1 . The first rule of popular science is to reveal the wonder and mystery of the world. For that reason, Sentient (Picador), written by photographer and wildlife film-maker Jackie Higgins, is my pick of the year. According to my interviews with many readers, I select other four newly-published books in 2022.

Delicious

This book describes how our ancestors hunted and consumed ancient animals such as mammoths, bison, giant camels and many more now-extinct species. The diet of the Clovis peoples of North America was a menu described as “a record of a lost world”. This book explains how our dinners robbed the world of so many large animals. It gives inspiration for how modern humans can be at peace with nature.

The New Climate War

In 1999, Mann published a graph showing the rapid post-industrial rise in global temperatures. Two decades later, his book The New Climate War remains convinced that we can prevent climate change. This book sets out a common-sense approach to carbon pricing and a revision of the Green New Deal. Of course, there are still many people who deny that climate change is even happening.

The Geodesic Dome

Physicist Kate Greene imagines that she spends four months in a geodesic dome in Hawaii, with five other people, to mimic living in a colony on another planet. The story describes the future of our Earth. Kate makes readers cherish the natural environment. “No sunshine on our skin, and no fresh air in our lungs,” Greene turns the frustrations into a moving story.

Florida Scrub-Jay

The birds were once common across the peninsula. But as development over the last 100 years reduced the habitats on which the bird depends, the species became endangered. Mark Walters travels the state to report on the natural history and the current situation of Florida’s flag ship birds. This book can raise people’s awareness of protecting the birds’ habitats.

1. What can we infer about the author from the text?

A．He’s a column journalist.	B．He’s a scientist.
C．He’s a film-maker.	D．He’s a photographer.

2. Which book might be science fiction?

A．Delicious.	B．Florida Scrub-Jay.
C．The Geodesic Dome.	D．The New Climate War.

3. What do the listed books have in common?

A．They have happy endings.	B．They record the natural history.
C．They face doubts from many scientists.	D．They involve the environmental protection.

2 . With greater climate disasters lying ahead, it is natural for us to make every effort to stop a series of floods, unusual snowstorms, and alarming reports from scientists. For many of us, part of that means running out to buy reusable drinking tubes, organic cleaners, and packaging-free products.

However, before you are joyful of your “green” purchases, take a second to consider a principle that should be obvious: simply consuming less is better for the planet. After all, every new item a factory pumps out requires some resources to produce. But in the confusing stream of environmental news, this simple truth can get lost. Take plastic bag bans for instance. If your city is getting rid of single-use shopping bags, it can be tempting to pay for that fashionable organic cotton bag hanging in the check-outline of supermarkets. However, experts who have analyzed the data on environmental impact insist that growing cotton is actually no better for the Earth than producing the conventional plastic bag. Any bag you already own is your best bet for carrying your groceries if you care about sustainability.

It is not just the Earth that will be happier if you buy less. You will feel more contented too. There is a common view that green buying patterns mean people are going green. However, it doesn’t seem to be that way. Reduced consumption has positive effects on increased well-being, but you don’t see that with “green” consumption.

Many studies have shown that materialism in general makes us unhappy and lonely. It is perfectly possible to be a materialist and an environmentalist at the same time. Lusting (欲望) for every new “green” product on the market might make you feel good about yourself but it presents the same emotional traps as lusting for whatever the Joneses next door are buying. If you relieve yourself of that burden of ownership, most people report feeling a lot better and freer.

1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic.

B．To send a warning.

C．To offer practical advice.

D．To advocate green purchases.

2. Why does the author mention “plastic bag ban”?

A．To promote cotton bags.

B．To call for less consumption.

C．To ban the using of plastic bags.

D．To reveal the harm of using plastic bags.

3. What do many people believe according to the text?

A．Buying less does benefit to the Earth.

B．Green consumption increases well-being.

C．Buying green indicates a green awareness.

D．Being green gives rise to more consumption.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Green Products Win Popularity

B．Don’t Be Lost in Environmental Passion

C．Buying Green Is Never a Final Solution

D．Buying Less Beats Buying Green

3 . Vast lands of America are dominated by corn, nearly 100macres of it, stretching from Ohio to the Dakotas. What once was forest today produces the corn that feeds people, cattle and, when made into ethanol (乙醇), cars.

Now, the nation’s airlines want to power their planes with corn, too. United Airlines signed a deal with a Nebraska ethanol company to buy enough sustainable fuel, to power 50,000 flights a year. The government could decide on its tax incentives (税收激励) for the industry as soon as December. “Mark my words, the next 20 years, corn farmers are going to provide 95% of all the sustainable airline fuel,” President Biden said in July.

The airlines’ ambitious goal would likely require nearly doubling ethanol production, which airlines say, with great expectation, would decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. If they succeed, it could transform America’s Corn Belt, stimulating farmers and ethanol producers, but potentially further damaging one of the nation’s most important resources: groundwater.

Corn requires a lot of water to grow and it can take hundreds of gallons to produce a single gallon of ethanol. But as airlines take the idea of ethanol, the vital groundwater faces serious risks. “We’re on track to massively increase water usage without any real sense of how sensitive our groundwater is,” said Jeffrey Broberg, who is concerned about groundwater in Minnesota, a major corn state.

The Department of Energy said in a statement that “water use is a critical part of the conversation surrounding bio-energy sustainability”. It pointed to a 2022 department study that concluded that the United States could significantly reduce pressure on groundwater by shifting fuel production away from water-intensive crops like corn, instead growing more crops that don’t require irrigation (灌溉), like various types of straw, grasses and trees. Hopefully, a better approach will be soon studied and adopted.

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．Farmers will increase 95% of their ethanol production.

B．The sustainable fuel will not be popular in the future.

C．Corn will be an influential source in the fuel industry.

D．The government stops the new fuel for the groundwater.

2. What does the underlined word “stimulating” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Preventing.

B．Motivating.

C．Destroying.

D．Impressing.

3. What is the potential risk of the increased use of ethanol in fuel?

A．The shortage of corn production.

B．The increase in global warming.

C．A rise in clean-energy tax credits.

D．Higher stress on the groundwater.

4. What did the 2022 study suggest according to the last paragraph?

A．Expand the corn planting area.

B．Use some alternative materials.

C．Cut down the daily water usage.

D．Turn to the government for help.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

At the Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province, about 2,000 creatures wander freely. Their numbers include 460 deer born this year, showing that the species,     1     was once endangered in China in the early 20th century, has staged a remarkable     2     (recover).

Often     3     (refer) to as sìbuxiang, a milu deer seems to consist of parts of various creatures. It has antlers (鹿角) like other deer, but seems to have the head of a horse, the feet of cattle and the tail of a donkey (驴).

    4     one of the animal’s three major protected areas in China, the Shishou reserve was established in 1991. Close to the Yangtze River, the area has a complete wetland ecosystem,an ideal habitat for the deer. Its conservation story provides     5     example for other endangered animals under a threat of extinction.

    6     (ensure) a safe environment, two engineers and eight rangers (护林员) are sent to get around the reserve. Advanced technologies are applied to help observe and analyze     7     (they) habits and environment. The efforts of those responsible for the deer have     8     (significant) resulted in the increase in numbers.

In the     9     (country) three major protected areas the Nanhaizi Milu Park in Beijing, the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve in Jiangsu Province, and the Shishou reserve——the number of the animal     10     (increase) from 39 to over 10,000 since 1986.

5 . Buying furniture is easier than ever. You can even order a new table and chairs online without ever leaving home. But did you ever think about how furniture is made? The process begins with trees but now researchers have found a better way: growing it in a lab instead of a forest. Instead of cutting down trees and adding to deforestation, Velasquez-Garcia said, “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table.”

The research group found a way to actually grow plant tissue (组织) — wood and fiber — in a lab that is similar to the way cultured meat is grown. While there is still a long way to go to actually grow a table, the team was able to grow structures from cells from zinnia leaves.

Making furniture and other items from biomaterials could eliminate cutting down trees in forests. “The way we get these materials hasn’t changed in centuries and is very inefficient,” said Velasquez-Garcia. “This is a real chance to avoid all that inefficiency.”

There are other benefits to using lab wood too. Lab grown wood can be handled to take on any shape — like 3 D printing — so it may be possible to build a table without glue or screwing parts together.

Beckwith, a mechanical engineering PhD student, was inspired by a visit to a farm to try to make land-use more efficient and environmentally sound. “That got me thinking: Can we be more strategic (战略上的) about what we’re getting out of our process? Can we get more yield for our inputs?” she told MIT News. “I wanted to find a more efficient way to use land and resources so that we could let more farmlands remain wild, or to remain lower production but allow for greater biodiversity.”

Today, the two largest uses of trees are to make wood products and paper. When new biomaterials become readily available, forests will lose their economic value and will be preserved for their environmental, health, and recreational value. These researchers, like Velasquez-Garcia, are speaking for the trees.

1. What does the author think of growing furniture according to Paragraph 1?

A．It turns out to be convenient.

B．It’ll cut down daily expense.

C．It might have a bright future.

D．It’s as important as making furniture.

2. What does the underlined word “eliminate” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Risk.

B．Fancy.

C．Remove.

D．Delay.

3. What is the purpose of Beckwith’s growing furniture?

A．To make large profits.

B．To keep biodiversity.

C．To increase production.

D．To use wild resources.

4. What’s the key to protecting forests?

A．Wide use of new biomaterials.

B．Less use of wood products and paper.

C．Making effective forest laws.

D．Caring more for the environment.

6 . Chinese scientists say they have developed a robotic fish that can remove microplastic particles from water environments. Researchers working on the project say the robots could help to clean up plastic pollution in oceans around the world.

The robotic swimmers are about 1.3 centimeters long. They are made of a soft chemical Compound. The robots are designed to absorb microplastics while moving through the water. The project was launched by a team at Sichuan University in southwestern China. The researchers said the robots have already performed well in shallow water and they plan to carry out more tests in deeper waters. The scientists reported their findings in a new study in Nano Letters. The publication comes from the American Chemical Society, a nonprofit organization supported by the U.S. Congress. The robotic fish were built to target microplastic particles, which are smaller than five millimeters. Studies have confirmed that microplastic pollution has been discovered in many natural environments. The material comes from the breakdown of manufactured plastic products and industrial waste.

The team said the robots can be controlled by light. Turning “a near-infrared light laser” on and off causes the fish’s tail to move back and forth, the American Chemical Society said. The robotic fish can swim up to 2.76 body lengths per second. The researchers said this is faster than most similar soft robots. Wang Yuyan was a member of Sichuan University’s research team. She told Reuters news agency that the small, lightweight robot is currently being used to collect microplastics for research purposes. But Wang added that the team plans to expand that use so the robot fish can remove larger amounts of microplastic waste from deep ocean areas. The fish can take in different kinds of microplastics and even repair itself when damaged, the researchers said. And if a robot fish is accidentally eaten by a real fish, it could safely digest the material, the team added. Wang said similar robots could be developed to be placed inside the human body to remove unwanted materials or disease.

1. Why has a robotic fish been created?

A．To remove disease in people.	B．To clean up pollution in oceans.
C．To remove unwanted materials in body.	D．To remove microplastic particles in water.

2. What will happen to the robotic fish when eaten by a real fish?

A．It will be harmless.	B．It will repair itself.
C．It will take in microplastics.	D．It will collect microplastics.

3. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The purpose of the robotic fish.

B．The function of the robotic fish.

C．A further introduction of the robotic fish.

D．Potential application of the robotic fish.

4. What is Wang Yuyan’s attitude to the future use of the robotic fish?

A．Pessimistic.

B．Positive.

C．Unclear.

D．Suspicious.

7 . Food waste contributes to ever-growing landfills (垃圾堆).    1     If you want to help the environment in your own way, you can start by reducing, or better yet, completely erasing food waste in your home. To give you an idea of where to start, here are some tips:

Don’t buy too much food whenever you go grocery shopping.    2     However, if your family cannot eat all the food before it goes bad, then it just adds to food waste. Taking several short grocery shopping trips every week instead of one long trip may help keep you from buying too much food, thereby cutting back on food waste.

Always make a shopping list.    3     That’s because you already know what things you need. Moreover, a list will prevent you from buying food items that you already have at home, which can help reduce the amount of potential food waste.

    4     For meats, you have to keep them in the freezer while fruits and vegetables should be stored in the crisper compartment (保鲜室). Although these tips may seem simple, they can help greatly reduce the amount of food waste that your family produces.

Use the “First-In-First-Out” method. For example, placing the newly bought foods at the back of the fridge or cupboard will encourage people to use the ones that are in the front row. This will ensure that you know what you have and reduce food waste.     5    

A．It can help keep your grocery trips short.

B．Having a fully filled fridge may look nice.

C．Your fridge may be too crowded to function well.

D．It is a waste of your money, as well as your effort.

E．Some people like to store up food for emergencies.

F．Foods need proper storage to prevent them going bad.

G．If you can’t see what foods you have, you’ll forget them.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

As an ancient story goes, there was a family in China’s Shanxi Province that could hear someone crying in their courtyard every night. They followed the sound,     1     found nothing. One day, a member of the family discovered     2     unusual plant 500 meters away from their house. He     3     (dig) five feet into the ground to find the root of the plant that looked like a human body. This plant is called ginseng.

Ginseng has a     4     (benefit) effect on our health according to the account in the book, Materia Medica,     5     (write) by Li Shizhen. And according to Chinese Pharmacy Dictionary, ginseng is used for     6     (treat) many kinds of diseases. Chinese people believe the roots of ginseng can function     7     a wonderful medicine.

Ginseng likes a cool and moist environment and prefers loose sandy soil. In China, it grows mainly in     8     (province) of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. But many varieties of wild ginseng having been suffering habitat     9     (lose) in recent years, leaving them endangered.     10     (lucky), China has taken effective measures to protect Changbai Mountain and other ginseng nature reserves to help with the recovery of the herb. Chinese herbal medicine is an important part of Chinese culture.

9 . The winter migration (迁徙) season has arrived. With the cold wave heading down south, migratory birds from faraway places such as Siberia have begun to arrive at Dongting Lake, central China for the winter.

Dongting Lake in central China’s Hunan Province is the country’s second-largest freshwater lake. When the temperature rises after a short cold time, locals call the 10th lunar month “Indian summer.” During this time, the lake’s water level drops and sedges (莎草) grow, allowing wintering birds to plentiful food.

Song Yucheng, deputy chief engineer of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, is proud of their protection work. According to him, the Eurasian spoonbills are the first to arrive at the heart of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve. They line up and use sideways sweeps of their beaks to filter (过滤) out tiny fish and shrimp. When they fly to another spot looking for food, people can only see the vast expanse of a white sky.

“Now the weather is also very good, the sky is very clear, with green grass, clear water and white spoonbills wandering for hunting. It’s a beautiful picture of nature,” said Song.   

For the villagers living in the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, their farm fields are still full of busy and active fellows after harvest because there are about 100 swans settled down there. To provide these birds with an quiet and safe environment, the local government has stopped the vehicles and visitors from entering the area.

“Firecrackers are not allowed, and loud noises are also not allowed in the surrounding area,” said Long Yong, a villager from the Hehua Village, citing the local government.

1. The birds migrate to Dongting Lake not because _____.

A．Siberia is cold at winter.

B．It is the nearest to Siberia.

C．The protection work there goes great.

D．The warm temperature and plentiful food.

2. The underlined words in paragraph 3 is a name of ___.

A．an engineer	B．a kind of bird
C．migration destination	D．birds food

3. From what Song said, we can infer_____.

A．Weather is always good here.

B．More birds are coming here.

C．The environment is beautiful here.

D．It’s good to draw pictures here.

4. The last two paragraphs tell about____.

A．government measures

B．fields harvest

C．village life

D．how to observe birds in nature

10 . Wildfire season has begun in many places around the world. The dangerous smoke wildfires produce can spread far and wide. It blocks sunlight, poisons the air and damages the health of people and other living things.

Some of those living things could be the plants in gardens, says gardening expert Jessica Damiano, who writes gardening stories for the Associated Press. Damiano lives in New York City and recently experienced several days of very smoky air. Wildfires in eastern Canada were the source.

Damiano, like other people, limited the time she spent outdoors when the air quality was poor. She also wore a face covering when she had to go outside.

But the plants in her garden had no such escape. They had to breathe the poisoned air through the extremely small holes in their leaves.

Pollutants in smoke landing on plants can block sunlight, which is essential for photosynthesis (光合作用). Reduced photosynthesis results in reduced energy. That means slower growth. Additionally, smoke can also affect a plant’s ability to take in nutrients(营养物质).

Brooke Edmunds, a plant scientist and community horticulturalist with Oregon State University Extension, said plants that are affected by smoke for a short amount of time will usually recover quickly. “It depends on how close they are,” she said. “There could also be a localized effect, where one garden is covered in ash(灰烬), and a half-mile away, there’s nothing because that’s the way the wind was moving things around.”

The best thing home gardeners can do is keep an eye on plants. Edmunds suggests giving plants some extra love and care. “Wash the plants gently to remove pollutants left by smoke. Then give them a long, slow drink of water. Most will pull through,” Edmunds said. However, people should not use leaf blower machines to remove ashes from plants because they will risk breathing in what is blowing around.

1. What happened to Jessica Damiano?

A．She had her house burned in a fire.

B．She couldn’t afford face coverings.

C．She suffered from health problems.

D．She had to deal with poor air quality.

2. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．The bad effects of smoke on plants.

B．The benefits of growing plants.

C．The role of plants in the environment.

D．The importance of water to plants.

3. What can we learn from Brooke Edmunds’s words?

A．Wind has little effect on plants.

B．Plants can sometimes make a quick recovery.

C．Ashes can spread more than half a mile.

D．Plants close to smoke usually grow well.

4. How should people protect plants affected by smoke?

A．By pulling them out of the ground.

B．By using leaf blower machines.

C．By washing them with great care.

D．By giving them a fast drink of water.