1 . For years, twice a day Aadya Joshi walked past a dump filled with smelly rubbish in her neighbourhood of south Mumbai on her way to and from school. Originally it was meant to be the garden of the local police station. When she was 15, during her summer holidays, Joshi decided to do something about it. “I walked into the police station and was like, ‘Can I please clean your garden?’” recalls Joshi. “It took three or four weeks to eventually convince them that I was not going to give up halfway and leave them with more work.”
The plot of land covers an area of 60 square meters, about a quarter of a tennis court. But, over the course of four Sundays in the summer, with help of local residents, Joshi did more than clear it. She replanted it with native Indian plants and trees. Joshi said, “The first day that we cleaned up I made the mistake of not wearing gloves and I was sick for two weeks.”
The idea for native planting came from Joshi’s reading on the Miyawaki method of afforestation (植树造林) and the work of University of Delaware ecologist Douglas Tallamy. These both argue that planting the right trees can have a significant impact on restoring insect and animal biodiversity. The results in Mumbai were instantaneous: monkeys now hang out at the police station, and butterflies and birds have made the garden their home.
After creating the garden, Joshi developed a database of 2,000 plants unique to the Indian subcontinent and last year was awarded the annual Children’s Climate prize, founded by Swedish energy company Telge Energi. Her advice for others looking to follow in her footsteps: “If you bite off more than you can chew in the beginning, you will be stuck and lose motivation,” she says. “But something small, like your neighbourhood police station, it’s very manageable.”
1. What can we learn from Joshi’s words in the second paragraph?| A．The work was enjoyable and rewarding. |
| B．The garden was too large to clean. |
| C．The cleaning was hard and dangerous. |
| D．Joshi was sick of the cleaning work. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Profitable. | C．Costly. | D．Immediate. |
| A．All roads lead to Rome. |
| B．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| C．The longest journey starts from the first step. |
| D．Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. |
| A．To demonstrate the environment problems. |
| B．To call on attention to India’s young people. |
| C．To persuade readers to donate to a environment program. |
| D．To advocate a teenager’s efforts in caring about the world. |
2 . Coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean. They exist on vast scales and are equally important havens of biodiversity. Reefs occupy 0.1% of the oceans.
Corals are useful to people. Without the protection which reefs afford from crashing waves, low-lying islands such as the Maldives would have flooded long ago, and a billion people would lose food or income. However, reefs are under threat from rising sea temperatures. Heat causes the algae (海藻) with which corals are living together to generate toxins (毒素) that force those coral to leave.
Research groups around the world are coming up with plans of action to see if that will help, such as identifying naturally heat-resistant corals and cross-breeding such corals to create a new type.
Doubters doubt humanity will get its act together in time to make much difference.
| A．This can cause a coral’s death. |
| B．But there are grounds for optimism. |
| C．And they host a quarter of marine species. |
| D．Coral’s global ecosystem services are worth up to $10trn a year. |
| E．This mix of natural activity and human intervention is important. |
| F．This research can also be brought to bear on trying to save entire ecosystems. |
| G．However, the assisted evolution of corals does not meet with universal enthusiasm. |
3 . Biodiversity is a concept that's commonly referenced, yet regularly misunderstood. The complex
“If biodiversity disappears, so do people,” says Dr. Stephen Woodley, field ecologist and bio-diversity expert with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. “We are part of the
Preventing such a catastrophe, says Woodley, begins with understanding why biodiversity is declining, and then taking action to
“The two greatest
That's the mission of the global Campaign for Nature, a partnership of the Wyss Foundation and the National Geographic Society. Instead of simply protecting 30 percent of the Earth, the
The campaign also recognizes the importance of
“Biodiversity is stability,” says Sala. “Trees, wetlands, grasslands, peat bogs(泥炭沼泽), salt marshes(盐沼), healthy ocean ecosystems, mangroves(红树林), and plants
| A．argument | B．term | C．structure | D．problem |
| A．altering | B．developing | C．stabilizing | D．worsening |
| A．ecosystem | B．threat | C．cycle | D．procedure |
| A．affect | B．change | C．reverse | D．continue |
| A．aspects | B．causes | C．consequences | D．occasions |
| A．acquiring | B．protecting | C．exploiting | D．possessing |
| A．management | B．announcement | C．campaign | D．competition |
| A．consume | B．destroy | C．lose | D．contain |
| A．denying | B．enjoying | C．ignoring | D．respecting |
| A．essential | B．simple | C．temporary | D．profitable |
| A．Besides | B．However | C．Thus | D．Otherwise |
| A．witness | B．detect | C．confirm | D．avoid |
| A．measure | B．absorb | C．survive | D．prevent |
| A．mission | B．decision | C．option | D．exploration |
| A．worried about | B．confident in | C．responsible for | D．good at |
4 . A Plastic Ocean is a film to make you think. Think, and then act. We need to take action on our dependence on plastic. We’ve been producing plastic in huge quantities. Drinking bottles, shopping bags and even clothes are made with plastic.
The film begins as a journey to film the largest animal on the planet, the blue whale. But during the journey the filmmakers make the shocking discovery of a huge, thick layer of plastic floating in the Indian Ocean.
In the film there are beautiful shots of the seas and marine life.
We make a shocking amount of plastic. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, and at least 8 million of those are thrown into the oceans. The results are very harmful, but it isn’t too late to change.
| A．It has raised public concern all over the world. |
| B．In conclusion, we only have one earth to live on. |
| C．But the film doesn’t only show the negative side. |
| D．These are contrasted with plastic rubbish thrown around. |
| E．Once you’ve seen the film, you’ll realize it is time to do our part. |
| F．This causes them to travel globally to look at other affected areas. |
| G．We live in a world full of plastic, and only a small amount is recycled. |
About 385, 000 people from 192 countries take part in the yearly project to count birds. The event
Steve and Janet Kistler from the American state of Kentucky are among those
Becca Rodomsky-Bish,
The worldwide data goes into the eBird database used by scientists for research on different bird
6 . New Zealand’s government recently announced it will help pay for poorer families to replace their old cars with cleaner hybrid(混合动力的)or electric vehicles. The government said it plans to spend $357 million on the test program.
The move is part of a wider plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases are believed to cause warming temperatures in the Earth’s atmosphere. New Zealand plans to provide aid for businesses to reduce emissions and have buses that run on environmentally safe fuel by 2035. The government also plans to provide food-waste collection for most homes by 2030.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardem said in a statement, “We’ve all seen the recent reports on sea level rise and its influence right here in New Zealand. We cannot leave the issue of climate change until it’s too late to fix.” The plan is a step toward New Zealand’s stated goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Reaching net-zero emissions means not creating more carbon in the atmosphere than oceans and forests can remove. Ardern said that reducing dependence on traditional fuels would help protect families from extreme price increases. The plan also sets a goal of reducing total car travel by 20 percent over the next 13 years. The programs will be paid for from a $2.8 billion climate emergency response fund.
Officials said that over time, money collected from polluters would pay for the programs rather than taxes from families. Some critics of the plan say it continued to be less restrictive on New Zealand’s huge agriculture industry. Agriculture creates more than half of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions. But the industry is also important to the economy as the nation’s biggest export earner.
David Seymour is the leader of New Zealand’s ACT political party. He said that some of the announced programs are proven to be ineffective and have been tried and failed overseas. Seymour added that people should be able to choose how they reduce emissions through the market-basedd emissions trading plan.
1. Which of the following is NOT New Zealand planning to do?| A．Buy cars for poor families. | B．Offer assistance to business. |
| C．Use environmentally safe fuels. | D．Spend money on the test program. |
| A．Setting aside the problem. | B．Realizing the stated goal. |
| C．Addressing the issue early. | D．Decreasing dependence on traditional fuels. |
| A．New Zealand aims to control carbon emissions. |
| B．The move has a goal of reducing the use of buses. |
| C．Achieving net-zero emissions means creating no carbon. |
| D．Agriculture makes less importance in the nation’s economy. |
| A．Negative. | B．Objective. | C．Favorable | D．Unconcerned. |
Rising sea levels are threatening coastlines in China, for example in
The good news is
The development of electric vehicles is particularly
Ecological civilization has become the cornerstone (基石) of China’s long-term development strategy, much like climate action is
8 . In 2022, campaign group Fashion Revolution Chelsea dye a garden for its Chelsea Flower Show presentation. An ancient craft, natural dyeing is a practice whose time has come again, with hand tie-dyed fashion also making a comeback in recent years.
The revival has been encouraged by Covid lockdowns, “which allowed people to explore the craft at home, says natural-dyeing enthusiast and teacher Susan Dye. It’s unlikely, though, that the practice would have caught on in quite the same way if not for a continually growing discomfort about fashion’s heavy footprint. From carbon emissions to animal cruelty, fashion is under considerable inspection. “Put it this way, 97% of dyes used in the industry are petrochemically (石油化学产品) based,” says sustainable fashion consultant Jackie Andrews, who helped advise the UN Ethical Fashion Initiative. We’ve got net zero targets which mean we’re going to have to remove all those petrochemicals from the manufacturing cycle.
Fashion is a huge polluter. According to the UN Environment Program, the industry is responsible for up to one-fifth of all industrial water pollution—due to the fact that most clothes today are produced in poorer countries where regulation is weak and enforcement weaker. Waste water is dumped directly into rivers and streams, poisoning the land as well as the water sources of people and animals who rely on them.
It’s easy to see why someone who cares about people, planet and animals, as well as clothes, might turn to natural plant dyeing. From the beauty of the raw materials—often wild plants-to the property of only bonding with natural fiber like cotton and linen (亚麻布) from the minor footprint of recycling old clothing that has grayed or faded over time to the vibrant and long-lasting dyeing results, plant dyeing feels like a quiet act of rebellion. This is why, while beginners start with simply changing their clothes’ color, new worlds open. Many of today’s natural dyers grow their own dye plants, run local community workshops, and advocate for change in industrialized fashion systems and beyond.
1. What is the main reason for the growing discomfort mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．The adoption of petrochemical-based dyes |
| B．The disturbing consequences of the fashion industry. |
| C．The fashion industry’s focus on luxurious designs. |
| D．The challenging net zero targets to be achieved. |
| A．By making a comparison. | B．By listing numbers |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By introducing a new topic |
| A．A protest against turning to natural fiber. |
| B．An objection to recycling old clothing |
| C．A resistance to vibrant colors in natural dyeing |
| D．A struggle for a sustainable fashion industry |
| A．The Environmental Impact of Natural Dyeing |
| B．The Return of Natural Dyeing with Ethical Appeal |
| C．Fashion Revolution’s Dye Garden Presentation |
| D．The Petrochemical Dye Industry and Its Challenges |
9 . Are you a tea drinker? If so, you’re not alone. Every day around the world millions of cups of this popular brew are drunk, and it’s been that way for thousands of years. The oldest discovered tea is from the Han Dynasty, dating from 206BC to 220AD. But it’s thought that the tea trend really took off during the Tang Dynasty in the 8th Century, when it became China’s national drink. Now, Turkey, the Republic of Ireland and the UK are believed to be the biggest tea—drinking nations, per capita.
Tea is consumed in many ways-slurped, sipped or glugged. It can be poured from pots, infused or brewed in the cup using tea bags—and it’s this latter process that is causing concern. Research last year found some premium tea bags might be leaving billions of microscopic plastic particles in the cup. Scientists from McGill University in Montreal found that some ‘plastic’ tea bags shed high levels of micro plastics into water. However, The World Health Organization says such particles in drinking water do not appear to pose a risk.
Most tea bags are made from paper, with a small amount of plastic used to seal them shut— made from oil. This has led to debate about whether they can be recycled, but many are still composted. However, gardener Mike Armitage has told the BBC that the plastic contained in the soil could be washed into streams and rivers and ultimately out to sea.
Unilever, the owners of the tea brand PG Tips, said their tea bags are made with a small amount of plastic—used to seal them—and that they are suitable for composting. And the brand Yorkshire Tea said their bags do contain 25% polypropylene, but they were “actively developing plant—based and biodegradable alternatives”.
While tea bag manufacturers might be doing their bit to reduce plastic pollution, it could be a good time to switch your favourite beverage to coffee, or if that isn’t your cup of tea then try using loose-leaf tea, which can have a better flavour.
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?| A．Tea can be consumed in many ways. |
| B．The use of tea bags doesn’t appear to pose a risk |
| C．The use of tea bags is causing concern. |
| D．Some tea bags might be leaving microscopic plastic particles in the cup. |
| A．reduce the amount of plastic used to seal tea bags |
| B．wash the plastic in the soil into streams, rivers and sea |
| C．develop plant-based and biodegradable alternatives |
| D．switch to coffee or try to use loose-leaf tea |
| A．Supportive | B．Indifferent | C．Opposed | D．Neutral |
| A．Potential Plastic Pollution |
| B．Chinese tea culture |
| C．What is your favorite drink? |
| D．The Humble tea bag |
10 . Sprite has been recognized for decades by its green cans and bottles, but it is retiring its green plastic bottles after more than 60 years.
Starting Aug. 1, the Coca-Cola Co., which produces Sprite, will package the lemon-lime drink in clear plastic bottles in North America, the company announced Wednesday. Sprite’s current plastic contains green polyethylene terephthalate(PET)(聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯), an additive(添加剂) that can’t be recycled into new bottles, a key choice for the company as it looks to reduce plastic waste.
“When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic.” Julian Ochoa, CEO of R3CYCLE, a plastic group helping Coca-Cola improve its recycling, said in a statement.
Customers will also notice a revised logo and packaging design on the Sprite bottles that aims to provide a more “consistent look around the world,” the company said. The well-known green color will still be used on Sprite labels. Other beverages that use green bottles in Coke’s portfolio(系列产品), including Fresca. Seagram’s and Mello Yello, will also be replaced with clear containers in the coming months.
Coca-Cola reported higher-than-expected second-quarter earnings Tuesday, citing strong demand, and lifted its revenue forecast for the full year.
The beverage giant has often been criticized for contributing to environmentally damaging plastic waste. In 2020, the company was named as the world’s No. 1 plastic polluter by the environmental firm Break Free From Plastic. Its logos and branding were found on 13, 834 pieces of discarded plastic in 51 countries, often in public spaces such as parks and beaches.
1. Why will the Coca-Cola Co. stop using green Sprite bottles?| A．They think the old design is out of date. |
| B．They want to cut down the production cost. |
| C．Customers prefer clear bottles to green bottles. |
| D．They want to help drive a circular economy for plastic. |
| A．They have not any plastic. | B．They have a consistent look. |
| C．They have not green color at all. | D．They have quite a different design. |
| A．Not the design, but the logo of the Sprite. |
| B．Not the material, but the design of the bottles. |
| C．Not the color, but the material: single-use plastic. |
| D．Not the recycling, but using as much plastic as possible. |
| A．The Coca-Cola attaches importance to profits. |
| B．The Coca-Cola lays the needs of customers first. |
| C．The Coca-Cola values environmental protection most. |
| D．The Coca-Cola likes the fame of the world’s No. 1 plastic polluter. |
