1 . When you throw something in the recycling bin, do you think about what it could become? And when you do, does it make you more likely to use that recycling bin? Recently, a study was conducted in an effort to decide whether or not explaining to people what their recyclables are transformed into would help increase recycling rates.
The researchers started with a group of 111 college students, asked to draw on paper before watching one of three ads.One was a public service message that showed paper going into recycling bins.The other two also showed the paper either being transformed into new paper or a guitar.After completing a survey, the students were asked to deal with the paper when they left. Half of those who saw the first ad recycled their paper, while the recycling rate jumped to 80% for those who'd seen the other ads.
After doing a few more lab experiments, the researchers headed into the real world.At a party, volunteers spoke with attendees (出席者) about recycling, with half mentioning transformed products and half keeping it general.They discovered the subject of the talks came into play.After the game, the recycling and trash bags were weighed.Those who received a message recycled over half of their waste, while those who did not recycled less than a fifth.
All this is to say that details matter.People want to know what treasures their trash can become, and when that's laid out clearly, they' re more likely to do it.Perhaps recycling companies should redesign signs to describe the items being created.Recycling is far from a perfect solution,but it doesn't hurt to manage to improve its rates.
1. What's the function of the first paragraph?A.To lead to the main topic. |
B.To reflect the author's attitude. |
C.To introduce a new recycling bin. |
D.1 To emphasize the benefits of recycling. |
A.Took effect. |
B.Broke down. |
C.Took off. |
D.Came to mind. |
A.Sign the names on the items. |
B.Find perfect ways of recycling. |
C.Examine the details of items. |
D.Show the transformation of waste. |
A.Sports and games. |
B.Travel and tourism. |
C.Entertainment and recreation. |
D.Science and human life. |
2 . Generally speaking, convenience and safety affect how we choose to pay for things. Environmental concerns do, too.
Each time you pull out a credit, use a phone’s wallet app or hand over cash, you take part in a system. Some parts of that system make things, like coins, bills or cards. Other parts move money between buyers, sellers, banks and others. Used cash, cards and equipment will be eventually disposed of (处理), as well. Each part of this system uses materials and energy. And all parts produce waste.
Now researchers are looking more closely at how “green” these payment systems are. They’re finding buyers can help cut some of the environmental costs, no matter how they pay.
To understand the full “cost” to society of money or any other system, researchers can perform what’s called a life-cycle assessment. It looks at all the environmental impacts of a product or process. It starts with mining, growing or making the raw materials. It includes what happens while something is in use. And it considers the final disposal or reuse of things.
Even though raw materials are the first step, in fact there are raw materials added in at every single step along the journey. For money, raw materials go into each step of something that is “made”. Fuels are the raw materials for energy to make products and transport them. More energy goes into using products. Recycling or disposal also requires energy, plus water, soil or other materials.
People don’t realize most of those steps, so they can’t judge if one form of payment is dirtier or more costly. And that’s a problem, researchers say. It’s also what has got some of them to show more about the costs of how we pay for our lifestyles.
A life-cycle assessment doesn’t tell you what to do. However, it gives you an informed basis for making a decision.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?A.The ways of paying. | B.The process of payment. |
C.The waste produced by payment. | D.The introduction of payment systems. |
A.The real value of money. | B.The history of the currency. |
C.The effect on the environment. | D.The importance of raw material. |
A.Steps. | B.Products. | C.Materials. | D.Fuels. |
A.The Payment Patterns are Changing | B.How We Choose to Pay Affects the Environment |
C.New Payment Patterns Have Come into Being | D.How We Make Payment Systems “Green” |
3 . Time is running out for coral reefs as the climate gets hotter. So scientists are searching the globe for corals that are better at enduring heat, Now, new research shows how those “super corals” can survive: less roommate drama.
Reefs depend on a crucial partnership between the corals and the algae (海藻) that live in the corals’ tissue, The algae make food for the corals using sunlight and in exchange, get a nice spot to live. But when oceans heat up, that relationship goes bad, and the corals kick the algae out, Without their roommates, corals can die, turning a ghostly white, bleached (白化) color.
Still, some corals seem to resist bleaching better than others, A new study shows that those corals depend on algae that are better at tolerating heat. Researchers hope that pinpointing these abilities will help develop new conservation tools to preserve the world’s reefs as temperatures rise. About 1/4 of all marine life rely on coral reefs in some way, along with half 1 billion people around the world also depend on reefs for their food and livelihoods.
“Heat stress can kill a lot of corals really fast,” says Kate Quigley, a research scientist at James Cook University and the Minderoo Foundation in Australia. “I hope that nature does have some mechanisms to get us through the next few years while we get our act together.”
While the hope is that those algae could also aid in reef conservation in the future, researcher Patrick Buerger says it’s likely that it wouldn’t help all coral species. And even the toughest corals can only endure so much. Currently, the world is on track for just under 3degrees Celsius of warming by 2100, a level that would wipe out nearly all coral reefs.
“The action has to be on climate change,” he says. “This is a short-term solution that might buy some time for corals to adapt. But the main focus has to be on climate. There’s not a silver bullet to the problem.”
1. What is the feature of super corals?A.Sun-loving. | B.Long-living. | C.Good-looking. | D.Heat-bearing. |
A.Habitat. | B.Food. | C.Sunlight. | D.Friendship. |
A.The population of marine life. | B.The importance of coral reefs. |
C.The seriousness of global warming. | D.The living conditions of coral reefs. |
A.It is useless | B.It is the last hope. | C.It is temporary. | D.It is the silver bullet. |
4 . In 2016, the world’s population cast aside 49 million tons of electronic waste, known as e-waste.
It has been calculated that this number will grow to more than 60 million tons by 2021.
What is causing the upsurge ( 激增 ) in e-waste? Technology is becoming more and more widespread, covering almost every aspect of our lives. Meanwhile, the lifespan of devices is getting shorter---many products will be thrown away once their batteries die, to be replaced by new devices. Companies intentionally plan the obsolescence ( 过时 ) of their goods by updating the design or software and discontinuing support for older models, so that now it is usually cheaper and easier to buy a new product than to repair an old one. Since prices are falling, electronic devices are in demand around the world.
As more people buy electronic equipment, manufacturers ( 制造商 ) are beginning to face shortages of the raw materials needed to make their products, so recycling and reusing materials from discarded products and waste makes economic and environmental sense.
Recycling e-waste is practiced both formally and informally. Proper or formal e-waste recycling usually involves taking apart the electronics, separating and sorting through the materials and cleaning them. Companies must obey health and safety rules to reduce the health and environmental hazards of handling e-waste by using pollution-control technologies. All this makes formal recycling expensive. Informal recycling is typically unlicensed and uncontrolled. At informal recycling workshops, men and women recover valuable materials by burning devices to melt away non-valuable materials. Usually they do not wear protective equipment and lack any awareness that they are handling dangerous materials.
With the amount of e-waste growing around the world, recycling alone will not be enough to solve the problem. In order to reduce e-waste, manufacturers need to design electronics that are safer, and more durable, repairable and recyclable. The best thing you can do is resist buying a new device until you really need it. Try to get your old product repaired if possible and, if it can’t be fixed, resell or recycle it responsibly. Before you recycle your device, put any broken parts in separate containers and close these tightly to prevent chemicals from leaking. Wear latex gloves and a mask if you’re handling something that’s broken.
1. How do companies contribute to the rapid growth of e-waste?A.They sell their new products at extremely low price. |
B.They plan a short lifespan for the batteries intentionally. |
C.They do not provide support for old model on purpose. |
D.They update the design and software to cover every aspect of our lives. |
A.harm | B.problems | C.concern | D.protection |
A.manufacturers | B.consumers | C.managers | D.salesmen |
A.to call for everyone to play a part in reducing e-waste |
B.to promote a style of living without electronic devices |
C.to explain why manufacturers need to recycle e-waste |
D.to appeal to the companies to sell less devices |
5 . The Twenty-three-year-old Mumbai girl Vidhi Bubna is offering India’s first and only diving grant to explore the marine ecosystem.
Vidhi’s first diving experience turned out to be a heartbreaking one. While she expected a lot of colors underwater as she had seen on TV, Vidhi came across all white corals (珊瑚), which means they are almost dead from being bleached (褪色).
“It was very sad and I just started crying after coming out of the water,” she says.
Vidhi, an economics graduate from Ashoka University, did not enjoy working with numbers and turned to writing about social issues, including women’s rights and minority issues.
As an adventure lover, Vidhi went diving to explore the underwater beauty last year. Her disappointment at seeing dying corals led to the start of Coral Warriors, anon-profit organization that aims to raise awareness of marine protection and climate change.
“Nobody knows about climate change till they see it,” Vidhi says. The Mumbai-based organisation offers India’s first and only diving grant. The grant sponsors level-one scuba diving education in any location of their choice in India. While there is no specific standard, Vidhi says the selection process is strict, choosing candidates who are passionate about climate change and seeing that they do something of their choice. Four candidates have been awarded the grant so far and the organisation hopes to find at least five people every year.
“After the candidates return, we expect them to work on a climate change project of their choice, create communities, and work to create awareness and drive action-centric projects,” she explains.
Prior to starting coral warriors, Vidhi was hosting free online workshops to spread awareness of marine biodiversity and climate change, and has reached about 5, 000 people through them.
As a next step, Vidhi is planning to work on documentaries with high-quality underwater images and videos, considering not many can afford or have the courage to go diving to see what is happening underwater.
1. How did Vidhi feel on her first diving?A.Excited. | B.Upset. | C.Awesome. | D.Awkward. |
A.To focus more attention on social issues. |
B.To further explore the underwater beauty. |
C.To fuel people’s enthusiasm for adventure. |
D.To make an appeal for marine conservation. |
A.To help promote people’s sense of community. |
B.To choose whatever they are passionate about. |
C.To meet specific and strict selection standards. |
D.To undertake activities relevant to climate change. |
A.Ahoot documentaries. | B.Tackle climate change. |
C.Encourage people to dive. | D.Host free online workshops. |
6 . The Best Eco-friendly Products for July 2022
You can look out for Mother Earth with these simple lifestyle swaps.
Organibox mixed fruit and veg box:26.55, Organibox. org
This brand is fully organic. Inside the mixed box, you’ll get everything from pears to sweet potatoes. While the produce doesn’t look perfect, it’s really fresh. Although the fruit and veg comes from around the world, it’s never flown, which cuts its carbon footprint. All the packaging comes in cardboard and paper, which can be easily recycled.
Veja venturi gravel natural grey women’s trainers: 120, Veja-store. com
Tread (踩) lightly on the planet in style with these Veja trainers. The Parisian brand is leading the way in terms of sustainable footwear and this pair boasts the label’s distinctive “V” branding and as lightly retro and timeless style. The mesh (网) is made from plastic bottles, and the lining entirely from recycled polyester.
Kind Bag palms : 10, Kindbag. com
This reusable shopper is made from recycled plastic bottles. It is large enough to hold the shopping. And when it’s not in use, it neatly folds down to a small compact size. Best of all, Kind Bag gives one percent of sales to ocean clean-up and preservation initiatives.
Face Halo body: 12.60, Feelunique. com
These reusable gloves will leave your skin smooth and shiny. One side is made of tiny microfibres that work to remove dead skin, while the other softer side is perfect for general cleaning. The Face Halobody arrives in recyclable plastic packaging, but the brand is working towards removing this in order to become plastic-free.
1. What do we know about Organibox ?A.Its packaging is plastic-free. |
B.Its produce is not very fresh. |
C.It delivers its boxes by plane. |
D.lt features a zero-carbon footprint. |
A.Organibox. | B.Veja. | C.Kind Bag. | D.Face Halo. |
A.Product developers. | B.Advertisers. |
C.Bargain hunters. | D.Environmentalists. |
1. 你对低碳生活的理解;2. 具体做法;3. 发出倡议。
注意:词数80左右。
参考词汇:emission 排放;carbon dioxide 二氧化碳;低碳生活 a low-carbon lifestyle
Hello, everyone! I am Lihua.
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That’s all. Thank you!
8 . In order to learn about advanced scientific technology and ideas for combating desertification, Rezaali Pakzad left the Iranian capital Teheran, in 2018, to study in Northwest China’s Gansu Province.
He is a 27-year-old doctoral student at Lanzhou University, focusing on soil desertification control. In his view, Iran, like other arid and semiarid countries, faces environmental problems such as desertification. When he did field surveys and research in Minqin county, Gansu, he found that the local desertification characteristics were very similar to those of his hometown.
“Minqin is between two deserts. From being “about to disappear” to being gradually green, from being ravaged by “sand devils” to being covered by vast green plants, the scientific and effective prevention and control methods of the Chinese government have greatly changed the county, and made me see the hope of improving the ecology in my hometown,” he says.
He believes that China has certainly contributed to the global effort to combat desertification, and that the Chinese contribution is worth learning from. China has developed advanced technology models, such as quicksand fixation and vegetation restoration, and protective forest systems along major transport routes, which have introduced more green to deserts.
Already among the top nations in the world in the field of combating desertification, China has shared its experience with other countries, carried out international exchanges and cooperation, and contributed to global desertification control, he says.
He believes he has made progress during his five years of living and studying in China. By learning more about the Chinese language and culture, he has adapted to life in China and enjoyed the help and sincere concern of his teachers, classmates and friends here.
He hopes to achieve a lot, at a high level, in his research field and to contribute to international exchanges and cooperation in desertification control. “I want to be an ‘ecological messenger’ by spreading green ideas,” he says.
1. What problem does Pakzad want to solve?A.Shortage of greens. | B.Water pollution. |
C.Energy reduction. | D.Drought. |
A.Protected. | B.Constructed. | C.Destroyed. | D.Reduced. |
A.Generous and ambitious. | B.Responsible and hopeful. |
C.Hard-working and creative. | D.Determined and tolerant. |
A.China seldom participates in the global affairs. |
B.China has solved the problem of desertification. |
C.China is the top nation in international cooperation. |
D.China plays a vital role in global desertification control. |
9 . Laundry day isn’t exactly fun for most people, but it can be quite unpleasant for the Earth. Washing clothes can release microplastics that are accumulating in the world’s waterways at alarming rates.
·Choose efficient machines
The machines you use have a significant effect on the amount of energy and water you save or waste.
·
Avoid small loads, but don’t crowd a machine, which can make it work harder. And take a look at the amount of detergent(洗涤剂)you’re using. The extra detergent will be harder to clean out, extending washing and drying times.
·Read up on green products
Companies large and small have met consumer demand for products with no harsh chemicals.
A.Wash clothes by hand |
B.Rethink your laundry habits |
C.They use less energy than standard models |
D.Older appliances can waste many resources |
E.But not all products are what they claim to be |
F.Two to three tablespoons for detergents are enough |
G.Luckily it’s getting easier to clean your clothes while staying green |
A.Clean the park. | B.Make snowmen. | C.Plant trees. |