1 . Following a sustainable diet, also known as a “planetary health diet”, includes whole grains, fruits, nuts, green vegetables, and olive oil, can be a win-win for your health and the planet, according to a new research.
The new research conducted by scientists from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health has revealed that people who eat more environmentally sustainable food have a 25percent lower risk of mortality (死亡) compared to those with a less sustainable diet, like eggs, the red and processed meat. The findings show that the participants with a good planetary health diet had a reduced risk of all causes of death measured in the study.
The study involved over 100,000 participants in the USA, with a 30-year check-up period. According to Linh Bui, the PhD candidate at Harvard, the research team integrated data on the health outcomes of specific foods and their environment al impact, creating a Planetary Health Diet Index (指数), and gave the participants scores based on their diets. Using this, they assessed the relationship between the scores and the participants’ health outcomes. “The results confirmed our previous hypothesis (假设) that a higher Planetary Health Diet score was associated with a lower risk of death,” said Bui. The people with the highest Planetary Health Index scores had a 25per cent lower overall risk of death than those with the lowest scores.
The environmental impact of the foods was evaluated by factors such as water use, land use, package, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers hope that the eco-index can be used as a simple tool for policy makers and public health services to improve human health and tackle the climate crisis.
However, they acknowledge that the index does not take into account certain challenges that people may have in following a sustainable diet, such as health conditions of the subjects and what cultures they come from. They hope that further research will address these barriers, as well as relationships between foods and diseases tailored to particular countries.
1. What did the new research find about a sustainable diet?| A．It is a double-edged sword. |
| B．It can reduce the risk of death. |
| C．It is mainly composed of greens. |
| D．It is less friendly to the environment. |
| A．The approaches adopted in the study. |
| B．New confirmation about the results. |
| C．Supporting evidence for the theory. |
| D．Potential benefits of the research. |
| A．By analyzing their elements. | B．By measuring their nutrition. |
| C．By examining their packaging. | D．By assessing their eco-footprint. |
| A．Individual preferences. |
| B．Prospective food access. |
| C．Culture-based healthy food. |
| D．Sustainable food alternatives. |
2 . Deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power. They are spacious, relatively flat, and never short of sunlight. So researchers imagine it might be possible to transform the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, into a large solar farm, capable of meeting four times the world’s current energy demand.
While the black surfaces of solar panels absorb most of the sunlight that reaches them, only around 15% of that incoming energy gets turned into electricity. The rest is returned to the environment as heat, affecting the climate. If these effects were only local, they might not matter in a thinly populated desert. But the area of the installations in the Sahara would be vast, covering thousands of square miles. Heat released from an area this size will be redistributed by the flow of air in the atmosphere, having regional and even global effects on the climate.
A 2018 study used a climate model to assess the effects of building massive solar farms in the Sahara. The model revealed that when the size of the solar farm reaches 20% of the total area of the Sahara, the heat released by the darker solar panels creates a big temperature difference between the land and the surrounding oceans that ultimately lowers surface air pressure and causes wet air to rise and condense (凝结) into raindrops. With more rainfall, plants grow and the desert reflects less of the sun’s energy since vegetation absorbs light better than sand and soil. With more plants present, more water is evaporated (蒸发), creating a better environment that causes vegetation to spread.
So, a large solar farm could generate enough energy and at the same time turn one of the most abominable environments on Earth into a habitable place. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. In a recent study, we used an advanced Earth system model to closely examine how Saharan solar farms interact with the climate. It showed there could be unintended effects in remote parts of the land and ocean.
We are only beginning to understand the potential consequences of establishing massive solar farms in deserts. Solutions like this may help society reduce the use of fossil energy, but Earth system studies like ours underscore the importance of considering the numerous coupled responses of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface when examining their benefits and risks.
1. What can be learned about solar farms?| A．They are mainly located in deserts. |
| B．They can affect the local and even global climate. |
| C．They can make the best use of incoming energy. |
| D．They satisfy the world’s current energy demand. |
| A．It might become greener. |
| B．It might reflect more sunlight. |
| C．Its surface air pressure will increase. |
| D．Its temperature difference between day and night will decrease. |
| A．Addictive. | B．Dynamic. | C．Sensitive. | D．Unpleasant. |
| A．It is an impossible task. |
| B．It will do more good than harm. |
| C．It calls for more consideration. |
| D．It might be the solution to fossil fuel pollution. |
1. 你对低碳生活的理解；
2. 你和家人是如何做的。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The Low-carbon Lifestyle Around Me
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Cities, covering less than 2% of the earth ’s surface, greatly influence climate change, consuming almost 80% of the world’s energy and producing more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, net zero emissions (净零排放) by 2050, a target set at the COP26 conference, could be achieved faster using digital twins cities, according to a recent research.
Looking and behaving identically in their real—world physical environments, digital twins can help track, manage and reduce environmental damage rapidly. These replicas (复制品) link to networks of sensors that collect data from buildings, transport, air quality, and energy use, to see where emissions can be cut and efficiency improved. Similar technologies have been in use since NASA ’s Apollo moon mission in 1969, where computers and machine replicas were used to test and monitor spacecraft.
Research shows that digital twins can save cities more than $ 280 billion globally by 2030 through more efficient urban planning. Digital twin provider Cityzenith believes that net zero deadlines could be achieved 15 years earlier if the world ’s 100 biggest cities use the technology to decarbonize. “They are the perfect tool for managing and speeding up the energy transformation,” said CEO Michael Jansen. “We could get to net zero globally by 2035. ”
Over the past decades, big tech companies around the world, including GE Digital and Siemens, have developed software for replicating cities, including a district of Berlin, the island nation of Singapore, and the entire city of Shanghai in China. In the US, the Digital Twin Consortium is working to standardize how digital twins are built and share data. Technology company MX3D built the world ’s first 3D-printed stainless steel bridge and co-created its digital twin. CEO Gijs van der Velden believes twins will give us precise control over the built environment.
Recently, OpenAI also made advances in this field. On February 15, the company revealed its latest groundbreaking tech—Sora to the world. Sora is a text -to -video generative AI model. It can generate videos that matches the text prompt (文本提示) given to it in a few seconds. Experts believe Sora is likely to be applied in science and national defence in the future.
1. How does the author show the influence of cities on climate change?| A．By listing data. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By comparing opinions. | D．By quoting research findings. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Doubtful. | C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
| A．Sora has been used in scientific research and military. |
| B．Gijs van der Velden has little faith in digital twins ’future. |
| C．Digital twins technology is developing rapidly around the world. |
| D．Few tech companies are involved in the study of replicating cities. |
| A．Big Cities Are to Blame for the Severe Environment Pollution |
| B．Digital Twins Can Save Cities Much Money Globally by 2030 |
| C．Digital Twin Cities Can Reduce the Pollution Impact of Large Cities |
| D．The Target of Net Zero Emissions Could Be Reached 15 Years Earlier |
5 . Imagine a world where nothing ends up in landfill. Instead, everything can be reused and recycled, creating products that never reach their “end of life”. According to a recent report by the Circle Economy Foundation, only 7.2% of all used materials are being cycled back to be reused and recycled without creating waste.
An Italian company aims to change this by creating furniture products made from a plastic-like biomaterial, which is fully organic and biodegradable (可生物降解的), and can be used over and over again. Using fruit peel, orange seeds and coffee grounds collected from businesses in Italy, the company can redistribute products to the same businesses for use in their offices, instead of furniture made from common plastic. If, by mistake, any of the material ends up in the ocean, it doesn’t produce any microplastics.
Each product is made through a four-step process. First, the food waste is dried and crushed into a very fine powder. Then, the powder is mixed with a biodegradable plastic alternative known as polyhydroxybutyrat (PHB), with the fruit waste making the PHB more study (坚固的). The material is then turned into a filament (细丝) and, using a spool, put into a 3D printer.
Because a lot of food waste would be buried and incinerated in the landfill, which would produce lots of carbon dioxide, Reusing fruit peel and coffee grounds decrease carbon dioxide from the production of plastic, according to the director of operations in the company. He adds that the biomaterial is as sturdy as wood, and won’t begin to break down unless it’s touched by water, bacteria or acidity.
Despite its eco-friendly benefits, the biomaterial is expensive. It costs probably six times more than common plastic, and it is a very difficult and expensive process, so this is why many companies aren’t doing it.
However, the director is hopeful that in a few years, as-more consumers and businesses are forced to face the damage that unsustainable plastic is doing to the planet, the biomaterial will be much more widely used. “We really believe this is the material of the future,” says the director. “Little by little, a step at a time.”
1. What is a problem faced by the current world according to paragraph 1?| A．Pollution is becoming milder. |
| B．The rate of recycling is too low. |
| C．Plastic poses a threat to the ocean. |
| D．New material needs to be improved. |
| A．It is of benefit to the environment. |
| B．It is cheaper than common plastic. |
| C．It is given a welcome by businesses. |
| D．It has gradually replaced common plastic. |
| A．Damaged. | B．Burned. | C．Selected. | D．Recovered. |
| A．New Material: One Way To Regain Fruit Peel |
| B．From Landfill To Furniture: The Journey Of Furniture |
| C．Sustainable Material: The Future Of Eco-Friendly Furniture |
| D．Italian Businesses Using New Strategies To Manage Industrial Waste |
6 . Early one morning, servers at an Egyptian restaurant began their usual preparations for the day. They laid out rows of desserts. But the offerings weren’t for customers. Instead, within an hour, staff from an organization called Tekeya had arrived to take away 135 portions of perfectly eatable dishes. The desserts—made a day earlier—weren’t considered fresh enough to eat.
Throughout Egypt, which boasts a rich culinary (烹饪的) history, such views aren’t uncommon. Now, though, with a global reflection on the food chain and its role in the climate crisis, attitudes in Egypt are slowly changing.
The restaurant is one of around a dozen across the Egyptian capital that Tekey’s staff visits each day in a quest to stop fit-for-consumption food from being dumped. Restaurants pay a small annual fee that allows them to alert Tekeya’s staff whenever they have unsold food. Personal users of Tekeya’s app can then buy that food at half price, or either the restaurants or the users can request Tekeya to deliver the food to a food bank or charity of their choosing. In total, up to 40 plates are saved from going to the trash each day.
“I’ve seen several platforms helping fight food waste across Europe. It’s uplifting to find one that does the same here in Egypt, ” says the manager, who has been using the app for three years.
In 2019, Menna Shahin had an idea particularly inspired by a festival, which brings about both celebration and waste. “I would put so much thought into how to deal with food responsibly without harming the environment, and how to minimize my excess (过度的) usage,” Ms. Shahin says. “I thought to myself, why not assist everyone to deal with their excess food wisely?”
Ms. Shahin ended up co-founding Tekeya along with her husband, Max Hartzen. By Tekeya’s second year, some 10, 000 discounted meals were ordered during one month, with users choosing to donate roughly a quarter of those to charities.
1. Why were the desserts in paragraph 1 not for customers?| A．They were sold out. | B．They were not eatable. |
| C．They had gone sour. | D．They were not fresh enough. |
| A．Thrown away. | B．Kept up. | C．Squeezed out. | D．Tracked down. |
| A．How a festival is celebrated. | B．How waste comes about. |
| C．How Tekeya is originated. | D．How food is dealt with. |
| A．It takes ages to see its effect. | B．It has produced good results. |
| C．It needs to be widely applied. | D．It has received sharp criticism. |
7 . In the eyes of many environmentalists, the world appears to be getting worse. They believe, the natural resources are running out and the air and water are becoming ever more polluted. But if we check the facts, things look different. Energy has become more abundant, not less so. Fewer people are starving. What seems to cause this gap between perception and reality?
One factor is the prejudice in scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that there are more potential problems than actually exist.
Secondly, environmental groups seek attention from the mass media. They also need to get continuous financial support. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes exaggerate (夸大) their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a statement titled: “Two thirds of the world’s forests lost forever”. The truth turns out to be near 20%.
The media can add to confusion too. People tend to be more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can lead to significant misinterpretations. For example, when a natural disaster happens, the media usually highlights the negative parts, giving more attention to the disaster’s details and what happens afterward. This flood of bad news can make people think that such events are more frequent or serious than they actually are. Consequently, people may develop a sense of insecurity, despite statistically low probabilities of similar events happening to them.
Another factor is people’s poor perception. People worry that vaccines can cause severe side effects or long-term health problems. Despite extensive scientific evidence demonstrating their safety and effectiveness, some individuals remain hesitant due to unfounded fears.
It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic – but more costly still to be too pessimistic.
1. What aspect of scientific research does the writer worry about in paragraph 2?| A．The need to produce results. | B．The selection of research areas. |
| C．The lack of financial support. | D．The desire to solve research problem. |
| A．To show how influential the mass media can be. |
| B．To show how effective environmental groups can be. |
| C．To show how the mass media can help groups raise funds. |
| D．To show how environmental groups overstate their claims. |
| A．educate readers | B．mislead readers |
| C．meet readers’ expectations | D．encourage readers’ feedback |
| A．Making decisions based on reality. | B．Balancing optimism and pessimism. |
| C．Being optimistic to avoid costly mistakes. | D．Addressing the environmental crisis gradually. |
8 . Do you know cultivated meat? Typically, making this sort of meat starts with cells from domestic animals. The cells are grown in bioreactors full of nutrient-rich liquid, and then harvested, and eventually become products such as steak or chicken. In a homely kitchen of Eat Just, a startup, a slice of such meat was fried and then served with peppers. The first mouthful of it was extraordinary because the meat was grown in a lab, rather than on an animal. Meanwhile, it was also dull, because the texture, taste, look and smell of the meat was almost identical to that of chicken.
In June, Eat Just and Upside Foods became the first two companies to win regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat in America. A handful of other firms are trying to bring cultivated meat to market. But the hope is fading owing to continued high costs and troubles with mass production.
The UN reports meat and dairy production already accounts for 12% of humanity’s greenhouse-gas emissions. Demand for meat is skyrocketing among the growing middle classes of Africa and Asia. Lab-grown meat could help meet that demand without the world breaking its carbon budget. By contrast, two-fifths of Americans claim to restrict their meat consumption either for ethical (伦理的) reasons or environmental ones. Lab-grown meat may seem less ethically worrisome than eating animals. And the early success of plant-based meat alternatives gave investors hope. Beyond Meat, one such firm, went public in 2019, and saw its value shoot to $14 billion.
Though lab-grown meat offers an alternative to farm-grown meat, questions have been raised about how climate-friendly it can be. A study published earlier this year found that in some circumstances cultivated meat could be more polluting than the conventional stuff because the bioreactor is in great need of power to control its temperature. Consequently, only if renewable energy is used in the production process will cultivated meat cut the carbon footprint of the meat industry.
Whether this effort can make lab-grown meat attractive and cheap enough to attract consumers remains to be seen.
1. What about cultivated meat does the author focus on in paragraph 1?| A．Its characteristics. | B．Its health benefits. |
| C．Its cooking methods. | D．Its similarities to artificial meat. |
| A．Most Americans tend to skip meat. | B．Asians prefer lab-grown meat. |
| C．Beyond Meat is facing financial collapse. | D．Cultivated meat may have a growing market. |
| A．Demand for a good climate. | B．Cultivated land occupation. |
| C．Greenhouse-gas emissions. | D．Use of conventional bioreactors. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Favorable. | C．Uncaring. | D．Reserved. |
9 . Feeling down about money? Do you know you could have thousands of pounds worth of junk hiding in your drawers? Well, here’s some fantastic news to brighten your day: your unwanted tech could be a goldmine, with potential earrings ranging from £1,300 to £6,330.That’s right — that neglected hairdryer, forgotten electric toothbrush, or unused smartphone sitting in your cupboard could be your ticket to some extra holiday cash, a dream summer vacation, or a special weekend treat!
Recent research from Recycle Your Electricals reveals a shocking 880 million unused working electrical items gathering dust in UK households, averaging 31 items per household. The potential earnings? A suriprising £36.7 billion for older, lower, and unbranded items and an astonishing £178.5 billion for newer, higher branded items. It’s an incredible new opportunity!
It’s not just about making money; selling your old electricals is also great for the planet. Waste electricals are the fastest growing e-waste stream, with few people realising that they contain some of the most precious materials on the planet, like gold, aluminium and lithium. So whether you choose to sell or donate your working items, or you recycle the broken ones, it’s going to be good for the environment.
It’s time to unlock that money. Start by taking stock of all your electricals and research their market value by considering factors like brand, age, and condition. Wipe down surfaces, remove dust, and ensure everything is in working order. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words— a detailed description with high-quality photos speaks louder. Select the platform that suits your item and target audience. Above all, security first. Ensure all personal data are securely wiped. If meeting in person, choose a safe, public location. Alternatively, use secure shipping methods with tracking for added peace of mind.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?| A．The wealth from junk is often overlooked. |
| B．People often put plenty of cash in the drawers. |
| C．The potential earnings from wastes are worth a goldmine. |
| D．Electricals are likely to break down if not used frequently. |
| A．Repair work. | B．Metal extraction. | C．Data security. | D．Scientific research. |
| A．Methods of saving money. | B．Ways to promote online sales. |
| C．Procedures of online shopping. | D．Steps to profit from used electricals. |
| A．To offer tips for making a fortune. |
| B．To warn against e-waste pollution. |
| C．To increase the purchase of new electricals. |
| D．To advocate recycling economically and environmentally. |
10 . Travelling allows us to see landscapes we wouldn’t be able to explore otherwise. Sometimes, the beauty is so attractive that we’d like to extend our stay to immerse (沉浸) ourselves in it, or simply have a version of it we could carry with us back home. Inspired by questions about personal land preservation and wondering how the hurried pace of travel can be slowed, Kathleen Vance launched her Travelling Landscapes series. With it, she creates miniature (微小的) landscapes inside antique suitcases and trunks.
“In first creating the Travelling Landscapes series, I was thinking about accessibility to nature and exploring the concept of ‘untouched natural sites’,” Vance says. “The perfect landscapes I sculpt are visual connections from my personal memories of travels and focus on waterways as a primary element. I consider these a reminder of how precious our natural resources are, and how necessary it is to protect these vital elements for life.”
The initial pieces of Travelling Landscapes were created in 2005 and each contained soil, water, and grasses native to the area it described. “It was created as a ‘site displacement’ sculpture, in which I removed the soil and plants from a designated stream and transplanted them into a container,” the artist says.
The well-travelled beauty wouldn’t come alive if it weren’t for the use of antique luggage in her work. These additions further the message she’s trying to put out into the world. “I use primarily antique luggage for this series as it denotes not only this concept of containment, but travel, preciousness, and possession,” Vance points out. “I consider each case carefully, investigating its prior history, its owner, and for which type of travel it was designed to be used. All these indicators help to inform the landscape that I create.”
Throughout her expressive body of work, Vance tries to connect people to local aspects of nature that are overlooked or underappreciated, opening new channels to bring nature into our daily lives.
1. What are the main elements in the landscapes sculpted by Kathleen Vance?| A．Waterways. | B．Trees and forests. |
| C．Mountains and valleys. | D．Grasses native to the area. |
| A．The need to get close to nature. | B．The concept of travel and transport. |
| C．The importance of protecting nature. | D．The historical value of antique luggage. |
| A．Identifies. | B．Confirms. | C．Requires. | D．Indicates. |
| A．Noble-minded and brave. | B．Eco-conscious and talented. |
| C．Hard-working and optimistic. | D．Far-sighted and knowledgeable. |
