1 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution to two of her country’s problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip waters drop off their empty bags from Doritos. Lays. and other favorites at two locations in Detroit:a print shop and a clothing store. where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they clean the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use padding (衬垫) and liners (衬里) from old coats to line the insides.
It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags depending on whether they’re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof lightweight and easy to carry around”. Oleita told the Detroit News.
Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and, as of last December, created 110 sleeping bags. Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita — whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life —and her fellow volunteers. “We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,”she says.
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of rescuing bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental problem and poverty often go hand in hand. As Oleita told hourdetroit.com, “I think it’s time to show connections between all of these issues.”
1. What did Oleita ask the snack lovers to do with their empty chip bags?| A．To turn them into sleeping bags. |
| B．To donate them to the homeless directly. |
| C．To throw them into the trash. |
| D．To give them away to her. |
| A．It is convenient. | B．It is only made of old coats. |
| C．It has the function of heating. | D．Its size is adjustable. |
| A．The aim of the project is more than social issues. |
| B．Poverty results from environmental problems. |
| C．Oleita’s project made 110 sleeping bags per month. |
| D．Oleita started the project mainly to raise money. |
| A．Hardworking and loyal. | B．Talented and brave. |
| C．Selfless and modest. | D．Generous and creative. |
2 . Supermarkets, conservationists and farming groups have shown their concerns about pollution of the Wye, one of the UK’s longest rivers. “The pollution pressures upon the Wye are unacceptable and there was strong enthusiasm for cooperative action to resolve the problem.” said Craig Bennett, head of the Wildlife Trusts.
The pollution referred largely to runoff of the nutrient-rich waste matter produced by the 20 million-plus chickens near the river.
Bennett said: “We discussed how, if the Wye were a school or a hospital, we would be calling for it to be placed into ‘special measures’. We agreed the same level of urgency must be applied.”
Increasing concern led the local government to hold a discussion in May, when they promised to publish a plan for the Wye by the autumn. However, the local government’s push on the river was marred in June when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published a Wye video showing sea otters (海獺) rather than the river’s local European otters. The pollution of the Wye was not mentioned at all.
In July Bennett hosted a Wye round table in Powys, Wales, bringing together local groups, the Environment Agency, the chicken produce Avara Foodsr, regional branches of the National Farmers Union and local authorities. They agreed on a plan that included cutting the nutrient pollution “through a reduction in animal numbers” and other measures.
Bennett also wrote to Julie James, the Welsh Climate Change Minister, who said, “I share your concern for the health of the River Wye and other Welsh rivers.”
A supermarket chain said they are committed to protecting the river and engaging with their chicken suppliers to tackle water pollution. They have detailed management plans to make sure their suppliers are farming with care for the environment. A government spokesman said: “We are offering a wide range of support to farmers to speed up their transition to more sustainable practices and help protect this important site.”
1. Why does Bennett compare the Wye with a school or a hospital?| A．To call for urgent measures. | B．To stress the impacts of the river. |
| C．To show the importance of the river. | D．To urge people to protect the environment. |
| A．Destroyed. | B．Boosted | C．Perfected. | D．Emphasized. |
| A．Making a careful plan. | B．Reducing animal numbers. |
| C．Arousing people’s awareness. | D．Asking the government for money. |
| A．Sea Otters Are under Attack for Possible Pollution |
| B．Cooperated Efforts Are Made to Protect the Wye |
| C．People Are Having More Environmental Awareness |
| D．More Measures Should Be Taken to Prevent Air Pollution |
内容如下：
1. 写信目的；2. 活动原因；3. 活动建议。
注意：词数80词左右。可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
Dear friends,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
With best wishes,
Li Hua
4 . The California sea otter (海獭), once hunted to the edge of extinction, has staged a thrilling comeback in the last century. Now, scientists have discovered that the otters’ success story has led to something just as remarkable: the restoration of their declining coastal marsh (沼泽) habitat.
Elkhorn Slough, a coastal marsh within Monterey Bay, had been experiencing severe damage. The root cause was a growing population of shore crabs, which fed heavily on the marsh plants, weakening the structural integrity of the habitat. Coastal marshes like these are not only natural defenses against storm waves but also serve as important carbon storage areas and water-cleaning systems.
The conservation-driven comeback of the sea otter has been crucial. California’s coastlines were once alive with sea otters. Sadly, they were nearly wiped out at the hands of fur traders. In the 1980s, conservation efforts aided these otters in re-occupying large areas of their former range. Now, Elkhorn Slough has the highest concentration of sea otters in California, with a population of about 100. By naturally feasting on crabs, the otters have helped a significant regrowth of plant life. Brent Hughes, a scientist working alongside Angelini, led a three-year study. Their findings were clear: in areas with sea otters, crab numbers fell markedly. This led to a resurgence in plant growth, which in turn stabilized the soil and lowered the rate of soil washing away.
As the sea otter population continues to restore, their positive impact on coastal ecosystems is likely to increase. It not only showcases the sea otter as a central species—a species that has a significant effect on its natural environment—but also highlights the essential nature of top predators (捕食者) in preserving ecological harmony. “My honest reaction was—this could become a classic in the literature,” says scientist Lekelia Jenkins. She reveals marsh restoration also helps people by reducing flooding. “Suddenly, sea otters go from just cute things we like to something that can protect our livelihoods and our properties.”
1. What change did the disappearance of sea otters bring about?| A．Fewer predatory crabs. | B．More coastal plant life. |
| C．Better water-cleaning effect. | D．Worse coastal ecological balance. |
| A．Barrier. | B．Advancement. | C．Expansion. | D．Revival. |
| A．To highlight the importance of coastal marshes. |
| B．To introduce a new research study on sea otters. |
| C．To demonstrate the practical benefits of sea otters. |
| D．To emphasize the need for increased conservation efforts. |
| A．The necessity for controlled hunting. |
| B．The interconnectedness of the ecosystem. |
| C．The drawbacks of wildlife reintroduction. |
| D．The need for human intervention in nature. |
5 . Topher White spends so much time walking in the forest and thinking about how quickly we’re losing it. The engineer is determined to stop global deforestation. Founder of the San Francisco-based non-profit Rainforest Connection, White has developed a small but clever strategy: using old cell phones to listen for the sound of destruction.
Forests are disappearing worldwide, and fast：an area about half the size of England is lost each year. The Amazon has lost close to one-fifth of its rainforest cover in the last four decades. Forest loss not only harms wildlife, including many species that live nowhere else, but it’s also a big contributor to the greenhouse gas emission(排放)that cause climate change.
”I didn’t know any of this when I started,“ says White, who began his journey in 2011, when he traveled to Indonesian Borneo to help decreasing gibbons(长臂猿).
Between 50 and 90 percent of the logging that happens in the world’s rainforests is illegal, according to White, yet detecting chainsaws(电锯)and other sounds related to that activity can be tough, because the air is already filled with the loud unpleasant mixture of sounds from nature. So he has developed a system in which he installs a cell phone that stays charged by solar cells, attaches an extra microphone, and listens. From there, the device can detect the sounds of chainsaws nearly a mile away.
Because it’s unfeasible to have people listening to the devices all the time, he added some “old-school data analysis”, so that the cell phone’s computers can distinguish a chainsaw’s sound from others in the forest. This way, his device can automatically detect logging activity and send a text alert to authorities who can determine if it’s illegal and then stop it.
White notes that he’s not alone in the fight: Many people and organizations are working tirelessly to stop forests from disappearing. For instance, local groups are particularly active in forest conservation efforts, White says.
So far, his monitoring devices have been used in Cameroon, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil and will soon be used in Bolivia. It’s not just about listening for logging. The same technology that can pick out the buzz of a chainsaw can pick out the sounds of specific birds, which is why Whtie sees the forest recordings as a potential science tool. He’s urging biologists and ecologists to use his monitoring system anywhere, whether it’s a remote forest or a park in London. “The more we learn about these places,” he says, “the easier it’ll be to protect them.”
1. The second paragraph is mainly about .| A．the measures to prevent forest loss |
| B．the causes and effects of forest loss |
| C．the areas that suffer great forest loss |
| D．the urgency about reducing forest loss |
| A．Impractical. | B．Unnecessary. | C．Possible. | D．Significant. |
| A．our advanced technology | B．our strong teamwork spirit |
| C．our good understanding of it | D．our environmental awareness |
| A．Efforts should be taken to preserve nature |
| B．Your old cell phone can help save the rainforest |
| C．Old cell phones can be used for helping gibbons |
| D．A creative way is being used to protect specific birds |
内容包括：
1. 活动目的；
2. 活动安排；
注意：
1. 词数不少于80词；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Notice
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Students’ Union
7 . Kabita Lohar lives in Pipriya village, a community located at the banks of the Mahakali River in Nepal. She is usually seen walking along the riverbank, carrying a blue box which contains equipment and chemicals to test the quality of water in the river. As Kabita carefully collects water samples (样本) from the river into her test-tube and observe the color of the water, she says, “Our rivers are getting polluted; we need to raise awareness and encourage the community to save our rivers.”
Kabita is one of the many citizen scientists trained by Oxfam. Around five years ago, Oxfam started working with the communities living in the riverbanks of the Mahakali River through a project called Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA). The project aims to give the riverside communities more access to and control over water resources. “We use this data to encourage effective measures and raise awareness about water pollution among the community members and local government,” says Kabita.
People used to believe that the water in at the Mahakali River contains something that is good for health, so it was a common practice to drink water directly from the river. But with the data on water pollution provided by citizen scientists like Kabita, they could raise awareness of the importance of not drinking water directly from the river.
Kabita says, “A few months ago, we spoke with our mayor (市长) about introducing measures to prevent the inflow of waste made by families and hotels into the river. Our mayor has stated that he will meet our demands. But we don’t just want promises; we want action, and we will keep following up until the promise becomes a reality.”
1. Why does Kabita walk along the bank?| A．To clean the riverbanks. | B．To collect experimental data. |
| C．To enjoy nature for relaxation. | D．To collect water from family use. |
| A．By showing them the truth. |
| B．By finding clean water for them. |
| C．By encouraging effective measures. |
| D．By stopping pouring waste into the river. |
| A．Energetic. | B．Confident. | C．Organized. | D．Determined. |
| A．Water pollution is serious in Nepal. |
| B．Science is helpful in reducing pollution. |
| C．A citizen scientist fights water pollution. |
| D．A youth makes a difference to her village. |
8 . Insect numbers have plunged (骤降) by half in some parts of the world due to climate change and intensive agriculture, a study has found. The combined pressures of global heating and farming are driving a “substantial decline” of insects across the globe, according to UK researchers. They say we must acknowledge the threats we pose to insects, before some species are lost forever. But preserving habitat for nature could help ensure vital insects thrive.
Lead researcher, Dr Charlie Outhwaite of UCL, said losing insect populations could be harmful not only to the natural environment, but to “human health and food security, particularly with losses of pollinators(传粉昆虫)”. “Our findings highlight the urgency of actions to preserve natural habitats, slow the expansion of high-intensity agriculture, and cut emissions to mitigate climate change,” she added.
Plummeting populations of insects around the world — a so-called “insect apocalypse” — have caused widespread concern. However, scientific data gives a mixed picture, with some types of insects showing sharp declines, while others are staying steady. In the latest study, the researchers pulled together data on the range and number of nearly 20,000 insect species, including bees, ants, butterflies, grasshoppers and dragonflies, at about 6,000 different locations. In areas with high-intensity agriculture and substantial warming, insect numbers have plunged by 49% and the number of different species by 27%, compared with relatively untouched places that have so far avoided the most severe impacts of climate change, according to the research published in Nature.
But the researchers said there was some cause for hope in that setting aside areas of land for nature created a shelter for insects, which need shade to survive in hot weather. “Careful management of agricultural areas, such as preserving natural habitats near farmland, may help to ensure that vital insects can still thrive,” said Dr. Tim Newbold, also of UCL.
Study researcher, Peter MeCann, added: “We need to acknowledge how important insects are for the environment as a whole, and for human health and wellbeing, in order to address the threats we pose to them before many species are lost forever.”
1. What caused the number of insects to decrease quickly?| A．The natural law of survival of the fittest. | B．Improvement of human environment. |
| C．Global heating and farming. | D．Destruction of the food chain of insects. |
| A．release | B．stop | C．relieve | D．prevent |
| A．Not all types of insects show decline in numbers. |
| B．The number of insects in untouched places shows the most severe decline. |
| C．There is no need to set aside areas of land for nature. |
| D．Careful management of agriculture areas can help all the insects thrive. |
| A．To stress the effect of global warming. |
| B．To arouse people’s concern for the decline of insect numbers. |
| C．To show the relationship between insects and human beings. |
| D．To present the process of the research. |
9 . A recent global study, which surveyed 10,000 young people from 10 countries, showed that nearly 60 percent of them were extremely worried about the future state of the planet. The report also showed that nearly half of the respondents (受访者) said that such distress affected them daily, and three-quarters agreed with the statement that “the future is frightening.” This, and many other studies, show clearly that climate change is not just a threat to the environment. It also poses a very real threat to our mental health.
Psychologists have classified these feelings of sadness, distress, and worry about the current climate emergency as eco-anxiety. According to the Climate Psychology Alliance, eco-anxiety is defined as the “intense physical and mental discomfort in response to dangerous changes in the climate system.”
Eco-anxiety doesn’t just affect young people. It also affects researchers who work in climate and ecological science, burdened by the reality discovered in their findings, and it affects the poor people across the globe, who hopelessly bear the harmful impacts of climate breakdown.
In recent years, we’ve seen wildfires tear through Canada and Greece, and summer floods destroy regions in Pakistan that are home to nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that those impacted by air pollution and rising temperatures are more likely to experience mental distress.
The cause of this mental distress is absolutely external. According to Caroline Hickman, a researcher on eco-anxiety from the University of Bath, anyone experiencing these emotions is displaying entirely natural and rational reactions to the climate crisis. Her suggestion? Take eco-anxiety as a tool for good—as an emotion that can urge people to act in protection of our planet.
This is why, in 2024, we will also see more people around the world join the fight for climate justice and apply for jobs that seek sustainable development. Eco-anxiety is not something we will defeat with therapy—we will solve it by taking action.
1. What does the underlined word “distress” in paragraph1 mean?| A．Shock. | B．Anxiety. | C．Fear. | D．Anger. |
| A．It is a strong reaction to the natural disasters. |
| B．It is a kind of mental disease for the young people. |
| C．It is a physical and mental discomfort when we meet difficulties. |
| D．It is a strong physical and mental discomfort for the dangerous climate changes. |
| A．The process of eco-anxiety. | B．The impact of eco-anxiety. |
| C．The causes of eco-anxiety. | D．The benefits of eco-anxiety. |
| A．Defeat it with a therapy. |
| B．Just wait for a good solution. |
| C．Join the fight for climate justice. |
| D．Use it to urge people to protect our earth. |
10 . You’ll need to take a deep breath before hearing this news. An astonishing 93% of kids around the world live in environments with air pollution levels that are damaging their health, according to a new report by World Health Organization(WHO)
Air pollution is to blame for the deaths of 543,000 kids under 5 in 2016,with more than on in four deaths of children under five-year-old being related to environmental problems. Exposure to air pollution can damage the health of kids in a variety of ways, either causing or being associated with everything from low birth weight to childhood obesity(肥胖) and so on.
“The diseases and deaths shown by these new data should result in an urgent call to action for the global community—especially for those concerning health.” WHO stated. “Strong action to reduce exposure to air pollution offers a chance to protect the health of children.” The report stressed that health expert should communicate with families, communities and policy-makers about the serious risks of air pollution exposure. “Although more researches into how air pollution affects children’s health will continue to be valuable, there is already evidence to justify(证明……有理) strong and swift action to prevent the damage it clearly produces,”WHO added.
Disease caused by dirty air is more common in low and middle-income countries, especially those in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific. Poor countries in these areas have the highest levels of exposure to household air pollution due to the use of polluting fuels and technologies for basic needs like cooking, heating and lighting.
Advised approaches to dealing with air pollution include cleaner transport, cleaner cooking and heating fuels and technologies, energy-efficient housing and urban planning, safer industrial technologies and better waste management.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The varieties of illnesses most children are living with. |
| B．The serous results of widespread environmental problems. |
| C．The harmful influence of air pollution on children’s health. |
| D．The health problems from birth resulting from air pollution. |
| A．It needs to be cut down. | B．It is truly out of control. |
| C．Its risks require proving. | D．Its damage is poorly known. |
| A．Old and outdated publish transport. | B．Unclean cooking and heating fuels. |
| C．Money-saving waste management. | D．Inexpensive industrial technologies. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Environment. |
| C．Medicine. | D．Science. |
