1 . Improper disposal of electronic devices can lead to negative impacts on the environment. So if you are in possession of an “old electronics” box or merely an old iPhone, consider recycling as an option. Here are some organizations worth checking out.
EcoATM
EcoATM is an automated kiosk that collects your unwanted cellphones and tablets and gives you cash for them. You'll find them by the checkout lines at various grocery store chains. It accepts devices from any era or in any condition, and offers anywhere between a few bucks to a few hundred dollars in return.
Best Buy
Best Buy offers a simple, straightforward recycling program. You can take your old phone to any of its retail stores and it'll take care of the entire recycling process for you. Best Buy will even give you a gift card for the value of the device you give them.
Call2Recycle
Call2Recycle is one of the largest recycling programs in the United States. The company collects used smartphones and batteries and has them either recycled or refurbished (翻新) for future use. It partners with various retailers to provide recycling services in stores like Lowe’s, The Home Depot and other smaller businesses.
Eco Cell
Eco Cell takes a unique approach to recycling phones. The program collects used smartphones and other gadgets for recycling through local zoos and other wildlife organizations. It then gives what it makes from recycling or refurbishing the devices back to those organizations in order to continue their work.
1. What do EcoATM and Best Buy have in common?| A．They are based in grocery stores. |
| B．They offer a reward for recycling. |
| C．They collect various kinds of devices. |
| D．They refurbish recycled items. |
| A．Call2Recycle | B．Eco Cell | C．Best Buy | D．EcoATM |
| A．The variety of items it recycles. |
| B．Its marketing strategies. |
| C．Its pricing policies and structures. |
| D．Its dedication to preserving wildlife. |
In a small community located at a suburb of Exeter, a disheartening issue had been troubling the neighborhood for years. The once pleasant surroundings were ruined by piles of waste that seemed to multiply with each passing day. Residents were growing tired of the worsening environment, leading many to abandon their homes in search of cleaner neighborhoods. It was in this terrible situation that two young students, Emma and Mia, decided to take matters into their own hands.
Emma and Mia were classmates and best friends from Phillips Exeter Academy, both passionate about environmental preservation and deeply concerned about the pollution crisis their community was facing. Witnessing more and more neighbors’ leaving, they knew they couldn’t stand by any longer. Determined to bring about a change, they undertook a mission that would soon catch the attention of the entire community.
Their journey began with thorough research and planning. The two girls searched carefully on the Internet for information on environmental initiatives and connected with local environmentalists. They organized meetings with residents to understand the issues at hand, collecting data on the types of waste, the sources, and the areas most affected. Armed with this knowledge, Emma and Mia worked out a comprehensive plan and announced it to ask for opinions from the residents. Surprisingly it was strongly supported.
Their strategy was twofold. First, they initiated a waste classification and recycling program. They distributed recycling bins(回收箱) to every household and educated the community about the importance of responsible waste management. Soon, the streets began to show signs of improvement as the volume of garbage inappropriately thrown away decreased gradually.
The second part of their plan was more ambitious. Emma and Mia gathered volunteers from their school and the neighborhood to take part in a massive clean-up campaign. Armed with gloves and trash(垃圾)bags, they began systematically clearing the waste from the streets, parks, and even the local bodies of water. Their firm commitment and hard work inspired others to join the cause.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Half a year later, the changes were significant.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Emma and Mia received recognition and honors for their work.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . China has seen great achievements in proving the environment and green development over the past 70 years. Solid efforts have been made to fight pollution and continuously improve the environment.
As President Xi Jinping has said, clear waters and green mountains are invaluable assets.
A series of campaigns have been carried out by the central government to improve the environment.
In Kubuqi, a desert in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Elion has greened 600,00 hectares of land and helped lift more than 102,000 people out of poverty through the development of solar energy and tourism, as well as planting herbs for traditional Chinese medicine.
In addition, the group’s techniques have also been used in many ecological programs, including the Yangtze River Ecological Park and the Qilian Mountain National Park.
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| A．Pollution is getting worse and worse nowadays. |
| B．Desertification was a serious problem in the 1990s. |
| C．Once the environment get better, we will live a happier life. |
| D．Another example of the campaign is the Elion Resources Group. |
| E．We will come up with new ways to improve our ability to control the sand. |
| F．For example, in 1998, China started the Natural Forest Protection Program. |
| G．Efforts to create “green” areas have played an important role in the country’s fight against desertification. |
4 . A new study says that no matter how much the world cuts back on greenhouse gases, a large and important part of ice of Antarctica (南极洲) is expected to disappear.
Researchers used computer models to expect the future melting (融化) of protective ice around Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica. They said the melting will take hundreds of years. It will slowly add nearly 1.8 meters to sea levels. And it will be enough to change where and how people live in the future.
The study found that even if future warming was limited to just a few tenths of a degree more, it would have limited power to prevent ocean warming that could lead to the breakdown of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Study lead writer Kaitlin Naughten is an expert on oceans at the British Antarctic Survey. She said their research suggests that Earth is set on the path to a quickly increasing speed of ocean warming and ice shelf melting over the rest of the century.
While past studies have talked about how serious the situation is, Naughten was the first to use computer modeling to study how warm water from below will melt the ice. The study looked at four different cases in how much greenhouse gases the world produces. In each case, ocean warming was just too much for this area of the ice to survive.
Naughten looked at floating areas of ice that hold back glaciers (冰川). Once these areas of ice melt, there is nothing to stop the glaciers behind them from flowing (流) into the sea.
The study also looked at what would happen if future warming was limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius over mid-19th century levels: the international goal. They found the rapid melting process in this case as well.
The world has already warmed about 1.2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times and much of this summer went past the 1.5 degrees mark.
1. Which can best describe the findings of the study?| A．Cheerful. | B．Encouraging. | C．Misleading. | D．Disappointing. |
| A．Her research area. | B．Her research time. |
| C．Her research method. | D．Her research purpose. |
| A．They will flow into the sea. | B．They protect the Antarctic ice. |
| C．They have warmed about 1.2℃. | D．They disappear faster than other ice. |
| A．Ice in Parts of Antaretica Will Disappear | B．Climate Change Will Harm Humans |
| C．Sea Level Will Rise Suddenly in the Future | D．Limiting Greenhouse Gases Makes No Sense |
内容如下：1. 写信目的；
2. 活动原因；
3. 活动建议（节约能源，垃圾分类，植树等 ）；
4. 呼吁加入。
注意：词数 80 词左右。
Dear friends,
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With best wishes,
Li Hua
6 . Most people have already heard we are facing an era of massive species extinction, that we run out of insect pollinators (传粉者) for our plantations and that springs are silent now. It is also agreed that a diverse nature is essential for our economic and emotional well-being and for human health. But how to achieve this?
Buildings produce dangerous emissions (排放物) polluting the air. The nation’s buildings are responsible for 40% of all US carbon emissions. Designing buildings that put the environment first is essential. Daniel Jaconetti, the National Sustainable Design Leader for the architecture firm HED tells Gb&d Magazine, “Our first responsibility is to educate and then to design for clients the best possible building that meets their needs.”
The best buildings are designed to be resilient (能复原的) , energy efficient, comfortable, and without poisonous chemicals. They are probably the ones-that make the most sense to people—being as efficient as possible. “You’re putting out fewer emissions.” Daniel Jaconetti tells Gb&d.
Eco-conscious design can be found-in a number of ways. The application of solar power is just one common design trend. Choosing eco-friendly building materials can also help. This can include a wide variety of materials, from bamboo to those recycled.
When looking for ways to cater to eco-friendly design, biophilia (热爱生物) has been used in architectural design to unite nature into the environment. With common elements of biophilic design in buildings including indoor trees and plants and living walls creatures, we can enjoy the various benefits associated with the presence of nature indoors. For already constructed homes, biophilic design element can help create an environmentally friendly atmosphere. Bringing in plants is just one major way to make an eco-friendly statement. Properly styling the greenery can be the difference between showcasing the tree itself and allowing it to complement the surrounding design.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic of the text. | B．To raise people’s awareness of pollution. |
| C．To call on people to protect wildlife. | D．To draw people’s attention to emotional well-being. |
| A．We need new buildings to be comfortable. | B．Buildings are to blame for serious emissions. |
| C．Buildings are where we spend most of our time. | D．We need different buildings to cheer ourselves up. |
| A．Luxury. | B．Splendid. | C．Eco-friendly. | D．Life-changing. |
| A．Redecorate it. | B．Give it a thorough clean. |
| C．Change its design style. | D．Add some green plants to it. |
While there is growing consumer
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2020 over 12 million tons of furniture
With growing calls for sustainability, many brands are announcing to change though it remains
8 . Finding a California condor in the wild would be the most unusual treat. perhaps even more unusual than finding a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. In fact, the wolf was what opened my eyes to the fact that humans could bring an animal back to the place where it had disappeared.
In 1987, there were only 27 California condors left, none of which were in the wild, only in captive breeding programs, It was those breeding programs that contributed to their population rise, enough that by 1991 some of them could be freed into the wild.
Still, the hope of seeing a California condor, which remains an endangered species, is very low, let alone getting a photo of one. California condor population dropped mostly due to human factors, such as poaching and living areas destruction-these are challenges California condors still face today.
Although this is just a bird’s-eye view of the challenges California condors face and there are many others, it is part of why the opportunity to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service team and their partners helping their recovery is so special to me as a photographer. I am not only able to photograph the birds in their wild living areas, but also understand and record how difficult the work is of those people on the front lines of the protection.
I am grateful for the work of the team, and my hope is that California condor population will continue to rise allowing future generations an opportunity I never had when I first got here-to look to the sky and see one flying around.
1. What helped the increase of the California condor population in 1987?| A．Rules for hunters. | B．Captive breeding programs. |
| C．The improved natural environment. | D．The enlargement of wild living areas. |
| A．It is difficult. | B．It is easy. | C．It is boring. | D．It is dangerous. |
| A．He guided ways for them. | B．He made records by photos. |
| C．He helped the birds to recover. | D．He rebuilt the birds’ living areas. |
| A．New Way, New Hope | B．Wolves and California Condors |
| C．A Photo of a California Condor | D．The California Condor’s Coming Back |
9 . Monkfish are low in calories and they are easy to cook. They can be cut into pieces, mixed with egg whites, cornflour and salt, and then put into boiling water for a few minutes. There is only one problem with monkfish: they are ugly. With their eyes sticking out and wide mouths full of sharp teeth, they are frightening.
In the Netherlands, fishermen who caught them used to throw them back. They are still usually sold without their heads, but the days of throwing them away are long gone. Japanese diners love the fatty liver; while Italians may still call them toad tails, that doesn’t stop them from eating the fish. People have been encouraged to eat more monkfish, as well as other unattractive creatures — in order to ensure the biodiversity of the ocean environment.
There are more examples for sea animals going from “purposely avoided” to “willingly consumed”. In America, lobsters used to be fed to prisoners — a result of their abundance but also, no doubt, because they are difficult to eat and look frightening. Not until the late 19th century did they become fantastic dish. Today they are so desirable that Maine, where most American lobsters are caught, has the images of these creatures printed on many of its vehicles.
Sometimes fashion goes the other way. Turtles were plentiful in early America, but in the 19th century they became fashionable: few foods were more recommended than turtle soup. Americans ate some species of turtle nearly to extinction. Yet today turtle-eating is more closely associated with remote and uncultured areas.
Among cooking choices, people prefer the rare and the beautiful one than the unattractive one. But such narrow-minded food choices can have bad results: some species may not survive human preference for them. Better to stare into monkfish’s eyes than to contribute to the permanent loss of a species.
1. How were monkfish treated in the Netherlands?| A．They were abandoned by local fishermen. | B．They were popular due to their fatty livers. |
| C．They were called toad tails from time to time. | D．They were considered a danger to the ecosystem. |
| A．To stress its abundance in America. | B．To make a comparison with monkfish. |
| C．To prove prisoners used to be fed on seafood. | D．To show people’s food habits keep changing. |
| A．Turtle-eating has been out of date now. |
| B．Turtles have completely disappeared in America. |
| C．Turtles were purposely avoided among food choices. |
| D．Turtle-eating was against fashion in the 19th century. |
| A．To introduce rare undersea wildlife. | B．To encourage people to eat seafood. |
| C．To explain why people dislike monkfish. | D．To call for the protection of biodiversity. |
10 . When Alex Lin was 11 years old, he read an alarming article in the newspaper about e-waste. The article said that people were throwing away their e-waste in places it should never go. This was dangerous, the article said, because e-waste contains poisonous chemicals and metals like lead. These harmful substances (物质) can leak into the environment, getting into crops, animals, water supplies — and people.
Alex showed the article to a few of his classmates. They were worried too. But what could they do about this problem with e-waste? How would they even start? “The first thing we did,” Alex says, “was to learn more about the problem.” Alex and his friends spent several weeks gathering information about the chemicals in e-waste and their effects on humans. They learned how to dispose (处理) of e-waste properly and how it could be recycled. “Then,” he says, “we had to find out what the situation was in our town. So we sent out a survey.”
What they found shocked them: Of the people who answered the survey, only one in eight even knew what e-waste was, let alone how to properly dispose of it. Alex and his friends went into action. They advertised in the local newspaper and distributed notices to students, asking residents to bring their unwanted electronics to the school parking lot. The drive lasted two days, and they collected over 21,000 pounds of e-waste.
The next step was to set up an e-waste drop-off center for the town and to find a responsible company to recycle the waste. That was when Alex and his friends learned another scary fact about e-waste — some irresponsible recycling companies don’t break down the e-waste and dispose of it safely themselves. Instead, they ship it overseas to countries such as China and Nigeria, where local environmental laws are not applied. “We checked carefully online to make sure the company we chose didn’t do this,” Alex says.
Because of the work of people like Alex and his team, more and more people are getting the message about safe disposal of e-waste. As Alex says, “Today’s technology should not become tomorrow’s poisonous trash.”
1. What can we learn about Alex from paragraph 1 and paragraph 2?| A．He was curious about chemistry experiments. |
| B．He possessed a strong sense of responsibility. |
| C．He set out to solve the problem individually. |
| D．He formed the habit of reading newspapers. |
| A．Campaign. | B．Imagination. | C．Performance. | D．Technology. |
| A．Lack of available space was the reason for shipping. |
| B．Recycling was totally banned in their own country. |
| C．They were running their companies on a tight budget. |
| D．They were not charged with insecurely disposing it. |
| A．Reusing School Computers | B．Recycling Electronic Waste |
| C．Meeting a challenge | D．Doing Scientific Experiment |
