1 . Raising livestock (牲畜) is a big part of the carbon emission from agriculture. But it is hard to change people’s habits and get them to give up their hamburgers, especially since more than one-third of Americans eat fast food every day. We previously called for carbon labels on everything from buildings to burgers. Now, a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that labels on fast food affected people's choices.
The study said shifting current dietary patterns to more sustainable diets with less red meat could reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 55% and have health benefits.
The 5,000 participants in the study were shown fake menus. One group got menus with high climate impact labels on red meat items and another had low climate impact labels on fish or plant-based burgers. Both menus were effective in reducing the orders for red meat. But interestingly, the high-impact labels were far more effective, with 23% of the participants choosing a more environmentally sustainable selection, while menus listing low-impact choices encouraged only 10% participants to change.
“We found that labeling red meat items with high-climate impact labels was more effective in increasing sustainable selections than labeling non-red meat items with low-climate impact labels,” wrote the authors of the study.
Lead author, Julia Wolfson, said, “These results suggest that menu labeling, particularly labels warning that an item has high climate impact, can be an effective strategy for encouraging more sustainable food choices in a fast food setting.”
The study points out negative labels might be unpopular: “It is unlikely that the industry would voluntarily adopt a negative label approach; such an approach needs to be carried out via law. However, high climate impact labels may easily be adopted in settings like universities and hospitals.”
They have a point that this label is aggressively negative, more like a cigarette warning than a food label. In the study, the authors note that future research should test more label designs using qualitative and quantitative research on how people understand different climate impact labels.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The impact of carbon emission. |
| B．The background of the new study. |
| C．The request of giving up carbon labels. |
| D．The difficulty in changing people's habits. |
| A．They liked them very much. |
| B．They stuck to their preferences. |
| C．Some of them stopped eating fast food. |
| D．Some of them changed their food choices. |
| A．It will be banned by law. |
| B．It will face some resistance. |
| C．It will produce bad results. |
| D．It will be accepted by all industries. |
| A．Raising livestock causes carbon emission |
| B．Fast food has a negative effect on climate |
| C．Researchers are focusing on climate impact |
| D．Labels on fast food help protect the environment |
1．海报主题及制作过程；
2．活动感受。
注意：1．写作词数应为80个左右：
2．可适当增加细节以使行文连贯。
Dear fellow students,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you!
3 . As a young girl growing up in France, Sarah Toumi dreamed of becoming a leader who could make the world a better place. Her passion to help others was awakened when, from the age of nine, she accompanied her Tunisian father to his birthplace in the east of the country during holidays. There she organized homework clubs and activities for children.
Toumi witnessed first-hand the destructive effect of desertification (沙漠化). “Within 10 years rich farmers became worse off, and in 10 years from now they will be poor. I wanted to stop the Sahara Desert in its tracks.” A decrease in average rainfall and an increase in the severity of droughts have led to an estimated 75 percent of Tunisia’s agricultural lands being threatened by desertification.
Toumi recognized that farming practices needed to change. She is confident that small land areas can bring large returns if farmers are able to adapt by planting sustainable crops, using new technologies for water treatment and focusing on natural products and fertilizers rather than chemicals.
In 2012, Toumi consolidated (巩固) her dream of fighting the desert. She moved to Tunisia, and set up a programme named Acacias for All to put her sustainable farming philosophy (理念) into action. “I want to show young people in rural areas that they can create opportunities where they are. Nobody is better able to understand the impact of desertification and climate change than somebody who is living with no access to water.”
By September 2016, more than 130, 000 acacia trees had been planted on 20 pilot farms, with farmers recording a 60 percent survival rate. Toumi estimates that some 3 million acacia trees are needed to protect Tunisia’s farmland. She expects to plant 1 million trees by 2018. In the next couple of years, Toumi hopes to extend the programme to Algeria and Morocco.
1. How did Toumi’s holiday trips to Tunisia influence her?| A．They made her decide to leave the country. |
| B．They helped her better understand her father. |
| C．They aroused her enthusiasm for helping others. |
| D．They destroyed her dream of being a teacher. |
| A．Low rainfall. | B．Soil pollution. | C．Cold weather. | D．Forest damage. |
| A．To create job opportunities for young people. |
| B．To help the children obtain a basic education. |
| C．To persuade the farmers not to use fertilizers. |
| D．To promote the protection of their farmland. |
| A．Saving Water in Tunisia | B．Holding back the Sahara |
| C．Planting Trees of Native Species | D．Fighting Poverty in North Africa |
4 . The Amur leopard is a critically endangered species, with an estimated population of fewer than 100 individuals. The leopards, characterized by their beautiful golden coat with large dark rosettes, are native to the forests of the Russian Far East and northeastern China. They are often considered the rarest big cats in the world, and their numbers have been declining rapidly due to the habitat loss, poaching(偷猎), and the changing climate.
Habitat loss is one of the primary threats facing the Amur leopard. As logging and agricultural activities continue to expand in the region, the leopards are losing their once vast and undeveloped forests. The loss of habitat results in a decrease in prey populations, making it increasingly difficult for the leopards to find enough food. In addition to the habitat loss, poaching poses a significant threat to the survival of the species. Amur leopards are often hunted for their unique and attractive fur, which can fetch high prices on the black market.
Climate change is also impacting the Amur leopard population. As temperatures rise, the forests they rely on are undergoing changes, forcing the leopards to adapt to new conditions. This puts additional stress on an already struggling population.
Conservation efforts are underway to try and save the Amur leopards from extinction. Government established the Land of the Leopard National Park, which covers a significant portion of the leopard’s habitat. This protected area is essential in ensuring the survival of the species. Additionally, organizations like WWF are working to curb(遏制) poaching and promote sustainable forestry practices in the region.
Despite these efforts, the future of the Amur leopard remains uncertain. It is crucial that we continue to work towards the preservation of this magnificent creature, or we risk losing it forever.
1. What can we learn about the Amur leopard from the first paragraph?| A．It is as big as a cat. | B．It is at risk of extinction. |
| C．It can only be found in China. | D．It is known for its strange appearance. |
| A．To make money. | B．To seek pleasure. |
| C．To protect the forests. | D．To save other animals. |
| A．The Amur leopard’s migration to new habitats. |
| B．Easier ways for Amur leopards to find food. |
| C．Extra stress on the Amur leopard population. |
| D．Deadly destruction of the Amur leopard’s habitats. |
| A．A reserve for different endangered animals. |
| B．A habitat repairing project for Amur leopards. |
| C．A government-protected area for Amur leopards. |
| D．A theme park for visitors to observe Amur leopards. |
In recent years, creatures such as whales, sharks, dolphins, deer, kangaroos and Tibetan antelopes have faced a t
近年来, 鲸、鲨鱼、海豚、鹿、袋鼠、藏羚羊等动物已面临威胁, 生存困难。由于过度捕猎, 现在它们的数量正在减少。因此, 它们必须寻找新的栖息地, 并努力适应新的环境。这一问题让人们非常担忧, 并引发了恐慌情绪。目前, 许多志愿者加入了保护野生动物的行列。在栖息地, 他们观察野生动物的日常活动, 并日夜照看它们。他们拆除 猎人放置的陷阱和网, 以保护这些动物和像蝴蝶这样的昆虫免受攻击。此外, 这些志愿者帮助找回丢失的动物。他们提醒邻近地方的人们人与自然和谐的重要性。
Rivers are one of our most important natural resources. Many of the world’s great cities
Since the beginning of history, people
7 . About 400 pounds of food is wasted per day from 5-8 pm in Douglass Dining Hall in Rochester alone, College student Allison Roll and a few others who do the scraping report data on how much waste is generated in Douglass Dining Hall during the dinner hours.
“We hand scrape the food from the conveyor belt into the buckets (桶), and I’m not going to lie, I did not expect to basically become a garbage girl,” Roll said. “We do the work because we care about it a lot. I feel that no one can break away from taking responsibility for caring for the environment.”
With the goal of creating more approachable composting (堆肥) systems on campus, Roll now has a new sustainable project. Through a special fund, Roll was able to invest in Lomi, an automated composting system that will reside on campus.
Lomi is a new technology that can break down food waste into natural compost. Lomi is basically an automatic version of the natural decomposition (分解) process. It takes it and automates it. Unlike most composting systems, Lomi can compost animal products, such as small bones. It can turn waste into compost in as little as four hours.
She hopes that this system will inspire other composting systems in all residential halls. “I want Lomi not only to be a way to reduce food waste on the floor, but to be an educational tool to introduce people to composting in a real way and not just talking about it in a theoretical sense,” Roll said.
She acknowledges that the machine is expensive and can be exposed to damage if not used properly. Roll will teach others how to operate it themselves so they can generate motivation for composting and feel like they’re part of the process.
1. Why does Roll scrape food in Douglass Dining Hall?| A．She does the job to cover her tuition fees. |
| B．She collects food for a school-funded project. |
| C．She has long dreamed of becoming a garbage girl. |
| D．She feels obligated to make efforts to reduce food waste. |
| A．It is inexpensive. | B．It is easy to handle. |
| C．It breaks down food waste fast. | D．It fails to compost animal bones. |
| A．Teach students how to make a compost bin. |
| B．Motivate more students to do the scraping. |
| C．Encourage more people to compost food waste. |
| D．Ship Lomi to more communities. |
| A．A study of food waste behavior of students |
| B．Food waste in campus dining halls |
| C．A composting system on campus |
| D．Ways to compost food waste |
Sam was a junior high school student. He lived in a community in Charlotte and usually had little exposure to country life. So much of what he knew about plants came from text-books. Sam was a kind-hearted person. He longed for a chance to explore nature and he wanted to do his part to beautify the world.
Finally, the opportunity came. On Arbor Day (植树节), his class organized a trip to a local village to plant trees. Sam was excited about it and couldn’t wait to tell his mom the good news. So the next day, Sam and his mom went to buy some tools for planting trees, including a shovel(铲), a bucket, gloves and so on.
On the day of the event, Sam and his classmates arrived early at the starting point. It was a beautiful day and everyone looked particularly happy. With the tools in hand, Sam got into the bus with everyone else and headed off to their destination.
As soon as they reached the village, all the students were divided into three teams by their teacher. One team was responsible for planting the trees, one team for shovelling the soil and one team for watering the trees. At the teacher’s command, everyone started to do their job.
However, it was the first time that many of the students had taken part in planting trees, so they had no idea about how to start. Of course, Sam was one of them. Fortunately, their teacher was a middle-aged man from the countryside who had some knowledge of planting trees. In order to set an example to the students, the teacher started to plant trees himself. After watching the teacher plant the trees, everyone also became busy. Before long, they planted hundreds of trees. Sam watched very carefully, not wanting to miss any of the details. Finally, Sam learned how to plant trees by himself and felt happy.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A few days later, a storm damaged some young trees in the community.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The neighbours praised Sam for what he had done.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . In the old days, when you had to drive to a movie theater to get some entertainment, it was easy to see how your actions could have an impact on the environment. After all, you were jumping into your car, driving across towns, coughing out emissions (排放) and using gas all the way. But now that we’re used to staying at home and streaming (流式传输) movies, we might get a little proud. After all, we’re just picking up our phones and maybe turning on the TV. You’re welcome. Mother Nature.
Not so fast, says a recent report from the French-based Shit Project. According to Climate Crisis: The Unsustainable Use of Online Video, digital technologies are responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, and that energy use is increasing by 9% a year. Watching a half-hour show would lead to 3.5 pounds of CO2 emissions. That’s like driving 6.28 kilometers. And in the European Union, the Eureca project found that data centers (where videos are stored) there used 25% more energy in 2017 compared to just three years earlier, reports the BBC.
Streaming is only expected to increase as we become more enamored of our digital devices (设备) and the possibility of enjoying entertainment where and when we want it to increase. Online video use is expected to increase by four times from 2017 to 2022 and account for 80% of all Internet traffic by 2022. By then, about 60% of the world’s population will be online.
You’re probably not going to give up your streaming services, but there’re things you can do to help lessen the impact of your online use, experts say. For example, according to Lutz Stobbe, a researcher from the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin, we have no need to upload 25 pictures of the same thing to the cloud because it consumes energy every time. If instead you delete a few things here and there, you can save energy. Moreover, it’s also a good idea to stream over Wi-Fi, watch on the smallest screen as you can, and turn off your Wi-Fi in your home if you’re not using your devices.
1. What topic is the first paragraph intended to lead in?| A．The environmental effects of driving private cars. |
| B．The improvements on environmental awareness. |
| C．The environmental impacts of streaming services. |
| D．The change in the way people seek entertainment. |
| A．Get more skeptical of. | B．Become more aware of. |
| C．Ge more worried about. | D．Feel much crazier about. |
| A．Its environmental effects are worsening. | B．It is being reduced to protect the planet. |
| C．It is easily available to almost everyone. | D．Its side effects have drawn global attention. |
| A．Playing Online games over mobile networks. | B．Downloading music on a personal computer. |
| C．Uploading a lot of images of the same thing. | D．Watching downloaded movies on a mobile phone. |
10 . Just when you thought you were taking care of your health by eating enough fruit and vegetables every day, new research has come out revealing that you might be swallowing microplastic particles (颗粒) along with all those vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A groundbreaking study published in the journal Environmental Research has found that fruits and vegetables absorb microplastic particles from the soil and move them through vegetal tissues, where they remain until eaten by hungry diners, thus getting transferred to human bodies.
The researchers, who are from the University of Catania in Italy, as well as Sousse and Monastir universities in Tunisia, analyzed a variety of common fruits and vegetables — carrots, lettuce, broccoli, potatoes, apples, and pears. These were chosen for the fact that they are frequently consumed, usually one per day, which allowed the researchers to better assess the dietary intakes of MPs (microplastic particles) and NPs (nano-plastics). The samples were purchased from different sources in the city of Catania, including a small fruit vendor and a supermarket.
The researchers found that apples, followed by pears, were the most polluted fruit samples, and carrots were the most polluted vegetable. In the study’s discussion section, the authors wrote, “We can assume that the fruits contain more MPs not only because of the very high vascularization (血管化) of the fruit pulp (果肉) but also due to the greater size and complexity of the root system and age of the tree (several years) compared to the vegetables (60–75 days for the carrot).”
This study is important because it’s the first to detect microplastics in fruits and vegetables. They have been found in other sources before, such as sea salt, beer, water (bottled, in particular), shellfish, sugar, soil, and even air, but never inside fresh produce. It’s an alarming discovery that raises yet another red flag about microplastic pollution in the natural environment.
It’s an area that will likely see a lot more attention in coming years, with the study authors calling for further research into the question of microplastic and whether it harms the health of both plants and humans.
1. What is the study mainly about?| A．The main cause of soil pollution. |
| B．The great changes in people’s diets. |
| C．The benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. |
| D．The microplastic pollution in fruits and vegetables. |
| A．The age of humans. |
| B．The great size of fruit tree roots. |
| C．The complex preservation method. |
| D．The large amounts of the fruit pulp. |
| A．It showed the influences of MPs on plants. |
| B．It proved the source of microplastic pollution. |
| C．It presented the danger of MPs to human’s body. |
| D．It discovered MPs in fresh produce for the first time. |
| A．It needs to be further studied. |
| B．It wasted them quite a lot of time. |
| C．It has raised people’s awareness of health. |
| D．It has attracted people’s attention to diets. |
