garbage cans — which ranged between $11,000 to $20,900 a piece — have drawn criticism from the city’s retired official Matt Haney.

“The idea that San Francisco is so unique that we need a separate garbage can from any one used in any city around the world is laughable,” Haney said. “It’s something that reflects a broader and deeper brokenness of city government and the services it provides.”

However, Beth Rubenstein, director of policy and communications at San Francisco Public Works, believes their research will benefit cities across the US.

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The local tourism industry.	B．The origin of garbage cans.
C．The problems faced by the city.	D．The city’s poor environment.

2. What aspect of the garbage can is stressed most?

A．The function.

B．The appearance.

C．The material.

D．The cost.

3. What did the officials ask the residents to do?

A．Take good care of the new garbage cans.	B．Make improvements to the new garbage cans.
C．Check new criteria for the new garbage cans.	D．Give their opinions on the new garbage cans.

4. What does Haney think about the effort of designing new garbage cans?

A．Rewarding.

B．Meaningless.

C．Misleading..

D．Efficient.

9 . The mangrove tree might not look very impressive, but it is an essential part of our ecosystem. However, more than half of the mangrove forests have been destroyed in the past century. Several World Heritage Sites have been listed largely because of their mangrove ecosystems. Among them are the Sundarbans across India and Bangladesh, the Everglades National Park in the US, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Being a World Heritage Site requires for the mangroves to be protected. However, one country in Asia has gone further by having a five-year program to protect and conserve all their mangroves. They even have a mangrove museum and observe World Mangrove Day. This country is Sri Lanka. Why are mangrove trees so important to Sri Lanka and to other countries where mangroves grow?

The mangrove tree grows along coastal saltwater shorelines. They have adapted to the harsh coastal weather and have deep roots. This means that they are strong and cannot be easily removed. In countries where natural disasters such as tsunamis and cyclones occur, the forests provide protection. The villages in Sri Lanka with full mangrove forests have suffered less damage when hit by these natural disasters. The reason is that the mangroves break up the force and strength of the waves.

The mangroves also quickly absorb carbon dioxide and send oxygen into the atmosphere. This makes them an important part of the fight against climate change. They absorb far more carbon dioxide than other types of forest, and store it in their structure and even in the soil. This is important as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is believed to be a cause of detrimental changes in the weather, such as global warming.

The strong roots also provide protection for young fish as they grow. With the oceans around the world being overfished, it is important to maintain the ecological balance in the oceans. For Sri Lanka, one of the threats to the mangrove forests is the shrimp farms being set up. To build saltwater ponds for the shrimps, the mangroves are cut down. This has resulted in fewer fish surviving among the mangrove roots and fewer fish being caught by the fishermen. The local fishing communities noticed that they were losing money and it made them aware of how important the mangroves were. They are now helping to conserve the forests.

Sri Lanka is showing that a nation can preserve all of its mangroves. The conservation model they have can be used by other countries. It might take many years of planning, but the benefits of saving mangroves definitely outweigh the costs.

1. What do we know about the mangrove trees from the passage?

A．They are mainly grown in Australia.

B．They can prevent young fish from growing.

C．They have been damaged by natural disasters.

D．They are less impressive but important to the ecosystem.

2. What has been done in Sri Lanka to protect mangroves?

A．A world mangrove festival has been founded.

B．Saltwater ponds for the shrimps have been set up.

C．A 5-year mangroves protecting program has been started.

D．More mangroves along the coastal areas have been grown.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．The mangroves can keep the ecological balance in the oceans.

B．The mangroves are essential for fighting against climate change.

C．The mangroves have deep roots and hold the soil in place firmly.

D．The mangroves can break up the force and strength of the waves.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the future conservation of mangroves?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

10 . The first year of Beth Walker's quest for a zero-waste lifestyle, the rubbish in her life wouldn't have filled a wastepaper basket. But now she's stopped keeping track.

Her journey began after a talk by eco-group The Rubbish Trip in 2017. Like most people, she thought recycling was enough to save the planet from drowning in plastic.

But the reality is that most packaging isn't accepted by recycling companies and the plastic in our oceans is still snowing.

Nowadays, Beth's belief is to refuse, repair, and reuse. She refuses to buy anything that comes in a packet. Local bakeries and butcheries, she found, would happily provide food in her own container.

Then she moved to Wellington, and things got a bit harder. Many bulk (散装) food stores were only open during work hours, and she gratefully turned to the regional shopping guides put out by The Rubbish Trip.

She took every chance to show off her "take everywhere bag " , which contains a cloth for hand drying and cleaning，a keep cup, and a container.

Most importantly, she says, it's a privilege (荣耀) to make these choices. But she's cautious not to push her ideas down people's throats. "It's what's sustainable for you personally," she said.

Most rewarding was seeing the effect on those around her. Her dad proudly told anyone who would listen how his daughter was going waste-free. Her flat mates also agreed to go waste-free when cooking for the flat and to remote the bin from the kitchen. And every plastic container they brought into the house was another for Beth's collection.

1. What made Beth choose a zero-waste lifestyle?

A．A speech she listened to.	B．Other students' influence.
C．The products of poor quality.	D．The lack of recycling factories.

2. Which is Beth trying to avoid?

A．Reusing a paper bag.	B．Relying on recycling companies.
C．Repairing a broken tool.	D．Refusing objects in a packet.

3. Why did Beth show off her "take everywhere bag"?

A．To influence others.	B．To show her kindness.
C．To prove her wealth.	D．To highlight her privilege.

4. What was her flatmates' attitude towards Beth's behavior?

A．Mixed.	B．Unconcerned.
C．Supportive.	D．Unclear.