1 . After decades of work trying to save the giant panda, Chinese officials have announced the species is no longer endangered. The pandas have been reclassified in the country from endangered to vulnerable after efforts to increase the population. Now the number has risen to 1,800 in the wild.
“China has established a relatively complete nature reserves system,” Cui Shuhong, director of the Department of Natural Ecological Protection of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said on Wednesday. “Large areas of natural ecosystems have been systematically and completely protected, and wildlife habitats have been effectively improved.”
The latest classification upgrade reflects their improved living conditions and China's efforts in keeping their habitats integrated, Cui added.
Bamboo makes up 90% of pandas' diets, and the animals would likely starve without the shoots. Experts believe China’s efforts to replant bamboo forests have been the key to the increase in the population of pandas.
Generally speaking, a panda has to eat at least 26 pounds of bamboo every day to maintain its energy, so large areas of bamboo forests are primary to their survival.
Planting bamboo also has advantages for the planet, as the bamboo is grass, not a tree, and is incredibly efficient at absorbing carbon dioxide, as well as emitting 35% more oxygen than trees.
“The Chinese have done a great job in investing in panda habitats, expanding and setting up new reserves,” Ginette Hemley, senior vice president of conservation at the World Wildlife Fund. told the media. “They are a wonderful example of what can happen when a government is committed to conservation.”
Continuing China's success will be dependent on the country protecting land from agricultural and urban development. As land becomes rarer, measures will need to be extended to protect more land, to ensure bamboo forests can thrive and as a result, protect the future of the world's most lovable, lazy, and monochrome (black and white) creature.
1. What do we know about the giant panda according to paragraph 1?| A．It is an endangered species. | B．It increases by 1,800 each year. |
| C．It has seen a decline in population. | D．It has got a classification upgrade. |
| A．Social media makes a difference. | B．Panda habitats are getting smaller. |
| C．Government's commitment is crucial. | D．Setting up new reserves is impossible. |
| A．Lazy and monochrome animals. |
| B．Lack of support from the World Wildlife Fund. |
| C．The emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. |
| D．The influence of agricultural and urban development. |
| A．A news website. | B．An official report. | C．A travel magazine. | D．A biology textbook. |
2 . Ever wonder why there are so many people polluting the earth? Ever say to yourself： Hey, I wish that I could do more to help the environment? Have you ever thought about trying to help the earth but never really did it? Well, here are some pretty easy and skillful ideas for that green - earth desire inside you.
●Turn off your computer. By leaving it on all day you are creating more CO2 than a regular passenger would, driving to and from work in one day.
● Ride your bike or carpool (合用汽车).Obviously, you are creating less CO2 which will help the ozone(臭氧).
● Make a garden. Even simply grow some plants in your kitchen, which will help produce more oxygen while eating up some of that evil CO2.
● Buy local groceries. It creates less impact on the environment. Besides, you're supporting your local farmers.
● Recycle. You had to see this coming. But you have no idea how much you are helping the environment by simply reusing a water bottle instead of buying a huge pack at the store.
● Don't run the water while brushing. It saves you money and helps the water resources.
● Open the curtains. Natural light is much prettier and it will keep the energy usage down.
● Rechargeable batteries. You have no idea how much it takes to get rid of batteries. Do yourself a favor. Save some money and some energy.
1. If you don't want to create more CO2, you may_______.| A．turn off your computer or open the curtains |
| B．turn off your computer or ride your bike or carpool |
| C．make a garden or open the curtains |
| D．use rechargeable batteries or make a garden |
| A．Main body. | B．Argument. |
| C．Lead - in. | D．Conclusion. |
| A．the importance of environmental protection |
| B．some ways about how to prevent pollution |
| C．some suggestions about how to save energy |
| D．some suggestions about environmental protection |
3 . A four-year-old boy who was crazy about collecting rubbish has finally fulfilled his dream of being a cleaner. Riley McCourt has admired the local rubbish collectors for ages, spending his days picking up waste on his street and wheeling bins (垃圾桶) to the side of the road to help out his neighbors. He loves cleaning and binning waste. His favorite chore is to empty the rubbish from the chip shop his mum runs. Two weeks ago, however, a disaster struck: Riley accidentally knocked over one of the bins and was accused of causing trouble.
Someone posted in the local Facebook group that Riley had put rubbish in the street, clearly unaware of his love for keeping the streets clean. Thankfully his innocence was quickly proven, and his local council decided to make his dreams come true by allowing him to work alongside the cleaners for a day.
Riley joined the waste collection crew on Wednesday, chatting with the team, helping with the recycling, and riding in the waste collection vehicles. He even got his own jacket. Riley's mum, Toni McCourt, said, “He loves the bins and trucks.” Riley's favorite day is definitely bin day. He goes round collecting the rubbish up on the street. The cleaners all know him when they spot him. He goes outside as soon as he sees them come round. He helps his neighbors put their bins out for collection.
Riley clearly made a good impression during his first day on the job, as community services manager Jane Carrol said she was very pleased with his enthusiasm for the role. Jane said, “Riley is clearly a keen recycler and who knows, when he is older I'm sure he would make an excellent member of the team here. It was a pleasure for the team to show him around the vehicles.”
1. What is Riley's dream?| A．To prove his innocence. |
| B．To collect much rubbish. |
| C．To work as a real cleaner. |
| D．To work in his mother's shop. |
| A．He was wronged by someone. |
| B．He was knocked over by a bin. |
| C．He had an accident in the shop. |
| D．He forgot to empty the rubbish. |
| A．People go out to celebrate it. |
| B．The cleaners collect the bins. |
| C．People help Riley collect rubbish. |
| D．The cleaners collect rubbish in the bins. |
| A．It is dangerous to do so on the street. |
| B．It is good for the community to follow him. |
| C．It is worthwhile to give Riley high remarks. |
| D．It is unnecessary for such a little boy to do so. |
4 . Wasting things is a nightmare (噩梦) for the environment, especially food waste, which does double harm to the environment. A plenty of resources go into the food and the food system also produces lots of greenhouse gases and pollution.
In our homes, restaurants, and food shops, 17 percent of all our food is thrown away—that’s about a sixth of all of the food we have. If you add on the food lost in production, about a third of all food produced never reaches a mouth. At the same time, nearly 700 million people were affected by hunger in 2019, while 3 billion still struggle to afford healthy food. It is mostly households that are to blame: 11 percent of the food ends up in the trash of our homes, compared to a mere 5 and 2 percent from stores and restaurants.
The reasons why food goes to waste are probably familiar to you: dinner party leftovers that never get eaten, food going bad before you cook it, or simply confusion over sell-by and use-by dates that leads to totally fine food ending up in the garbage.
The UN aims to cut food waste in half at the consumer and sale levels by late 2022. Luckily, there’s actually a lot we can do as individuals and governments can make policies to help people and the environment a lot. For individuals, something important is being more thoughtful and prepared when going to the grocery store. Make a list of meals you want to cook, and then only buy fresh produce that you will 100 percent be eating in the next few days. In social aspect, improving education on how to preserve food and understand tricky labels (标签), encouraging food recycling and pushing companies to sell smaller quantities of healthy, fresh food for one or two people could all play a helpful role in bringing down the massive pile of eatable waste.
1. Which of the following contributes most to food waste?| A．Food shops. | B．Restaurants. | C．Households. | D．Food production. |
| A．People eat less than before. | B．The food price is low. |
| C．Food spoils easily during the summer. | D．People are confused about the shelf life of food. |
| A．Grocery stores should supply limited food. |
| B．People should raise their awareness of food conservation. |
| C．Everyone should consume as little food as possible. |
| D．Governments should distribute food resources fairly. |
| A．Health. | B．Fashion. | C．Environment. | D．Science. |
