1 . Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts (收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don’t dispute (质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic-bag makers?| A．They are quite expensive. |
| B．Replacing them can be difficult. |
| C．They are less strong than plastic bags. |
| D．Producing them requires more energy. |
| A．Rainforests. | B．Animals. | C．Weather. |
We as individuals can also reduce our “carbon footprint” by
4 . Wetlands occur wherever water meets land. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone. Healthy wetlands store carbon, regulate the water cycle, and support 40% of the world’s biodiversity.
Jiangxi Poyang Lake Nanji Wetlands
Nanji Wetlands is located in the southern part of the main lake area of Poyang Lake, covering a total area of 33,300 hectares. It is an incredibly valuable ecosystem and serves as a vital habitat for various wetland bird species, including many national first-class and second-class protected animals.
Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve
The Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake wetland, with an area of 33,333 hectares. It is primarily set up as the wintering grounds of rare birds. Within the reserve, there are a total of 142 bird species, including 66 species of migratory (迁徙的) birds. This reserve holds the distinction of being the largest natural wintering ground for the hooded crane (丹顶鹤) population worldwide.
Gansu Yellow River Shouqu Wetlands
The Gansu Yellow River Shouqu National Nature Reserve is located within Maqu county. It covers a total area of 203,401 hectares, with 132,067 hectares intended for wetland conservation. The primary objective of this reserve is to protect the highland wetland ecosystem, as well as the habitat of migratory birds, particularly the black-necked crane. In February 2020, it was officially approved as a Wetland of International Importance.
Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve
Established in 2003, Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve covers a total area of 35,679 hectares. In 2015, it was recognized and included in the International Important Wetlands Directory. The main focus of the reserve is to protect the unique underwater natural landscape, the ecosystems of the nearby coastal waters, the important rare and endangered marine (海洋的) animals.
1. Which wetland covers the largest area?| A．Nanji Wetlands. |
| B．Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve. |
| C．Shouqu Wetlands. |
| D．Guangdong Nanpeng Islands Reserve. |
| A．To preserve natural landscapes. |
| B．To house rare birds in winter. |
| C．To reproduce hooded cranes. |
| D．To store freshwater. |
| A．Highland wetland ecosystem. | B．Marine ecosystems. |
| C．Underwater animals. | D．Bird habitats. |
5 . It is late autumn—millions of gardeners across the northern hemisphere, pulled on their thickest sweaters, spent hours clearing large piles of leaves and packed them into plastic bags at the end of driveways.
In the US alone, nearly 10 million tonnes of garden waste go to landfill every year. That is a large amount of effort, not just from an environmental viewpoint but from that of our aching backs, too. So where does this advice come from? Well, it largely comes from the belief that thick fallen leaves can make plants under them unable to breathe, especially shorter grass. They shut down important photosynthesis (光合作用) and get in the way of the growth of the shorter grass. However, this received wisdom has recently been questioned by researchers at Wisconsin University.
The key finding of their new research was that although clearing fallen leaves is one of the most common gardening practices, it makes very little sense. In natural ecosystems, fallen leaves help return nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth to the soil, which greatly improves soil condition. Removing leaves year after year breaks this ecological (生态的) balance. Letting some leaves stick around to cover your garden is a great way to help your grass and the local ecosystem.
They further explained that if up to 50percent of your grass lawn (草坪) is covered by fallen leaves, you might as well go back indoors and put your feet up. The advantages of this light leaf coverage far outweigh the disadvantages—the leaves will quickly break down and help next year’s lawn grow far better than if you had cleared them. Only at over 50 percent coverage do the Wisconsin researchers recommend clearing.
So why not consider leaving the leaves? Save time, carbon and effort, and in exchange get a healthier lawn from this garden waste—that seems like a pretty good deal. And how many plastic bags could be saved by simply not binning fallen leaves every year? In the US alone, about 700 million.
1. What does the author describe in paragraph 1?| A．An amazing autumn game. | B．A common sight in gardens. |
| C．A hot attraction in the north. | D．An extreme weather event. |
| A．Fallen leaves need not be cleared. |
| B．Fallen leaves protect shorter grass. |
| C．Fallen leaves block photosynthesis. |
| D．Fallen leaves are hard to break down. |
| A．it ruins city image | B．it breaks gardening rules |
| C．it affects local economy | D．it causes ecological damage |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Unclear. | D．Worried. |
6 . Tian Wangui and his wife Lu Min are villagers in Qiantian Village, Liaoning Province. They began planting trees over forty years ago. With their hard work, the two barren (贫瘠的) mountains are covered by trees now.
After leaving the army in the 1980s, Tian got back home and began planting fruit trees on the hills. In 1982, the couple got the contract rights (承包经营权) of two mountains. At first, they planted some young fruit trees on part of the land. In order to water them, they had to carry water up to the top of the mountains many times a day by themselves.
Now, the two mountains are covered by more than 50,000 trees of over 20 kinds. More than 2,000 birds live in the trees in the mountains.
“We cared for the mountains and trees as we cared for our children,” said Lu. “Even as we grow old, our children will protect the woods, watch over the birds and keep our dream alive.”
1. What did Tian Wangui do before he began planting trees?| A．He served in the army. |
| B．He watched over the birds. |
| C．He cared for the children. |
| D．He carried water up to the mountains. |
| A．Determined. | B．Friendly. | C．Curious. | D．Brave. |
| A．A couple got the contract rights by planting trees. |
| B．A couple taught their children to plant trees for over forty years. |
| C．A couple kept planting trees on the mountains for over forty years. |
| D．A couple helped the villagers plant trees on the mountains for over forty years. |
1. What is Dr. Tilly expert in?
| A．Renewable energy. |
| B．Educational courses. |
| C．Sea life conservation. |
| A．They weren’t efficient. |
| B．They harmed some sea life. |
| C．They didn’t have enough power. |
| A．A journey to the sea. |
| B．A chance to create devices. |
| C．An opportunity to work at a lab. |
| A．Plastic. | B．Paper. | C．Glass. |
9 . EO Photography Competition 2024
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Climate Crisis Photography Competition 2023. The winners will be announced on our website and be notified (通知) via email by September 23, 2023.
The Winner of the Earth. Org “Overall Best Environmental Photo” 2023 will be awarded US $500. The winners of the two sub-categories “Wildlife in Peril” 2023 and “Climate Action” 2023 will be awarded US $250 each.
Our Nature and Wildlife Photo Competition 2024 is now open for submissions (提交), where you will have the opportunity to show your work to the world, and win one of three cash prizes. All entries must be received by April 26th, 2024.
EO Photography Competition 2024: Categories
1.Wildlife in Peril
Document or highlight the biodiversity and wildlife struggles caused by climate change and human activities. For example: trapped or endangered animals.
2.Climate Action
Photographs that capture (拍摄) environmental protests, climate solutions in practice, or actions promoting change.
Note:
Don’t submit: photographs of pets, images that are blurry (模糊的) or beautiful landscape works that do not show the theme of the categories.
How To Enter
To enter the EO Climate Crisis Photography Competition 2024, participants must submit their best 3 photographs for each category (max 6 altogether).
Please use the following format (格式) for submitting your photos: “Category_Name”. If you don’t submit your photos using the format, they will not be considered.
2024 Prizes
All winners will be invited to take over the Earth. Org Instagram page for a week each.
All winners will be interviewed for articles on Earth. Org and given the chance to show their work in our articles.
Winners will be announced on our website and notified via email by June 21st, 2024.
The 20 best photos selected from all participants will also be invited to join our network of EO Photographers.
2024 Photography Competition Judges
They will be announced on September 29th, 2023.
1. What is the final date for competition entries to be submitted?
| A．September 23rd, 2023. | B．September 29th, 2023. |
| C．April 26th, 2024. | D．June 21st, 2024. |
| A．Submitting photographs of wildlife. |
| B．Using the “Category_Name” format. |
| C．Showing the theme of protecting nature. |
| D．Submitting 6 photographs for each category. |
| A．US $500 in prize money. |
| B．Their works shown in Earth. Org’ s articles. |
| C．Becoming Earth. Org’s full-time photographers. |
| D．Taking over the Earth. Org Instagram page for a month. |
10 . Begun 30 years ago, the Kubuqi desert greening project has succeeded in not only controlling the fast growth of the seventh-largest desert in China, about the size of Kuwait, but also turning about 6, 000 square kilometers of the desert — one-third of it — green.
The desert lies about 800 kilometers to the west of Beijing in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region (自治区) and the greening efforts have also controlled desertification (沙漠化) in the rest of the area.
The project, which began about 30 years ago, can be looked to as an example of efforts to advance green development, in order to create harmony between humans and nature, and leave a better environment for future generations.
The success of the project, which has been praised by the UN Environment Programme as an “eco-pioneer”, sets an example for successful desertification control and ecosystem improvement based on effective government policies, supported by investment (投资) in the eco industry and combined with the efforts of local farmers. These three aspects are key to the success of the “Kubuqi model”.
Elion, a private ecology (生态) and investment company, has invested about 38 billion yuan($5. 82 billion)in the Kubuqi desert-greening project since 1988 helping to lift about 102, 000 local farmers out of poverty. For example, the locals grow a drought-tolerant (耐旱) plant, Chinese licorice, which is the most used herb in traditional Chinese medicine. The plant helps enrich the desert soil, with the bacteria around the roots of the plants producing nitrogen (氮气). Besides, Cistanche, another type of drought-tolerant herb, was introduced after the successful planting of licorice. Under the company’s guidance and with the local government’s support, the local people benefit from the “environmental wealth”.
More companies should be encouraged to apply the “Kubuqi model” in other desert control projects in Inner Mongolia and neighboring Gansu province, where the climate conditions are similar but not quite the same, so as to further gain experience and enrich the model in practice. Showing it can be successfully applied in other areas will help promote the model worldwide.
1. What do we know about the Kubuqi greening project?| A．It increases the areas of desert. |
| B．It has turned all of the desert green. |
| C．It has achieved satisfying results. |
| D．It is applied all over the world. |
| A．Efforts of local farmers. |
| B．Government policies’ support. |
| C．Investment in the eco-industry. |
| D．Help from the UN Environment Programme. |
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Indifferent. |
