1 . John “Charlie” Veron-widely known as “the Godfather of Coral Reef (珊瑚礁)”-is a celebrated expert who has personally discovered nearly a quarter of the world’s coral species and has spent the past 45 years diving Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. But now the 73-year-old is raising the alarm about its future. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders, is 2, 300 kilometers long and is the only living organism that can be seen from space. It is considered a World Treasure Site due to its biodiversity (生物多样性)with 30 species of whales, dolphins and sharks. Within the reef itself, there are also a number of tiny organisms and fishes.
However, its health is threatened. After the recent mass bleaching (白化)events, Veron dived in many areas of the Great Barrier Reef to see the damage for himself. “I was seeing and feeling it and it was absolutely shocking, ” he says.
Veron says the mass bleaching events in the past few years-and the possibility of losing one of nature’s greatest treasures-were a wake-up call for the world in the wider battle against climate change, which, together with the rising sea temperature, is considered the greatest threats to the reef.
Fortunately, earlier this year, the Australian government announced nearly 400 million dollars in new funding towards scientific projects designed to help the reef.
There has been criticism in Australia about the slow process for the funding. “It won’t be wasted, though,”Veron says. “As scientists will be able to create a sort of seed bank to protect the species until the climate is good enough to rebuild the reef. What the scientists hope to do is to help nature along a bit after the big carbon dioxide increase is over and it starts to come down.”
1. Why is the Great Barrier Reef considered a treasure site?| A．It is a natural wonder. |
| B．It can be seen from space. |
| C．It has a rich variety of species. |
| D．It is home to a great many fishes. |
| A．Climate change is threatening biodiversity. |
| B．The Great Barrier Reef is in danger of extinction. |
| C．Scientists have found major factors in the reef’s blenching. |
| D．Veron has made great contributions to environmental protection. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Positive. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A research plan. | D．A journal entry. |
2 . For sharks, the Mesoamerican Reef, which stretches over 600 miles, is a busy highway. Sharks use it to find their way and it provides them with food and habitat.
But as with on-land highways, this superhighway can be dangerous. Overfishing, commercial development and illegal practices are endangering the species. “We’re seeing a continued decline in shark populations. Our goal is to turn that round.” says Rachel Graham, founder of Mar Alliance, a non-profit organization focused on conserving sharks.
By monitoring sharks, Mar Alliance can collect important knowledge on the species to help inform conservation and push for political action. But rather than acting in opposition to the local fishing community, MarAlliance enlists their help.
“They are the ones who are on the sea every single day,” says Graham, “and they’re the ones who decide the species’ future.”
MarAlliance employs up to 60 fishermen across its range, mostly on a project basis, training them to collect data, record and release fish. Not only does this provide an alternative income to fishing communities, making them less dependent on natural resources, but it also teaches them about the benefits of a healthy ocean ecosystem and how to fish sustainably.
Among them, Ivan Torres, who used to catch sharks to sell locally as food, has learned how critical they’re to the whole ecosystem, saying he’d never fish sharks any more.
If this attitude change continues to spread throughout fishing communities, Graham has hope for the shark populations. “The primary threat to sharks is unquestionably overfishing,” she says, “By reforming the industry, populations can bounce back.”
In 2020, Belize outlawed the use of gillnets, large panels of netting of trapping large sealife. The ban’s impact is already noticeable with a recorded 10-fold increase in shark populations.
But such regulations need to be copied along the whole superhighway for long-lasting impact, and countries need to find a sustainable balance between fishers and the fished. “We need to find a win-win strategy between fisher livelihoods and shark survival,” Graham emphasizes. “I hope that through education and providing an economic alternative for fishing communities, MarAlliance will help ensure safe passage for sharks along the reef”.
1. Which of the following best describes the Mesoamerican Reef for sharks?| A．Romantic but messy. | B．Vital but insecure. |
| C．Adventurous but beautiful. | D．Unfamiliar but reliable. |
| A．MarAlliance. | B．The fishers. |
| C．Monitoring authorities. | D．The sharks. |
| A．A stricter fishing ban. | B．The insurance payout he earned. |
| C．An offer of extra work. | D．The fishing communities’ intervention. |
| A．Solution to overfishing. | B．Difficulties facing MarAlliance. |
| C．Impact of existing regulations. | D．Features of international cooperation. |
3 . A snow leopard stared down from a steep rock high in the peaks of Mongolia. She was on the lookout for a snack. Noticing a wild goat below, the snow leopard rocketed down the mountainside. The wild goat struggled to escape. But with one 30-foot leap, the cat caught up. Seconds later, she was secured her meal and looked for a place to enjoy it.
These endangered cats are nearly impossible to see. Their spotted coats act as invisible cloaks(披风)by mixing into the rocky mountains of the 12 Central Asian countries where the cats live. The mountains the snow leopards call home are rough and extremely cold in the winter. But these cats have some amazing body parts that make living in the area no big deal. In addition to hiding them, a snow leopard’s soft, thick fur keeps it warm in the bitter cold.
Few humans have seen snow leopards in real life, but hunting scenes like the one above have been recorded on video. Snow leopard experts need to gather more information about the secretive cats’ lives to help protect them. To do that, researches use high-tech tools to spy on the shy animals. They gently trap the wild cats to put on satellite radio collars to know where the cats wander.
Even though snow leopards live in some of the most rugged mountains on Earth, people pose the biggest threat to their survival. Poachers(盗猎者)can sell a snow leopard’s hide and bones for thousands of dollars. Sheepherders(牧羊人)often kill any snow leopard that attacks their sheep. Hunters target goats, wild sheep, and other animals for food-removing important snow leopard food. The more scientists can learn about snow leopards, the better they can protect these rarely seen cats from humans who harm them.
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?| A．To lead to the theme of the passage. |
| B．To describe how snow leopards hunt. |
| C．To show the main food of snow leopards |
| D．To show snow leopards have a good ability of adaption |
| A．They don't go out in winter. |
| B．They have unique body characters. |
| C．Their living regions are large enough. |
| D．Their thick fur can help camouflage (伪装). |
| A．Spending more time searching for them. |
| B．Trapping snow leopards to examine them. |
| C．Using advanced technology to track them. |
| D．Surfing the internet to get more information. |
| A．The process of researchers’ job. |
| B．The snow leopards, awful living conditions. |
| C．The threat that humans pose to snow leopards. |
| D．The reasons why some persons kill snow leopards. |
Dongying city in China’s Shandong Province has witnessed(目睹) ecological improvements in the Yellow River Delta, thanks to various
Years ago, the wetlands there
Dongying has been adopting a comprehensive wetlands restoration model by giving high
Last year, Dongying built a real-time monitoring network for bird species at the nature reserve, which helps ensure that birds are free
5 . The "30 by 30" campaign to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030, supported by more than 70 nations, is known mostly for ambition and few achievements so far. Just 7% of the seas are protected and only 2.7% are highly protected.
Setting aside nearly a third of the oceans, the fishers say, is an idea developing nations in South America and elsewhere can hardly afford. That argument against a large expansion of sea protected areas is heard around the world, and the gap between conservationists and fishers has grown wider as fish population declines and the appetite for seafood grows along with the global population.
Research published recently aims to dramatically change that situation. The study suggests that protecting 30% of the oceans not only could restore biodiversity to ocean habitats, it could also increase the annual global catch by eight million tons about 10% of the catch today. After all, the only way to get more food from the ocean is to protect more. And, as a bonus, it would provide a "cheap, natural solution" to climate change by reducing the amount of seafloor carbon emitted （排放）into the seas by fishing trawlers （拖网渔船）.
In the study, an international team of 26 scientists analyzed the world's unprotected ocean waters to calculate which are threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction, and release of carbon. The team then mapped locations globally where protections would provide the greatest benefits to fish resources, biodiversity and climate.
The findings can be used by nations to address the three related aspects separately or in combination. Fully addressing all three will require that at least 30% of the oceans be protected, but nations can still realize significant protections by focusing on key areas, and global cooperation to strategically locate protected areas can be nearly twice as effective as individual nations working alone.
1. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?| A．The wide support for the campaign. |
| B．The challenges of protecting the oceans. |
| C．The worldwide efforts to resist illegal fishing. |
| D．The achievements in reducing ocean pollution. |
| A．It keeps sea species stable. |
| B．It improves the global climate. |
| C．It helps to increase fish population. |
| D．It removes carbon from the seafloor. |
| A．To discuss the methods of fishing sustainably. |
| B．To stress the importance of biological balance. |
| C．To appeal for building ocean protected areas globally. |
| D．To introduce the background of the "30 by 30" campaign. |
| A．Environment. | B．Geography. | C．Travel. | D．Economy. |
6 . A method to transform a commonly thrown-away plastic to a resin (树脂) used in 3D- printing could allow for making better use of plastic waste.
A team of Washington State University researchers developed a simple and efficient way to transform polylactic acid(PLA), a bio-based plastic used in products such as plastic tableware and food packing to a high-quality resin. Yu-Chung Chang, a postdoctoral researcher on the work said they made stronger materials just straight out of waste, and they hoped that would provide people with the stimulation to upcycle this stuff instead of just throwing it away.
PLA is rarely recycled because like most plastics, when it’s melted down and reformed, it doesn’t perform as well as the original version and becomes less valuable.
“But once you look into it, it turns out that it can take up to 100 years for it to break down in a landfill,” Chang said. “In reality, it still creates a lot of pollution. We want to make sure that when we start producing PLA millions of tons, we will know how to deal with it. ”
In their study, the researchers developed a fast method to recycle PLA breaking the long chain of molecules (分子) down into simple monomers (单体)-the building blocks for many plastics. The entire chemical process can be done at mild temperatures in about two days. The chemical they used to break down PLA, aminoethanol, is also inexpensive.
“If you want to rebuild a Lego castle into a car, you have to take it apart brick by brick, Chang said. “That’s what we did.” Once PLA was broken down to its basic building blocks, the researchers rebuilt the plastic and created a type of liquid resin that is commonly used as printing “ink” for 3D printers. When used in a 3D printer and cured into plastic pieces the product was equal or better than commercially available resins.
The researchers have applied for a temporary patent and are working to further improve the process. They are also looking into other applications for the upncycling method.
1. What’s the main purpose of the researchers work?| A．To expand the use of 3D printing | B．To make better use of plastic waste. |
| C．To call on people not to throw away plastic. | D．To show off their high-technology methods. |
| A．The high-quality resin. | B．Polylactic acid. |
| C．The upcycling method. | D．Plastic food packing |
| A．To illustrate the process of remodeling | B．To explain how to deal with Lego bricks |
| C．To show the difficulties of their research. | D．To offer a model for the better improvement |
| A．The Inexpensive Chemical Used to Break Down the PLA |
| B．Newly-developed 3D Printer for More Plastic Applications |
| C．New Way Found to Turn Plastic Waste Into Valuable Products |
| D．The Upcoming Age of New Plastic Without Pollution to the Environment |
7 . British sculptor Taylor has made it his mission to protect our ecosystems (生态系统) by creating underwater museums. He's made over 850 artworks worldwide. On February 1, 2021, Taylor presented his latest work — the Underwater Museum of Cannes.
Located half a mile off the coast of Cannes, France — the permanent museum is the artist's first attempt into the Mediterranean Sea. "The main goal is to draw more people underwater to see the fact that our oceans need our help," the sculptor said. "Ocean ecosystems have been badly damaged by human activity, and it's not obvious what is happening when observing the sea from apart."
The museum is made up of 6 huge face sculptures, featuring local residents of various ages, ranging from Maurice, an 80—year—old fisherman, to Anouk, a 9—year—old student." Being directly linked to the sculptures encourages communities to get involved in the protection of our oceans," explained Taylor. Each face sculpture is divided into two different—sized parts, showing the state of the world's oceans: powerful on the outside but weak below the surface.
To make the museum easily approachable to divers, the sculptures have been positioned at shallow depths of between 6 to 10 feet. They are placed in the pockets of white sand between the seagrass, preventing boats from stopping close.
Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear blue, the seabed was filled with old boat engines, pipes and other rubbish: when the project began four years ago. "This is happening every day in our surrounding waters but it largely goes unnoticed. I like the idea of replacing the rubbish with artworks and achieving two goals at the same time," Taylor said. He also wants to restore the area's seagrass: the lungs of the Mediterranean. Just one square meter of the seagrass can produce up to 10 liters of oxygen daily. At the same time, the folds (褶皱) of the sculptures can provide perfect places for fishes and other creatures to avoid attacks.
1. What is special about the sculptures in the Underwater Museum of Cannes?| A．Each of them has two different faces. |
| B．They are modeled on the local people. |
| C．They will be moved away before long. |
| D．They are Taylor's first underwater artworks. |
| A．It serves as a warning mark for boats. |
| B．It breaks down the waste on the seabed. |
| C．It offers ideal shelter for the sea animals. |
| D．It makes the seagrass produce more oxygen. |
| A．To present unique artworks and to gain widespread recognition. |
| B．To show the artist's talent and to attract more tourists underwater. |
| C．To clean the surrounding waters and to criticize irresponsible human activity. |
| D．To entertain people with artworks and to raise their awareness of sea protection. |
| A．Environment. | B．Technology. | C．Geography. | D．Discovery. |
要点∶
1）参加活动时间、地点及原因；
2）活动的具体内容是什么：主题演讲，美化公园等。
3）活动后你的感受。
要求1. 须包括所有要点提示，并适当补充，语句通顺，意思连贯；
2. 词数：100词左右；
3. 文中不得出现个人真实姓名和校名。
A meaningful environmental protection activity
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9 . 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. |
1.活动情况简介；
2.活动的意义。
注意:1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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