1 . Kamikatsu, a small town in Japan, has shown the world that our garbage has far-reaching effects, and not just on our environment.
The experiment in going zero waste started when the town built a new incinerator 20 years ago. But almost immediately, the incinerator was determined to be a health risk due to the poisonous gases when garbage was burned in it. It was too expensive to send waste to other towns, so locals had to come up with a new plan. Then the Zero Waste Academy was born, which helped perform this plan.
Now Kamikatsu people separate their waste into 45 different categories. But in the beginning, it wasn't easy to convince local people to do all this work, and there was some pushback. Only after that initial education period did most residents come on board.
This is all great news for waste reduction of course, but it has also had some unexpected social benefits as well. Like much of Japan, Kamikatsu's population is aging, and about 50 percent of the locals are elderly. The fact that the whole community takes their trash in to be recycled has created a local action and interaction between generations.
That idea has been purposefully expanded to include a circular shop where household goods are dropped off and others can take them, and a tableware "library" where people can borrow extra cups, glasses, silverware and plates for celebrations.
"The elderly see this not as a waste-collection service, but an opportunity to socialize with the younger generation and to chat. When we visit them, they prepare lots of food and we stay with them for a while, we ask how they are," Sakano, the founder of the Zero Waste Academy, said.
Sakano's ideas are truly revolutionary if you think about it. She's proving that community can be found through handling the stuff we no longer want and need.
1. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 2?| A．What harmful effects garbage burning has. |
| B．Why garbage sorting is necessary in Japan. |
| C．How the idea of zero waste was put forward. |
| D．What the Zero Waste Academy functions as. |
| A．Inactive response. | B．Generous reward. |
| C．Bitter suffering. | D．Beneficial guidance. |
| A．Reducing waste. | B．Creating community. |
| C．Increasing people's income. | D．Developing a new technology. |
| A．Technology. | B．Health. | C．Workplace. | D．Lifestyle. |
1．写邮件的目的；2．垃圾分类的实施情况；3．你对垃圾分类的看法。
注意：1.词数100左右；2．开头和结尾已为你写好，不记入总词数。
参考词汇：垃圾分类garbage classification
Dear Peter,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
3 . How Can We Make Singles Day Greener?
After the Singles Day, nearly 490 million packages were delivered every day. As more people prefer online shopping, the amount of waste generated has become a matter of concern.
Improve packaging of goods
Regulations can be put in place but self-awareness would be better. Recycled material should be used as much as possible, which can break down easily.
As consumers, we can make a difference by acting responsibly toward the environment. Buy naked groceries or keep the grocery packaging for other purpose before they’re thrown away. Always keep in mind that it is the consciousness of reusing the packaging that counts.
Enclose package instructions
Environmental stress caused by packaging and rolls of tape for express delivery goods is severe. It’s necessary to deliver the goods with package instructions.
Establish a regulatory system
Policies and regulations should be introduced to ensure that packaging will be recycled and reused. Meanwhile, a recycling system needs to be established where the e-commerce platforms, delivery companies and consumers can engage in the green packaging campaign.
| A．Reuse the packaging |
| B．Buy goods without packaging |
| C．In this case, the damage to the environment can be reduced. |
| D．Those who fail to observe regulations will lead to punishment. |
| E．How should we solve the massive packaging waste problem? |
| F．We can’t avoid the packaging that supermarkets use and it is difficult to recycle. |
| G．They can guide consumers to deal with the packages in an environmentally friendly way. |
4 . The UK will ban all new petrol and diesel-powered vehicles from its roads beginning in 19 years for environmental reasons, a government report says.
The plan aims to start removing petrol and diesel engines in 2040. It follows a similar official statement in France and comes after the British government was ordered by the High Court to develop new plans to reduce NO2 in the air. Judges ruled that previous clean-air plans were not enough to meet European Union pollution limits in the coming years.
The British government has said the poor air quality has an unnecessary and avoidable negative effect on citizens’ health, and costs up to $3.5 billion in annual lost productivity.
Part of the new plan involves an offer of $260 million to local governments to change rules where vehicle emissions (排放量) are over EU standards. Ideas so far include changing road layouts, reprogramming traffic lights and charging a fee for the oldest and most polluting cars on the road.
The plan also includes $1.3 billion for government purchase of extreme-low-emission vehicles, nearly $130 million to improve infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations and $378 million for remodeling existing vehicles.
Climate change is also a reason for the plan to get these vehicles off the road. “We can’t carry on with petrol and diesel cars,” Environment Secretary Michael Gove said. “It’s important that we all prepare for a significant change which deals not just with the problems of health caused by emissions, but the broader problems caused in terms of accelerating climate change.”
Gove added that local communities are partly responsible for coming up with ways to limit emissions, including possible limitations on commuters (上下班往返的人) and the addition of cleaner mass transportation options. Local leaders are called on to draw up “appropriate plans” to deal with climate challenges related to emissions, he said.
1. Why does the British government decide on this ban?| A．To focus on its citizens’ health. | B．To promote solar energy in transport. |
| C．To respond to the court’s request. | D．To follow in France’s footsteps. |
| A．Limiting the number of traffic lights. |
| B．Changing the way roads are arranged. |
| C．Spending some money on electric vehicles. |
| D．Removing old and high-emission vehicles. |
| A．Convenient public transportation is badly needed. |
| B．Petrol and diesel cars may hold back economic progress. |
| C．Vehicle emissions are the key factor in climate change. |
| D．United efforts are required to achieve the plan. |
| A．Practical ways to reduce vehicle emissions. |
| B．The UK plans to take petrol and diesel engines off roads. |
| C．The EU forces the UK to improve the poor air quality. |
| D．Relationship between vehicle emissions and climate change. |
5 . UK Phone Booths Become Free Solar-powered Mobile Phone Changers
Created in the 1920s by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect who designed Waterloo Bridge, the red public telephone boxes, which can be seen all over the UK, are regarded as one of the most typical symbols of this country.
However, public phones have had their day despite their lovely housings. While coin-operated and card-operated telephones are on the edge of extinction, mobile phones are playing a significant role in people’s lives. Though they are more portable, flexible and extensively used, mobile phones have their kryptonite: battery life. Instead of trashing the phone booths, a project was then promoted to recycle and reuse them. To be consistent with the environment-friendly preference, people are allowed to rent and repurpose the red phone boxes. In this way, they are making an unusual comeback.
When you take a walk down Tottenham Court Road in London and find your mobile phone in a low-battery condition, there happens to be a green option for you. The abandoned phone booths are being repurposed as free charging stations powered by solar energy.
Inside the booths, which are newly painted green, there are various adapters that can be connected to different brands and models of mobile phones. Just walk in, plug your phone in, and charge it up whenever it needs to be supplied with power. Since most people would stay inside the boxes while they charge, Solarbox, the company which launched the project, can reach a large quantity of audience by displaying ads on solid equipment. Its advertisers include well-known companies like Uber, yet 30% of advertising space is reserved for local community projects.
Apart from converting phone booths into solar-powered charging stations, other forms of transformation can be found in and outside the UK. For example, there is medical equipment or mini libraries adapted from phone booths, while in America, thousands of phone booths have been transformed to Wi-Fi hot spots.
1. What does underlined word “kryptonite” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Power. | B．Strength. | C．Weakness. | D．Feature. |
| A．The new function. |
| B．Advertising profit. |
| C．People’s affection. |
| D．Companies’ support. |
| A．Conventional. | B．Consistent. | C．Costly. | D．Convenient. |
| A．The future of the public phones. |
| B．The revival of the phone boxes. |
| C．The rise and fall of the red boxes. |
| D．The ups and downs of the pay phone. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In their book Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, Robert and Brenda Vale say keeping a medium sized dog has the same ecological impact as driving 10,000 km a year in a 4.6 liter Land Cruiser.
“We’re not actually saying it is time to eat the dog. We’ re just saying that we need to think about and know the ecological impact of some of the things we do and that we take for granted.”
Constructing and driving the jeep for a year requires 0.41 hectares of land, while growing and manufacturing a dog’s food takes about 0.84 hectares — or 1.1 hectares in the case of a large dog such as a German shepherd.
Convincing flesh eating cats and dogs to go vegetarian for the sake of the planet is a non starter, the Vales say. Instead they recommend keeping “greener”, smaller, and more sustainable pets, such as goldfish, chickens or rabbits.
The book’s playful title, and serious suggestion that pet animals may be usefully “recycled”, by being eaten by their owners or turned into pet food when they die, may not appeal to animal fans.
Annoying as the idea may be, the question is valid given the planet’s growing population and limited resources, Robert Vale said.
“Issues about sustainability are increasingly becoming things that are going to require us to make choices which are as difficult as eating your dog. It’s not just about changing your light bulbs or taking a cloth bag to the supermarket,” he said.
“It’s about much more challenging and difficult issues,” he added. “Once you see where cats and dogs fit in your overall balance of things, you might decide to have the cat but not also to have the two cars and the three bathrooms and be a meat eater yourself.”
1. The authors gave their book the playful title to________.
| A．make it amusing | B．create a vivid image |
| C．show writing skills | D．arouse people’ s concern |
| A．the amount of consumed land | B．the neglected ecological impact |
| C．some familiar examples | D．some actual figures |
| A．Going vegetarian. | B．Raising cats and dogs. |
| C．Using a cloth bag. | D．Keeping a greener life. |
| A．Manufacturers. | B．Drivers. | C．Animal fans. | D．The authorities. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Inspiring. | C．Inviting. | D．Touching. |
We as individuals can also reduce our “carbon footprint” by
8 . Government in Tibet have denied the permanent(永久的) closure of Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve.
The announcement came after a report went viral online claiming the base camp of the world's highest mountain was “permanently closed due to heavy pollution” and caused a universal misunderstanding.
Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve was set up in 1988. Covering an area of more than 33, 800 square km, it is home to one of the world's most weak ecosystems(生态系统).
Kelsang, deputy director of the reserves administration, said ordinary tourists are allowed to visit areas around Rongpo Monastery, almost 5,000 meters above sea level. As for travelers who have a climbing permit, they can go to the base camp at an altitude of 5,200 meters. The mountaineering activities have been permitted by the regional forestry department.
To conserve the environment surrounding Mount Qomolangma, China carried out three major clean-ups at an altitude of 5, 200 meters and above last spring, collecting eight tonnes of household wastes, human wastes and mountaineering trash. This year, the clean-up will continue, and the remains of mountaineering victims(受害者) above 8,000 meters will be centrally dealt with for the first time. Meanwhile, the number of people who stay at the base camp will be kept under 300.
Recently, there are 85 wildlife protectors in the reserve, and 1,000 herders have part-time jobs going around and cleaning up garbage.
These measures aim to strike a balance between various demands such as environmental protection, local poverty relief, mountaineering and education, said Wang Shen, county chief of Dingri at the mountain foot.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined words “went viral” in Paragraph 2 ?| A．Spread wild. | B．Block out. | C．Gave away. | D．Shoot up. |
| A．Most tourists are allowed to visit the base camp. |
| B．Permit is a must for visitors going to the base camp. |
| C．The mountaineering activities are not allowed these days. |
| D．The areas above 5,200 meters are open to everyone. |
| A．To provide a much easier path for mountaineers. |
| B．To keep mountaineering activities going smooth. |
| C．To remove the remains of mountaineering victims. |
| D．To protect the environment of Mount Qomolangma. |
| A．300 | B．1000 | C．85 | D．1085 |
9 . Nowadays, we know how to work with al old items. Many of them can be reused after being properly processed. Instead of sending them to the trashcan, we have new choices.
Participate in the Give the Gift of Sight Program. Run by Lions Club International, the program makes it easy for you to donate your old eyeglasses and sunglasses to needy people in developing countries. After you drop glasses off, they are cleaned, repaired, and grouped, then distributed.
Donate your used computer to computers for Kids, a non-profit organization.
Recycle sneakers (运动鞋) and athletic shoes. Since 1990, NIKE has sponsored the Reuse-A-Shoe program.
Never throw away books or magazines. Books and magazines are a great aid to help those who’ve been sent to prison. Some of them quit school at an early age.
| A．Recycle holiday and greeting cards. |
| B．Find one near you by searching online. |
| C．So don’t forget the “early reader” books. |
| D．Here are some ways to recycle worn - out items. |
| E．It aims to improve the computer skills of youth. |
| F．It takes in used sneakers and breaks them into pieces. |
| G．Over 1.5 million pairs of shoes are recycled and repaired. |
| situation However on Amazingly natural |
Boyan Slat has one huge goal. It’s a goal that could be good for people and animals all over the world.
When he was 16. Dutch engineering student Slat was on vacation in Greece, and he started to think about all the rubbish that is pushed onto beaches by water. The oceans around the world are all of plastic—millions of tons of plastic.
The present
Slat started with an idea for an unusual machine to “catch” the plastic floating(漂浮)in the water using the
A year later, Slat was named a “Champion of the Earth” by the United Nations for his valuable work.
