March 12th is China's annually National Tree-planting Day. On this day, millions of Chinese, from all walks of life, will put their works at hands aside for
First
China's Tree-planting Day could date back
In February 1979, the 5th National People's Congress of People Republic of China made a
2 . All animals exist in a network, connected and supported by each other. That’s why our global focus today should be on saving animals from extinction. By doing so, we are certainly keeping an ecological balance.
Support companies that promote environmental protection
When shopping either from your local or online stores, go for those companies with eco- friendly things. Whether looking for shoes, toys, bags or others, you can choose reusable products.
Avoid harmful pesticides
Harmful pesticides have resulted in much animal loss. They might be good for killing pests.
Don’t buy things made of horns, ivory and others that endanger animals. This saves the animals and their habitats. Even when traveling, be careful when buying souvenirs. Some could have been made from endangered animal products like ivory. It’s important to research the product before you can make the decision to buy.
Drive carefully
This is one of the easiest things you can do to join in animal protection.
| A．Buy less products |
| B．Avoid harmful black market products |
| C．Here are what you can do to save endangered species |
| D．When driving near forests or animal reserves, don’t go fast |
| E．Sadly, they also leave a lasting terrible effect on native species |
| F．These products help reduce the damage to forests or animal habitats |
| G．Avoiding the use of these chemicals can help save endangered animals |
I paid a visit to Tibet to observe Tibetan antelopes. While
During the 1980s and 1990s, they were shot and killed
In order to change this situation, the Chinese government took some measures. For example, bridges and gates
These measures prove to be
4 . Buildings, pollution, poor soil, insects, and even car crashes can add to tree loss. However, between 2016 and 2021, the city of Seattle in Washington state was reported to have lost about 255 hectares of tree covering, for which climate change was blamed. Then came the driest summer on Seattle’s record books in 2022. The drier conditions and hotter temperatures have left many trees with brown leaves, naked branches, and extreme seeding. These are all signs of tree stress.
According to Nicholas Johnson, a tree expert for Seattle City Parks, if this warming climate continues we are going to have a lot of trees die. Just like people, under the heat trees get weak.
Researchers from France and Australia studied the effect of hotter temperatures and less rain on more than 3,100 trees and plants in 164 cities across 78 countries. They found about half the trees in the cities were experiencing climate conditions beyond their limits. They also found that by 2050 nearly all trees planted in Australian cities will not survive.
It’s not the gradual change but these extreme swings of too much water, too little water, too much wind, and terrible storms that are going to cause these rapid changes. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed about 10 percent of the trees in New Orleans, Louisiana. And in 2021, Hurricane Ida uprooted many new tree plantings.
To settle the problem of tree loss, non-native trees, have been brought to cities for some time. In the city of Bellevue, Washington, experts are growing different kinds of trees specifically for climate change. On city grounds, they are planting baby giant sequoias, just a few centimeters tall. The giant sequoias are not native to the Pacific Northwest area. But the trees can deal with the lack of rain and insects. Once these trees are established, they grow incredibly fast. Having many different kinds and ages of trees is important to keeping urban forests alive.
“Life always finds a way,” said Nicholas Johnson. “And in Seattle, people are helping life find a way.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Natural reasons for tree loss. | B．The terrible climate in Seattle in recent years. |
| C．The bad condition of trees in Seattle. | D．The signs of tree stress. |
| A．Buildings. | B．Pollution. |
| C．Car crashes. | D．Extreme climate. |
| A．By improving planting methods. | B．By changing the kinds of trees. |
| C．By treating trees as babies. | D．By improving the soil quality. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uninterested. |
5 . Since the rise in car ownership in the 1950s, the US has started building roads in cities and across the country to provide enough room for automobiles. Houston, like many cities, is turning back the clock to make room for passers-by, cyclists and parks.
Memorial Park in Houston, Texas was halved by the Memorial Drive Highway in the1950s. It has now been reunited. The highway is still there, but the road goes underneath the 1,500-acre park.
The restoration (修复) of Memorial Park is part of a larger plan that was made after the city suffered from a serious drought. It was thought that 80 percent of the forested canopy (树冠) was dead. One of the ways to fight that was to reintroduce native plants and animals.
The city hired the landscape architectural company, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, to work with the Houston parks and the Memorial Parks Conservancy. The architects, led by Woltz, were inspired by wildlife crossings in the Northwest US and explored the possibility of using this idea in Memorial Park. Over the years, the park was cut into 20 pieces that were divided by highways, roads and parking lots. The only crossing was a 12-foot bridge.
After 10 years of planning and constructing, the Kinder Land Bridge officially opened in early February, 2023. The bridge consists of 100 acres of greenery, and while designed for people, has reconnected wildlife corridors (廊道). The reconstruction added 45 acres of native Gulf Coast prairie (草原) that’ll increase biodiversity in the park. “This project is not just about creating a passage or a bridge. This project is about ecology, it’s about biodiversity and water management. This project is a bridge into Houston’s future.” said Shellye Arnold, president of the Memorial Park Conservancy.
1. What led to the restoration of the Memorial Park?| A．A company’s suggestion. | B．A terrible natural disaster. |
| C．The demand from the public. | D．The recovery of native plants. |
| A．They knew how to restore the Memorial Park. |
| B．They got the inspiration for rescuing animals. |
| C．They gained a sense of achievement for working. |
| D．They developed a new way to protect the landscape. |
| A．It is about 12 feet in length. | B．Its aim is to save water. |
| C．It benefits the wild animals. | D．Its birth is a short process. |
| A．A Highway Connects a Park in Houston |
| B．The Importance of Building Land Bridges |
| C．Efforts to Restore Parks in American Cities |
| D．Houston Creates a Creative Way to Restore Nature |
6 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.
Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.
Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”
Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.
Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”
Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”
1. What can we say about the new research?| A．It started in 2013. | B．It is the first of its kind. |
| C．It was carried out by AIS. | D．It covers the whole Atlantic. |
| A．Rapid population growth. |
| B．Rising global temperatures. |
| C．The huge increase in shipping. |
| D．The disappearance of marine life. |
| A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy. |
| B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment. |
| C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity. |
| D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully. |
| A．New waterways across the Atlantic |
| B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic |
| C．New research opens windows into life under the water |
| D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping |
7 . My name is Miranda Gibson. I have been at the top of a tree for five months now. Some people might wonder
I have walked through this forest many times. On December 12, 2011,
Life in the tree top can be
Living on the tree has been inspiring. I am willing to
| A．why | B．when | C．how | D．where |
| A．water | B．animals | C．machinery | D．tourists |
| A．bear | B．help | C．keep | D．spare |
| A．sold | B．stolen | C．protected | D．lost |
| A．grew out | B．fell short | C．ran out | D．let go |
| A．refreshing | B．risky | C．challenging | D．rewarding |
| A．get up | B．get away | C．give in | D．give up |
| A．change | B．look | C．search | D．touch |
| A．confused | B．nervous | C．sorry | D．lonely |
| A．Beyond | B．Without | C．Despite | D．Unlike |
| A．height | B．experience | C．background | D．position |
| A．return | B．stop | C．stay | D．hide |
| A．but | B．though | C．because | D．so |
| A．soon | B．long | C．near | D．bad |
| A．moved | B．logged | C．burned | D．missed |
1. What is the largest dustbin for?
| A．Paper products. | B．Glass. | C．Plastic. |
| A．It’s hard to put into practice. |
| B．It means more work for homeowners. |
| C．It’s the responsibility of all citizens. |
| A．Write a shopping list. |
| B．Deal with the old leaves. |
| C．Meet with other homeowners. |
⑴ 演讲目的；
⑵ 保护野生动物的原因；
⑶ 保护野生动物的建议；
⑷ 再次呼吁保护野生动物。
注意：词数在100左右，可以适当增加细节。
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World Water Day,
