1 . Global warming is the increase of the earth’s average surface temperature due to the effect of greenhouse gases, for example, carbon dioxide, which traps heat that would otherwise escape from the earth. After the trees are cut down and more greenhouse gases are released, the “blanket” around the earth called the ozone layer（臭氧层）, will get thicker. This catches more heat and makes the earth hotter. Luckily, there are many things that every citizen of the earth can do to help reduce the effects of global warming, and it’s never too late or too early for children to take action.
The children should learn what a carbon footprint is. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon and greenhouse gases people make as they lead the daily life and go about the normal activities. In other words, the carbon footprint is a measure of the environmental impact the life has. To live an environmentally friendly life that doesn’t contribute to global warming, people want to have the smallest carbon footprint possible.
Almost everything people do contributes to global warming and is related to fossil fuel consumption. These can be direct uses of fossil fuels, like riding in a gasoline-powered car, or indirect contributions to greenhouse gases, such as eating fruits or vegetables that have to be shipped from far way to reach their tables.
If a child wants to make a contribution to reducing global warming, he should ride a bicycle to the near park, school, his friend’s house, or anywhere else instead of taking the car. Or he may try to walk or jog, which is also helpful. In addition, although trains and buses often run on fossil fuels, on average, each person uses less energy and produces less pollution to run. Next time if children with their parents have to get around town or it’s too far to walk or bike, take the bus or other public transportation instead of asking for a ride.
1. What is the main reason for global warming?| A．The ozone layer. |
| B．The effect of cutting down trees. |
| C．The harmful effect of greenhouse gases. |
D．The increase of the earth’s inner temperature . |
| A．The definition of a carbon footprint. |
| B．Life has an impact on carbon footprint. |
| C．People should live an environmental friendly life. |
| D．People make a huge amount of carbon and greenhouse gases. |
| A．children | B．parents |
| C．citizens | D．children educators |
| A．What Can People Do To Use Less Energy? |
| B．Why Global Warming Affects Humans’ Life? |
| C．How Can Kids Help Reduce Global Warming? |
| D．How Does Carbon Footprints Measure Pollution? |
2 . Living on an island might sound wonderful. But what if you left for a trip and found you could never return? What if your home, and even the land it stood on, was gone forever? For people living in the Pacific Islands, this is really possible.
Why? Climate (气候) change. Climate change is causing the sea to rise. That's bad news for the Pacific Islands. Young people on the islands are even starting to wonder: Will they be the last generation (一代人)?
Not if the islanders have anything to do about it. These people are deeply connected to their homelands. The Pacific Islands are made up of 11 different countries: the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Samoa, and others. But now, those countries are working together. They're joining forces to fight climate change.
Why is climate change such a huge threat to this part of the world? Islands are low elevations (海拔). So they are among the first places influenced by rising sea levels. That's why countries of the Pacific Islands are working together to do their part.
But these are small countries. When it comes to climate change, can they make a big difference? They can, because most of the things that people on islands buy are brought by ships. This is very harmful to the environment. After all, ships put out almost 3 percent of the world's carbon emissions (碳排放). That makes climate change worse.
Pacific Islanders realize the problem. So, in 2019, six countries got together: Fuji, the Marshall islands, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. They came up with a plan. They agreed to cut carbon emissions from shipping by 40 percent by 2030. And by 2050, they expect zero-carbon shipping.
How will they pull this off? They plan to use some really cool carbon-free technologies. They'll make use of solar and wind energy.
Sea levels are rising, but hopes aren't sinking in the Pacific Islands.
1. What is the bad news for the Pacific Islands according to the passage?| A．Some Pacific Island countries have disappeared. |
| B．The sea level is going up because of climate change. |
| C．All the shipping to the Pacific Islands has been stopped. |
| D．The Pacific Islanders have nothing to do about the climate change. |
| A．risk | B．step | C．project | D．development |
| A．there will never be zero carbon emissions from shipping |
| B．solar and wind energy will make climate change worse |
| C．all the Pacific Islanders may leave their homelands by 2050 |
| D．some Pacific Island countries may have hopes to make a difference |
| A．why other countries are helping the Pacific Islanders fight climate change |
| B．how some countries are working hard to develop carbon-free technologies |
| C．how Pacific Island countries are working together to fight shipping pollution |
| D．why Pacific Island countries put out so much of the world's carbon emissions |
3 . Tips for Green Travel with Kids
Traveling doesn’t mean letting go of all the eco-friendly choices we work so hard to achieve in our daily life. Here are a few tips for green travel with kids:
Booking nonstop flights whenever possible will reduce carbon emissions (碳排放). If the closest local airport doesn’t have nonstop flights to a certain place, check in with other local airports to see if nonstop flights are available.
Whether you’re flying or driving, it’s easy when traveling to pull into fast food restaurants for snacks.
Reusable water bottles are easy to bring along whenever you travel. At the airport, keep your reusable bottles empty until you have passed through the security (安检).
| A．Too much carbon emissions seriously pollute the environment. |
| B．But you can pack healthy food before starting off. |
| C．In this way, you can save water and energy. |
| D．Fill them up on the other side of the security checkpoint. |
| E．Security check is a necessary part of each trip. |
| F．Save energy by turning off the hotel room lights when you head out for the day. |
| G．You might have to drive a bit further, but saving on carbon emissions makes it worthwhile. |
4 . On November 7, Lewis Pugh completed a one-kilometer swim in the freezing waters of King Edward Cove, off South Georgia in Antarctica. He was wearing only his swimming glasses, cap and Speedo !
Pugh is an advocate for our oceans and seas, working to protect these ecosystems with their large diversity of marine life. When asked why he doesn't wear a wetsuit(防寒泳衣), Pugh says, "I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I'm asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message."
It took Pugh about 19 minutes to complete the one-kilometer swim in Antarctica where the water averaged about 1.6 degrees Celsius. He says that his body can only tolerate about 20 minutes in the freezing waters before it starts shutting down. As he swims, his body temperature steadily drops, which in turn causes his muscle control to drop, slowing him down. When he is done with his swim, his support team rushes him to a hot shower and it takes almost an hour for his body temperature to return to normal.
Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters. Even expert swimmers who are unused to freezing water can drown within minutes because of the physical shock experienced by the body. Pugh says he trained for six months before this swim.
This is not the first time that Pugh has swum in dangerous conditions. In 2007, he swam one kilometer in the North Pole to draw attention to the melting Arctic ice due to climate change. In 2015, he swam in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica's Ross Sea as part of his successful campaign to help set up a marine reserve there.
1. Why did Lewis Pugh swim without a wetsuits ?| A．To show his bravery. |
| B．To swim faster. |
| C．To build up his body. |
| D．To have overnight fame. |
| A．His body temperature. |
| B．His body |
| C．The water. |
| D．The water temperature. |
| A．One should be expert at swimming. |
| B．One must be used to long-distance swimming. |
| C．One should be ready to take on challenges. |
| D．One must be adequately prepared for it. |
| A．Lewis Pugh: achieving the impossible |
| B．How to survive a swim in cold waters |
| C．Lewis Pugh: swimming for a cause |
| D．How to prepare for extreme swimming |
5 . China’s war on garbage is as digital as the country itself. Think QR codes attached to trash bags that allow the government to trace exactly where its trash comes from.
On July 1, Shanghai began a compulsory garbage sorting program. Households and companies must classify their wastes into four categories and dump them in appointed places at certain times. The strict program became a headache for some residents. Not even the most environmentally conscious person can get all the answers right. Like, which bin does the newspaper you just used to pick up dog poop (粪便)belong to?
Gratefully, China’s tech startups are here to help. For instance, China’s biggest internet companies responded with new search features that help people identify what wastes are “wet”, “dry”, “toxic”, or “recyclable”. Simply pull up a mini app on WeChat, Baidu or Alipay and enter the keyword. The tech firms will give you the answer and why.
Alipay, Alibaba’s electronics payment company, claims its garbage sorting mini app added one million users under just three days. The mini app has so far indexed (编索引) more than 4,000 types of rubbish. Its database is still growing, and soon it will save people from typing by using image recognition to classify trash when they snap a photo of it. If people are too busy or lazy to hit the collection schedule, well, startups are offering trash service at the doorstep. A third-party developer helped Alipay build a recycling mini app and is now collecting garbage from 8,000 apartment complexes across 11 cities. To date, two million people have sold recyclable materials through its platform.
Besides helping households out, companies are also building software to make property managers, life easier. Some residential complexes in Shanghai began using QR codes to trace the origin of garbage. This way, regulators in the region know exactly which family has produced the trash and fine violators.
1. What are some residents confused about?| A．Environmental knowledge. | B．Bin for dog poop. |
| C．Some waste classification. | D．Time for dumping. |
| A．It provides time flexibility. | B．It reduces household waste. |
| C．It saves people from typing. | D．It classifies rubbish properly. |
| A．Third-party developers. | B．Company managers. |
| C．Community administrators. | D．Rubbish collectors. |
| A．People need recycling apps badly. |
| B．People should classify their rubbish. |
| C．How regulators benefit from the tech. |
| D．How China uses tech to sort waste. |
6 . Rachel Carson was concerned about what was happenig to the environment. So in her book Silent Spring, she warned that some chemicals were poisoning the air, the water, the earth, and all its creatures. She imagined a time when spring would not bring the rebirth of flowers, trees, and the songs of birds. The book became a bestseller, and Ms. Carson was in great demand as a speaker. People lisened to her because what she said made sense, and because she was a scientist who knew her facts.
Rachel Carson was primarily interested in the world of sea and shore, so she became a marine biologst for the government. She studied and recorded facts about the sea' s plant and animal life, their special characteristics, and the nature of their environments. In 1951, she wrote The Sea Around Us, which brought her honors, fame, and respect around the world.
Ms. Carson then devoted herself full-time to research and writing. One thing much on her mind was the effect of modern technology on the natural environment. One day, a distressed friend wrote her to say that a plane spraying(喷洒) DDT had flown over her yard, and the next day several birds lay dead. Carson decided to act.
For four years she studied the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in the United States, and then she wrote Silent Spring.
In her book Ms. Carson said that these pesticides would harm much more than insects. She explained that these poisons would pollute the environment. “Even if their effects are not immediately observable, they remain for years in the water and the soil, and they become part of the food eaten by animals and humans.
Besides, after a time, insects develop immunity to pesticides,” she said.
Recent studies have shown that pesticides can affect human brainwave activity and cause loss of memory and inability to concentrate. We should still remember Rachel Carson’s words, “I think we are challenged as we have never been challenged before to prove our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”
1. Silent Spring is a book that__________| A．aims to raise people’s environmental awareness |
| B．stresses the importance of the cycle of nature |
| C．describes the author' s childhood experiences |
| D．asks people to enjoy the beauty of spring |
| A．curious | B．humorous | C．excited | D．worried |
| A．became world-famous due to Silent Spring |
| B．warned against the use of chemicals to kill insects |
| C．had a good knowledge of the planets in the universe |
| D．created a system for improving human brainwave activity |
| A．we should prove ourselves to be the ruler of this world |
| B．it's a chance for us to prove our mastery of nature |
| C．it's time for us to think about what we have done |
| D．settling on the earth is a challenge for humans |
7 . Burning coal to provide energy adds planet-warming carbon dioxide, or CO2, to Earth’s atmosphere. As the planet heats up, experts warn that simply cutting greenhouse gas emissions (排放) will not be enough to avoid possibly disastrous levels of global warming. CO2 must also be obliterated from the atmosphere, they say.
Existing experimental machines that remove CO2 directly from the air are too costly to be widely used. But a new report from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says effective carbon-removal technology already exists. It is not costly, or even complex science. It’s forests.
The report explains that planting trees and overseeing forests are cost-effective ways to clean the air. They also work well across large areas. Forests used to cover much of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. In the state of West Virginia, a kind of mining known as strip mining (露天开采) left the land there bare, without trees. Now experts are working to bring back the forests that once covered much of the state.
West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest is home to a rare group of trees. They are called virgin (原始的) woods; they have never been touched by humans. Shane Jones, a biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, says the trees there were missed by mistake when the surrounding forest was cut down for wood many years ago. That mistake turned out to be a good thing; red spruce (云杉) forests such as those in the Monongahela are extremely effective at taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and locking it into the soil.
Experts say, nature offers powerful tools to fight climate change.
1. What does the underlined word “obliterated” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Prevented. | B．Cleared. |
| C．Produced. | D．Stored. |
| A．They release more oxygen. |
| B．They clear more CO2. |
| C．They save more money. |
| D．They absorb CO2 faster. |
| A．To prove the place is unsuitable for human survival. |
| B．To stress planting trees is practical for clean air. |
| C．To indicate trees are difficult to live on such poor soil. |
| D．To show people in the state are now living a hard life. |
| A．They can only be found in Monongahela National Forest. |
| B．They were given the name virgin woods for beauty. |
| C．They were cut down for wood by farmers. |
| D．They could store carbon dioxide in the soil. |
8 . What Recycling Will Look Like in 10 Years
As businesses rush to become greener, this is what recycling may look like a decade from now. To begin with, more goods will be made of existing materials. The increase in the reuse of existing materials, including recycled plastics, glass and more will reduce the demand for raw materials (原材料). You’ll find more clothing, toys, park benches, etc. made of recycled water bottles.
Reusable products will become more popular. Not only will companies take up the duty to reduce waste.
Chemical recycling may become common. Though the field is still in its early stages, the process of chemical recycling may increase in the coming years.
| A．We cannot rely only on recycling |
| B．New plastic is cheaper than recycled plastic |
| C．In the future, thin plastics will be recycled more readily |
| D．However, chemical recycling is not without disagreement |
| E．This creates an economy where no resource will be wasted |
| F．Individuals (个人) will also be expected to use more reusable products |
| G．The campaign puts the focus on individuals to clean up their plastic mess |
9 . Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars. lots of traffic jams and lots of pollution from exhaust fumes(废气). So the city began a scheme(计划)to improve the situation.
Under the Velib scheme ('Velib' comes from velo liberte, or 'bicycle freedom') people can take a bicycle, use it for as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour-on the bike is free, but if you don't return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. But it's only € 1 a day or € 29 a year! The bicycles are heavy (25kg), and they are all grey and have baskets. There are about 20,000 of them in the city, and around 1,450 bicycle stations. So there are a lot more Velib stations than the 298 subway stations!
Paris is not the first city to have a scheme like this. But not everybody thinks it's a great idea. One Parisian said. “These bicycles are only for short journeys. If people want to travel across the city, they won't use a bicycle-they'll still use their cars.”
A city spokesman said, “The bicycle scheme won't solve all our traffic problems, of course. But it might help reduce air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, is a big problem. There aren't any simple answers to traffic problems and pollution in cities. But unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get worse. The bikes might help people to lead a healthier life, too. “
1. What can we know about the Velib scheme?| A．Its bikes have no baskets. | B．Its bikes are light and colorful. |
| C．It owns more stations than the subway. | D．It aims to make traveling easier. |
| A．€1. | B．€30. | C．€29. | D．No money. |
| A．The cost is rather high. | B．It's not suitable for a long journey. |
| C．It's hard to find a Velib station. | D．The distance between two Velib stations is long. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．worried. | C．Uncaring. | D．Positive. |
10 . Leaders in the aviation (航空) industry plan to launch a campaign (发起运动) that they hope will work against what they call a “Flight Shaming Movement” (FSM). They say FSM has weakened people’s demand for air travel in Europe. Some travelers there are increasingly concerned about the effects of flying on the environment. Activists have been calling for greater action against climate change. That includes avoiding air travel.
FSM has affected air travel demand in many European countries, including Britain, France and Germany. The campaign will try to explain to the public how the industry is reducing its effect on the environment. Juniac, head of IATA, said FSM gave off “misleading information”.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is organizing the plan through the Air Transport Action Group, a group of aviation industry organizations and companies. Juniac didn’t say when the campaign would start, but noted that details would be available to airports and airlines.
Commercial flying is estimated to cause about 2.5% of worldwide carbon emissions (释放). However, that number could rise as worldwide air travel increases.
The aviation industry says it has already cut carbon emissions by one-half since 1990. The improvements are mainly the result of aircraft that use fuel more effectively. The industry plans to cut emissions further by 2050. It has a goal of stopping the growth of carbon emissions by 2020.
Airlines also have warned of the harmful effects of FSM. Some have criticized the industry for failing to explain itself. Tim Clark, president of the Airline Emirates, said that improvements in technology have reduced the environmental effects of passenger airplanes.
1. What is FSM about?| A．Weakening people’s demand to travel abroad. |
| B．Calling on all to fight against global warming. |
| C．Announcing the environmental harm of flying. |
| D．Scaring people from approaching the airport. |
| A．Airlines will charge the movement for their loss. |
| B．It ignores the efforts of airlines to reduce pollution. |
| C．Airlines are to blame for the cause of it. |
| D．It has positive effects in urging airlines to be green. |
| A．The effective use of fuel has made air travel greener. |
| B．FSM has caused great loss for aviation industry. |
| C．With more passengers, carbon emissions by planes may rise. |
| D．The aviation industry aims to stop carbon emission by 2020. |
| A．Improvement of air quality since FSM. |
| B．Measures by aviation industry to reduce pollution. |
| C．Travelers’ inconvenience caused by FSM. |
| D．Disapproval of aviation industry against FSM. |
