2 . A record surge in the creation of marine protected areas has taken the international community close to its goal of creating nature refuges on 17% of the world’s land and 10% of seas by 2020, according to a new UN report. Protected region snow cover more than five times the territory of the US, but the authors said this good news was often undermined by poor enforcement. Some reserves are little more than “paper parks” with little value to nature conservation. Atleast one has been turned into an industrial zone. More than 27m square kilometres of seas (7% of the total) and 20m sq km of land (15% of the total) now have protected status, according to the Protected Planet report, which was released on Sunday at the UN biodiversity conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Almost all of the growth has been in marine regions, most notably with the creation last year of the world’s biggest protected area: the 2m sq km Ross Sea reserve, one-fifth of which is in the Antarctic. The no-fishing zone will be managed by New Zealand and the US.

“We have seen an enormous expansion in the past two years. There is now more marine protected area than terrestrial, which nobody would have predicted,” said Kathy McKinnon of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. “I think we’ll continue to see a substantial increase, I’d guess, to at least 10% in the near future.”

The UN convention on biological diversity says it has received national commitments for an additional 4.5m sq km of land and 16m sq km of oceans to be given protected status in the next two years. This would put it on course to achieve one of the key aims of the 2010 Aichi biodiversity targets.

“This is the target with the most progress. In an ocean of bad news about biodiversity loss and eco-destruction, it is important to highlight that progress, though we still have a lot more to do to ensure not just the quantitive target but the effectiveness of the management,” said CristianaPașca Palmer, the head of UN Biodiversity.

The creation of protected areas has not been enough to halt a collapse of species and ecosystems that threatens civilisation. Since 1970 humanity has wiped out 60% of mammal, bird, fish and reptile populations, with a dangerous knock-on impact on food production, fisheries and climate stability.

Protected areas are important refuges from this wave of extinctions but many are underfunded and poorly policed. Only one in five have provided management assessments to the UN, which has raised questions about the viability of the rest.

Naomi Kingston, of UN environment world conservation monitoring centre, said: “There is a race to deliver on Aichi target 11. It is fantastic that countries are coming with more ambition, but not if it is just a number without substance.

“Some areas that have been reported to us as protected areas have been completely built over. We need datasets to define which areas are paper parks and which are real.”

Developing nations have better reporting standards because many are obliged to provide regular assessments in order to qualify for funds from the Global Environment Fund. By contrast, many wealthier nations devote few resources to monitoring.

Discussions will focus on a new, more flexible category for community land that is used by locals for both agricultural production and wildlife conservation. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, this is a model that has often helped improve biodiversity because residents — often from indigenous communities — live closely with nature and have an interest in protecting it.

1. What promotes the achievement of the goals of marine nature reserves?

A．Poor management of marine protected areas.

B．Loss of biodiversity and ecological destruction.

C．Rapid growth in the number of marine protected areas.

D．Commitments in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

2. What impact does the establishment of “paper parks”have on protected areas?

A．They have promoted the expansion of marine protected areas.

B．They have little value for nature conservation.

C．They all turn into industrial zones.

D．They will slow down the collapse of ecosystems.

3. According to the passage, what is Kathy McKinnon’s point of view?

A．NewZealand and the United States regulate fishing-ban zones.

B．In the near future, the number of marine refuges will increase by at least 10%.

C．The quantity and management quality of marine refuges are equally important.

D．Many countries have ambitions to achieve Aichi 11.

4. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．A recorded surge in the creation of marine protected areas.

B．Developing countries may receive funding from the Global Environment Facility.

C．The Increase of marine refuges and the views of relevant personnel.

D．Achieving Aichi 11 Goal.

3 . Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element.

Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet.

A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject (注入) concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used.

California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium (镁) , which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete.

Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product.

The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction.

Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used.

1. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production?

A．The high demand for energy.	B．The processing of waste materials.
C．The mass release of carbon dioxide.	D．The use of non-renewable resources.

2. How does CarbonCure deal with the environmental impact of concrete production?

A．By using silicate rock as the basis.	B．By putting carbon dioxide into concrete.
C．By replacing sand with coffee grounds.	D．By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium.

3. According to Smedley, what is the major challenge facing these solutions?

A．Difficulty in making profits.	B．Convincing the public of the convenience.
C．Lack of funding for research.	D．Removing the industry members’ safety concerns.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To promote an alternative to concrete.	B．To advocate environmental protection.
C．To introduce new ways to produce concrete.	D．To emphasize the significance of creativity.

4 . Mark Covington, founder of the Georgia Street Community Collective in Detroit, stands in a corner of his urban farm, breathing the fresh air in the early morning.     1     Early in the day, the green crops giving life to tomatoes, cabbages, eggplants, and more are bathed in gold, as if being watered by the sun. The sounds of dogs, pigs, roosters, and a group of stirring bees drown out the sounds of the city.

In 2007, Covington lost his job and returned to his childhood street.     2     “It was dirty,” he said. “There were always vacant lots, but they had always been maintained for children to play on.” He knew that if he just cleaned them up, people would pile on them again.     3    

Covington started with a small community garden.     4     One mother sent three children to help him build a larger garden where the kids could grow food, stay busy during the summer and add structure to their lives. Little by little the seeds took root, as the hands on the garden that would evolve into a farm multiplied.

    5     On one corner: a movie screen and a public garden with vegetable and flower beds. On another: a farm and a community center in a building. Nearby are garlic beds and a greenhouse. “It’s somewhat spiritual for me,” Covington says. “It’s like a sanctuary (圣殿). People come here and don’t want to leave.”

A．But if he planted stuff, they might not.

B．It’s a typical morning scene at the collective.

C．He saw garbage piled high in vacant, abandoned lots.

D．Covington made the garden a little bigger to plant more.

E．And almost immediately neighbors began asking to participate.

F．He planted a garden to help feed residents and enrich their lives.

G．What began as an effort to remove trash has turned into a site of community.

5 . As environmental awareness has risen in the world, attitudes to sightseeing have changed. It is exciting to visit remote forests or spot rare species in those mysterious countries. However, with flights or long road journeys involved, traveling to far-away destinations is carbon-intensive, and conservation can be made more difficult as well as assisted by sightseers. Therefore, people and authorities have been trying to maximize the benefits while minimizing the harms by advocating domestic tours.

Most people, who take most holidays, understand better than ever that there are costs as well as benefits associated with exploring. One of the six pledges made by an environmental campaign launched last month-The Jump, is to “holiday local”, taking short-distance flights once every three years and long-distance flights very rarely. On a higher level, some governments are working on this as well. Colombia, for example, recently introduced laws aimed at promoting sustainable tourism.

Fortunately, the UK’s national parks and countless other landscapes mean that there is no shortage of special places for domestic nature tourists to visit. One recent survey found that Windsor Great Park and Kew Gardens have become Britain’s most popular attractions, while in this special time there have difficulties for indoor spaces which do not apply to outdoor ones. Some companies that formerly ran foreign trips have adapted to the infectious disease by taking people to watch dolphins and other marine life off British coasts instead. This is not to minimize the destruction of nature that is also taking place, But as we lace an increasing environmental emergency, it is essential to appreciate the nature that surrounds us. In a small way, outings to watch dragonflies, seals, or be surrounded by trees could help us to focus on what matters.

1. Why have people changed their attitudes towards travel?

A．Visiting remote areas is too exciting.

B．Long-distance travels are more attractive.

C．People’s environmental awareness has improved.

D．Travelers can assist with protection of scenic spots.

2. What does the underlined word “pledges” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Commitments.

B．Prohibitions.

C．Symbols.

D．Surveys.

3. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．Indoor activities are becoming more popular.

B．People in the UK are carrying out the initiative.

C．The travel agencies prefer overseas business.

D．The UK lacks abundant historic attractions.

4. Which of the following does the author probably support?

A．Domestic traveling means no harm to the environment.

B．There is no point in traveling to remote scenic spots.

C．The scenery is much better in foreign countries.

D．It matters much to appreciate the beauty around us.

7 . In the northernmost edge of Colombia sits the coastal town of Acandí. Access to the town is only by water or air; there is no road that leads there. The residents there are faced with the struggles of balancing livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.

In the past, traditional community fishing methods, passed down by the elders, focused on the reasonable fishing and management of resources. However, the introduction of large-scale trawling vessels(拖网渔船) decades ago gradually depleted the area’s fishing resources, leading to damage to marine(海洋的) life seriously.

Jesús Antonio Julio Cuestas, who serves in the region’s conservation and management of marine resources, stresses the bad impact of these developments and calls for new fishing techniques. “Fishing and conservation co-exist as long as we have good management practices and reasonable use of our fishing resources,” says Cuestas. He and other officials actively monitor fishing activities in Acandí. Each morning, they visit the fish markets to gather data on fishery resources—including prices and sizes—to monitor the state of the local fishing industry.

Along with Cuestas, the fishers work to reduce their impact on the marine ecosystem. By changing fishing methods and adopting new practices, they aim for a more balanced approach to fishing. “This year the local fishermen have not used the trawl net s that were causing the death of the leatherback sea turtles,” explains Cuestas proudly. Changes include the efforts of boats to protect the seagrass that serves as feeding grounds for marine life and an end to fishers throwing net s where turtles lay their eggs.

This marine reserve in Acandí, Cuestas believes, is their greatest treasure. He attaches great importance to working together with local residents to improve the quality of life while preserving the marine ecosystem. By doing so, he imagines a picture where individuals from the fishing community can pursue various careers, such as engineers or lawyers, proudly stating that they are the products of the fishing tradition in Acandí.

1. What does the underlined word “depleted” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Reused.	B．Restored.
C．Explored.	D．Reduced.

2. Why does Julio Cuestas call for new fishing techniques?

A．To cut down on the costs of fishing.

B．To improve the income of local residents.

C．To promote the well-being of marine wildlife.

D．To spread traditional community fishing methods.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The aim of the changes to fishing methods.

B．The efforts to preserve marine ecosystem.

C．The results the trawl net s have brought about.

D．The impact of fishers on the local environment.

4. What is Julio Cuestas’s attitude towards Acandí’s future?

A．Confident.	B．Uncaring.
C．Concerned.	D．Doubtful.

8 . It is a well-known fact that plastic bottles, which take hundreds of years to rot, are harmful to our environment. However, efforts by environmentalists to encourage consumers to switch to alternatives, like water fountains or reusable bottles, have not been very effective. The U.S. alone uses over 50 million plastic bottles annually, 80% of which end up in landfills.

To try to stop that, Rodrigo García González, Pierre Paslier and Guillaume Couche from the Imperial College London have been working on a revolutionary solution — water wrapped inside an eatable container made mostly from seaweed. All the customer has to do to relieve his/her thirst is pop the entire drop into the mouth.

The inventors, who have been working on the Ooho bubble since 2014, use a simple two-step cooking process called spherification (球化) to create the delicate container. They begin by dipping a frozen ball of water or juice into a chemical solution (溶液). This helps form a layer around the liquid. The ball is then absorbed in a solution made from seaweed extract. This creates a second layer, helping strengthen the structure so that the water or juice does not leak. In addition to saving our environment, the biodegradable (可降解的) packaging costs just two cents each, making it cheaper to produce than plastic.

After three years of perfecting the design, the inventors, who recently raised over 1 million USD from a financial activity, are ready to bring the Ooho bubble to local market. However, there are a few challenges that still need to be overcome before the product’s launch. In addition to getting accustomed to the taste of the covering, each eatable container contains just a mouthful of water, requiring consumers to drink multiple bubbles to relieve their thirst. There is also the issue of finding an eco-friendly packaging to transport the bubbles so that they remain clean and do not burst. Hopefully, the inventors will find ways to handle the issues so that we can reduce, or perhaps even remove, plastic bottles.

1. Why was the Ooho bubble created?

A．To test a newly-designed material.	B．To change consumers’ drinking habit.
C．To reduce pollution caused by plastic.	D．To take a share of drinking water industry.

2. What will the inventors probably do next?

A．Solve some specific problems of the product.	B．Collect more money to expand production.
C．Distribute the Ooho bubble to global market.	D．Advertise the advantages of the Ooho bubble.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards the Ooho bubble’s launch?

A．Uncaring.

B．Doubtful.

C．Confident.

D．Opposed.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．Scientists Work out a New Kind of Water

B．Plastic Bottles Will Be Replaced by the Ooho Bubble

C．Environmental Pollution is Expected to Be Solved

D．The Ooho Bubble Aims to Remove Plastic Bottles