焚烧化石燃料(如石油、煤炭等)产生大量二氧化碳等温室气体,这些温室气体对太阳辐射中的可见光具有高度透过性,而对来自地面的长波辐射具有高度吸收性,能大量吸收地面辐射中的红外线,导致全球变暖。写一篇演讲稿,主题是“面对全球变暖,我们能做些什么?”,向同班同学宣传。
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2 . In the rich countries of the West, the electric vehicle revolution is well underway. Climate-conscious consumers drive Teslas or Polestars for reasons of morality and fashion. Poorer countries are also experiencing a wave of electrified trend. In Bangladesh, electric three-wheeler taxis, known as tuk-tuks, are rapidly replacing gas-powered ones on the streets. Such electric vehicles are climate friendly, cost effective, and help reduce air pollution.
Yet a glance under the hood (引擎盖) of these vehicles reveals a poisonous secret: each tuk-tuk runs on five massive lead-acid batteries, containing almost 300 pounds of lead in total. Every year and a half or so, when those batteries need to be replaced and recycled, about 60 pounds of lead leak into the environment. Battery recycling, often at small-scale unregulated factories, is a highly profitable but deadly business.
Lead is dangerous, and any exposure to it is harmful to human health. Lead that has entered the environment hurts people on an extraordinary scale. The numerous ways lead enters air, water, soil, and homes across the developing world — and the enormous damage it does to human health, wealth, and welfare — causes one of the biggest environmental crises in the world yet receives little attention.
The World Bank estimates that lead kills 5. 5 million people per year, which would make it a bigger global killer than AIDS, malaria, diabetes, and road traffic deaths combined. On top of the shocking deaths, the social burden of lead poisoning is extraordinary, as is its contribution to global inequality — our research on the cognitive effects of lead poisoning suggests that it may explain about one-fifth of the educational achievement gap between rich and poor countries.
But unlike many challenges faced by developing countries, lead poisoning is a problem that is fixable with some attention and a relatively modest financial investment. Better monitoring, research, and rules can help protect children all over the world from the dreadful effects of lead poisoning and reduce the massive global costs it brings.
1. How does the author describe the lead problem in paragraph 2?A.By making a comparison. | B.By analyzing hidden causes. |
C.By listing convincing numbers. | D.By explaining its working principle. |
A.Lead enters rich countries in various ways. |
B.Lead poisoning may make poor societies poorer. |
C.Exposure to lead doesn’t necessarily harm someone. |
D.Lead leaking has caused great panic in both countries. |
A.Fixing these used batteries. | B.Putting certain effort and money. |
C.Prohibiting the illegal use of lead. | D.Reducing the cost of recycling lead. |
A.The Impacts of Lead Poisoning on Human Health |
B.The Outcomes of Using Electric Vehicles |
C.The Ways to Solve Lead Problem |
D.The Global Lead Poisoning Crisis |
1. Who does the organization of Law Society represent?
A.Native people. | B.Lawyers in Britain. |
C.Non-humans. | D.Children in Wales. |
A.They focus on better ways to tackle climate change. |
B.They forbid other creatures to use trees for food or shelter. |
C.They recognize the legal rights of the whole natural system. |
D.They protect things humans find interesting like trees and pets. |
A.Defending native cultures by law. |
B.Using laws to protect nature. |
C.Fighting the loss of biodiversity. |
D.Using technology to protect the environment. |
A.A naturalist. | B.A zoo specialist. |
C.A TV reporter. | D.A nurse. |
A.They are gentle and shy. | B.They are long-armed man-eaters |
C.They are good at smile from ear to ear. | D.They are fierce animals. |
A.Many species in the world may die out. |
B.A good example can be followed to preserve wildlife. |
C.Women are encouraged to work for zoos. |
D.Our world is not safe today. |
A.The hunting is to blame for the disappearance of the birds. |
B.The cause of the decline in the ducks’ number is uncertain. |
C.She is unhappy with the climate change throughout the world. |
D.The man should find more scientific evidence for the birds’ extinction. |
A awareness B. clear C. encourage D. ignore E. immediate F. limiting G. redesigning H. significantly I. team J. theme K. unlikely |
Go Recycling
No one looking at the state of Earth in 2023 can be in any doubt that we are facing three serious environmental problems: climate problem, loss of biodiversity (生物多样性) and pollution of air, soil and water. To solve the problems, we increase the use of electric cars,
We should realize that a key
A shocking figure lies at the heart of our special report on our world — of the more than 100 billion tons of things that humans use each year, hardly 10% is recycled. That makes it obvious a full-range war on waste should be paid
Solving the three problems calls for a huge transition with joint efforts. Governments must take the lead by introducing laws with the purpose of rewarding green practices, such as the
It is perhaps the most ironic symbol of the life on our planet. The Amazon is the world’s largest and most bio-diverse tropical rainforest and a huge trap for carbon dioxide. The harms of
Gati has spent years
That nightmare situation is the well-known Amazon
Warnings that this is approaching have now taken on extreme urgency. The rate of deforestation has increased sharply and is fast approaching the theoretical
Scientists first began to seriously worry about a potential Amazon tipping point in about 2000, when some studies warned that a combination of climate change and deforestation could cause the rainforest to
A few years later, a team of Brazilian scientists put numbers on it. They
The scientists have since
“Either way, we would be wise not to exceed 20%”, says a scientist, “for the commonsense reason that there is no point in
A.fertilization | B.elimination | C.deforestation | D.frustration |
A.program | B.disaster | C.protection | D.regulation |
A.evolution | B.spotlight | C.condition | D.emergency |
A.measuring | B.observing | C.protecting | D.criticizing |
A.released | B.melted | C.turned | D.supplied |
A.tipping | B.disappointing | C.awarding | D.tapping |
A.build | B.turn | C.cause | D.make |
A.problem | B.prediction | C.aspect | D.limit |
A.base | B.edge | C.surface | D.track |
A.dry out | B.run down | C.pay off | D.rise up |
A.boasted | B.insisted | C.estimated | D.instructed |
A.thirst | B.starvation | C.cold | D.disease |
A.digested | B.revised | C.encouraged | D.previewed |
A.strategy | B.climate | C.average | D.system |
A.diagnosing | B.instructing | C.inquiring | D.discovering |
8 . 6 QUESTOINS FOR VANESSA NAKATE
Vanessa Nakate is a climate activist from Uganda, and a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Q1: What does it mean
I get to meet people on the front lines of the climate crisis. I see my role as
Q2: You’ve given speeches about the impact
One that has been very powerful for me was when I spoke at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Glasgow, Scotland. I
Q3: What’s the hardest part of being an activist?
One of the hardest things is having to see the consequences of climate change. For example, the drought in the Horn of Africa, the flooding in Pakistan, or the recent hurricanes in the United States. It’s very sad to see all those events
Q4: What keeps you motivated to fight climate change?
You’re interviewing me, and I think that’s so
Q5: What’s the most recent climate-related project you’ve worked on?
In 2019, I launched a project,
Q6:Climate change can feel frustrating and scary for some kids. What advice do you have for them?
To address this big issue, just find one thing you can do,
A. replacing B. tolerate C. extremes D. experiencing E. average F. estimates G. impact H. reserved I. assess J. cover K. continued |
Urban Trees Are Threatened by Climate Change
By 2050, about three-quarters of the species will be at risk as a result of climate change, a study has found. Cities around the world may need to start planting different types of trees and shrubs that can
“By ‘at risk’, we mean these species might be
City trees have many benefits, from making urban spaces look beautiful and providing a refuge for wildlife to keeping places up to 12°C cooler than they would otherwise be in summer. Losing tree
To
By 2050, 76 per cent of these species will be at risk from rising
The study doesn’t take account of
“Our
A.Its regular driving practices and poor vehicles. |
B.Its lack of green spaces and air cleaners. |
C.Its excessive water pollution and rubbish. |
D.Its high air pollution and crowded roads. |
A.Establishing a high interest loan scheme. |
B.Removing outdated black and white taxis. |
C.Encouraging customers to create new ideas. |
D.Making advertisements on old vehicles. |
A.Because customers are more friendly and richer. |
B.Because all new cabs provide air-conditioning. |
C.Because all new cabs are equipped with meters. |
D.Because car manufacturers can earn extra money. |