We already know the fastest,least expensive way to slow down climate change:use less energy.With a little effort,and not much money,most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.
Not long ago,my wife,PJ,and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change.Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago,and that the consequences(后果)could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emission(排放)of carbon dioxide(CO2)and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.
We decided to try an experiment.For one month we recorded our personal emission of CO2.We wanted to see how much we could cut back,so we went on a strict diet.The average US household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing common things like turning on air conditioning or driving cars.That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average,mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses.But how much should we try to reduce?
For an answer,I checked with Tim Flannery,author of The Weather Makers:How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth.In his book,he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emission to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points,such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica.“To stay below that point,we need to reduce CO2 emission by 80 percent,”he said.
Good advice,I thought.I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind.We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock.I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened.We should not let this happen again.It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary.
1. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?
| A．To take special kinds of food. |
| B．To respond to climate change. |
| C．To lose weight. |
| D．To improve their health. |
| A．freezing points | B．burning points |
| C．melting points | D．boiling points |
| A．made deep cuts in his personal emission of CO2 |
| B．wrote a book about the climate changes |
| C．succeeded in reducing CO2 emission by 80 percent |
| D．was an author popular among readers |
| A．Saving Energy Starts at Home |
| B．Changing Our Habits Begins at Work |
| C．Changing Climate Sounds Reasonable |
| D．Reducing Emission of CO2 Proves Difficult |
The report has been produced by the US Geological Survey. The scientists have publicized their findings in the hope of influencing US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne，who has been asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.
Polar bears depend on floating sea ice as a platform for hunting seals，which are their main food. Without enough ice，polar bears would be forced to go onto the land，where they are poorly skilled hunters，and would be unlikely to adapt to the life on the land in time. Experts say few little bears would survive and the stress could make many females unable to get pregnant.
The team of American and Canadian scientists spent six months studying bears，on the ground，from spotter planes and in the lab，using computer models.
Some team members fear the result is even worse for the bears than what their report says. They say the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere in the world and much faster than their computer had been forecasting. Satellite observations have showed that the ice has decreased to an all－time low.
However，not everyone in the scientific community believes that global warming is happening on such an alarming scale. Another investigation has found that polar bears are still being hunted by wealthy “sportsmen” who want their skins and heads. At least ten international companies offer bear－hunting trips.
1. What do we know about Dirk Kempthorne according to the passage?
| A．He is an animal scientist. |
| B．He is a protector of animals working for the US government. |
| C．He was asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list. |
| D．He offered to put polar bears on the endangered species list. |
| A．Because polar bears can't catch enough food without ice. |
| B．Because polar bears eat ice when they feel thirsty. |
| C．Because polar bears will be easily found by hunters without ice. |
| D．Because most female bears are used to giving birth under ice. |
| A．there is something wrong with their computers |
| B．polar bears will disappear even faster than they ever expected |
| C．their computer models are not as accurate as they expected |
| D．global warming will destroy everything in the Arctic |
| A．The forecast about the future of polar bears is not correct. |
| B．Global warming won't have any effect on hunting trips in the Arctic. |
| C．Polar bears are an endangered species as a result of bear－hunting. |
| D．People don't pay enough attention to the protection of endangered species. |
3 . Ecotourism
Ecotourism, which is considered as a kind of responsible tourism, is typically defined as travel to places where special and unusual plants, animals and cultural heritages are the main attractions.
Ecotourism is developing at great speed. According to a recent report by the World Tourism Organization, ecotourism in recent years has enjoyed an annual growth of about 5% worldwide.
If you love communing with nature, conserving the environment or improving the lives of people then ecotourism is an excellent way to see new and exciting places.
Ecotourism has been gaining increasing recognition and popularity mainly for the relaxing, natural and vivid experience it offers to tourists. People are attracted to nature and long to be close to it. However, a conflict between nature and human beings is unavoidable.
| A．The definition of ecotourism is beyond words. |
| B．It takes ecology and culture into consideration. |
| C．You may not be very familiar with ‘‘ecotourism’’. |
| D．More than 80 activities have been listed for ecotourism. |
| E．People can have great fun enjoying nature through ecotourism. |
| F．Big cities are still the major places that attract tourists in our society today. |
| G．How to protect natural resources while taking advantage of them is of great importance. |
Human beings have occupied major areas of land and transformed them into huge buildings, which has severely affected the environment and the natural habitat of bird and insects. Green roofing compensates for that. It creates a natural habitat for creatures like bees, grasshoppers and other insects.
Modern roofs need a lot of energy to control the temperatures in winter and summer. However, green roofs reduce the amount of energy required for controlling temperatures, thus making them energy-efficient. As green roofing is highly energy-efficient, it can act as a encouragement for people who are interested in green roofing systems and their benefits. It will increase the market value of the building and fetch the owner a great share of profit.
As the vegetation requires a water supply, there is a inbuilt water preservation layer in the green roof system. This layer helps to keep the rainwater. It makes full use of the rainwater and prevents wastage. During heavy rains, the water runs off the flat roof. The green roof prevents this overflow by slowing down the volume of running water.
Green roofs can compensate for the lost greenery in urban areas and increase the artistic value of an area. Your building will look beautiful, coated with green vegetation. Green roofs can serve as local community garden and create a natural atmosphere, giving physical and psychological benefits like reducing stress levels in people and keeping them physically fit. Besides, people can start their own small-scale cultivation (栽培) and experience the pleasure
of gardening.
1. What do we know about a green roof?
| A．It is painted green for a specific purpose |
| B．It uses solar energy to produce electricity |
| C．it is designed for kids to enjoy themselves |
| D．it is covered with grass, flowers or other plants |
| A．it can solve the problem of air pollution |
| B．it produces more energy to power the buildings |
| C．it creates natural habitats for birds and insects |
| D．it can save him spending a lot of money on energy |
| A．Rainwater is often kept in the green roof system for later use |
| B．They mainly make use of the wasted water in people’s lives |
| C．The plants on green roofs usually need little water |
| D．People have to water the plants from time to time |
| A．where people can get close to nature |
| B．where people can relax and enjoy gardening |
| C．where people can hold all kinds of activities |
| D．where people can stay away from the city life |
5 . Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a new way of gaining the sun’s energy. A team from MIT has created a new technique of using a kind of special windows with chemical dyes (化学染料). The dyes help catch the light from the sun and send it to a special place in the window and then change the light into energy. The scientists say this discovery could change buildings into energy plants. It could even one day mean that the windows in our houses could provide power for our homes. The scientists say their dyes can produce ten times more power than the traditional solar (太阳的) board used around the world today. They also say that this clean and new energy technology could be available (可用的) within the next three years.
The idea was first developed in the 1970s but was given up. Scientists then found that too much of the collected sunlight failed to reach the places on the edges of (在……边上) the windows. Then the MIT engineers thought out the idea of using colored dyes to stop the light from escaping. At the same time, their method only requires cells (电池) around the edges of the windows. MIT’s Professor Baldo explained, “This special glass would let through about 10 percent of the sun to light up the room, and the left would be caught and used to create electricity for other fields. It would look like smoked glass because of the dyes.” He says the new technology could help fight environment change.
1. We can learn from the text that the dyes ______.| A．could also be used to get energy from plants |
| B．produce more energy than the traditional board |
| C．catch more light from the sun in the daytime |
| D．keep the light in the windows for longer time |
| A．It can be used to heat the room in winter. |
| B．It can be used to make the room colorful. |
| C．It saves people a large amount of money. |
| D．It is clean and good for the environment. |
| A．To show the importance of protecting the environment. |
| B．To encourage people to fix this special window. |
| C．To explain how to use this special window. |
| D．To introduce a new energy technique. |
6 . 假设你是一中学生李华。近日，你的英语笔友John听说你们学校正在开展“建设节约型社会（Construction of an energy-saving society）”主题活动，发来邮件请你介绍一下你对活动的看法和建议。请你结合以下要点，用英语给John回复邮件。
1.不浪费粮食和纸张；
2.尽量不使用方便筷（disposable chopsticks)、塑料袋；
3.毕业生将书赠给低年级同学循环使用；
4.其他建议（如绿色出行等）
5.只有我们共同努力……
注意:
1. 不要逐字翻译，可适当增加细节；
2. 词数：120左右。开头已经为你写好，不计入总词数；
Dear John,
Glad to receive your E-mail.
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Yours,
Li Hua
7 . Sound travels very well through water-much better, in fact, than it does through air. So it shouldn’t be surprising that many ocean animals make noise. They use sound to communicate and hunt. As biologist Brandon Southall says, “Their whole world is related to sound.”
Dolphins whistle, organizing hunts. Lovesick whales sing so loudly they can be heard hundreds of miles away. But these days they aren’t the only ones sounding off. They have more and more competition from human machines.
Every day, thousands of huge container ships sail across the world’s oceans. On top of the engine noise, the ships’ propeller (螺旋桨) make a loud noise all the time. All that can make it hard for ocean animals trying to listen out for friends, or dinner. Animals swimming nearby a ship can be deafened or even killed.
Underwater construction can also be dangerously loud. When construction machines called pile drivers were used during repairs to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, dead fish appeared.
Geologist (地质学家) pound on the seafloor too, trying to find oil wells and map Earth’s surface. The results are useful lo science, but all that hammering probably gives ocean animal a headache.
As people realize how important sound is to ocean animals, they are looking for ways to reduce human noise. Ships could get quieter just by slowing down. Engineers are also trying to find quieter propeller ships.
Now some companies are using a simple invention called a bubble curtain, which makes sound waves passing through it lose energy and gel quieter. It seems to work - when bubble curtains were fixed on the San Francisco bridge project fish deaths dropped.
We still have a lot to learn about sound in the oceans, but together we can help keep the sea a quieter place.
1. Dolphins and whales are mentioned to show .| A．sound travels very well through water |
| B．they are surprisingly noisy in the sea |
| C．the ocean is filled with sound |
| D．ocean noise is a big problem |
| A．Human noise is causing danger to their safety. |
| B．There is less food in the ocean for them. |
| C．They are being killed in large numbers. |
| D．They are losing their hearing. |
| A．started to die | B．were attracted to it |
| C．got quiet underwater | D．suffered from headaches |
| A．research on fishes underwater | B．build the San Francisco bridge |
| C．stop noisy machines working | D．reduce construction noise |
