1 . It’s a historic moment for artificial intelligence (AI). Everyone is starting to see the business value of AI. It is being added to more and more things every year, and it is getting smarter and smarter—accelerating human innovation. Moreover, it also has the capability to save our planet from pollution and global warming.
AI in the future can be applied to thousands of issues affecting the environment. For example, using AI and data, researchers are able to identify patterns and monitor changes of land surfaces, such as decreasing sea area and ice caps, which can be used to determine future risks. AI can also be used to monitor pollution and other contributions to climate change.
AI is improving agriculture by collecting data and images alongside knowledge of crop diseases. Farmers hope to increase crop yields(产量) and reduce water requirements and pesticide usage.
AI can be used to protect oceans from illegal overfishing. Satellite data and data of ship movement are used in a machine learning algorithm (算法) called Global Fishing Watch which can be used to identify boats that are fishing illegally. This is protecting marine life and protecting over fished areas.
In the future, AI methods may create a digital dashboard (仪表板) for the planet, allowing us to monitor, model, foresee and manage environmental systems at a global scale. AI can be involved in everything from monitoring deforestation (毁林), CO2 levels, sea levels, wildlife movement, illegal activity, pollution, to predicting natural disasters better.
This approach needs to start now, because time is too short and resources are becoming too thin on a global scale. To achieve environmental gains AI and data are necessary. To achieve this, a global cooperation among research institutes, companies, industries, governments and charities must start for the best interest of our planet and future quality of life.
The possibilities are endless, Data, AI and humans can work together to create informative networks to protect the planet and bring it back from the edge of global warming.
1. What does the author try to do in paragraph 1?| A．Expect the future development of AI. |
| B．Lead in the topic to discuss in the text. |
| C．Point out the great business value of AI. |
| D．Inspire the readers’ interest in AI. |
| A．To predict the possible risks in the future. |
| B．To collect more data about the changing earth. |
| C．To monitor the levels of the land pollution. |
| D．To look for the main reason for climate change. |
| A．It can control people’s requirements for seawater. |
| B．It can identify where the large quantities of fish are. |
| C．It can discover the ships that are fishing illegally. |
| D．It can decrease the speed of rising ocean level. |
| A．Share the endless data with each other. |
| B．Try to make contributions to charities. |
| C．Take action to protect the earth with AI. |
| D．Cooperate to improve the quality of life. |
There is little doubt that Earth is getting warmer and warmer. In 2013, many people
Actually, news reports are
3 . The part of the environmental movement that draws my firm’s attention is the design of buildings. Today, thousands of people come to
Home builders can now use materials, such as green paints, that release significantly
Look at it this way: no one
| A．commercial | B．green | C．traditional | D．simple |
| A．efficient | B．changeable | C．influential | D．effective |
| A．relevant | B．indoor | C．flexible | D．forward |
| A．revealed | B．displayed | C．exhibited | D．discovered |
| A．careful | B．comfortable | C．stable | D．safe |
| A．reduced | B．revised | C．delayed | D．defined |
| A．destroy | B．deny | C．dissolve | D．depress |
| A．Anyway | B．Besides | C．Anyhow | D．However |
| A．exactly | B．completely | C．partially | D．superficially |
| A．restored | B．regain | C．reused | D．retain |
| A．developed | B．stretched | C．researched | D．constructed |
| A．sets off | B．sets about | C．sets out | D．sets up |
| A．instead | B．because | C．out | D．regardless |
| A．adjusting | B．adopting | C．adapting | D．admitting |
| A．functional | B．sensible | C．beneficial | D．precious |
The year 1970 witnessed the establishment of the World Earth Day. Over 50 years later,
Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring published in 1962 was among a series of critical environmental issues
In the past years since the first Earth Day, there
The theme of Earth Day 2023 is “Earth for All”, the concept of
5 . Alaska officials have canceled several crab (螃蟹) harvests, like the fall Bristol Bay red king crab harvest, in a conservation effort that sent shock waves through the crabbing industry in the region. The fall red king crab harvest was canceled for the second year because of the low number of mature female crabs, which can indicate the health of the broader population. For the first time on record, officials delay the winter harvest of snow crab.
The decision comes after stark population declines of the animals. Data from an NOAA eastern Bering Sea survey shows a 92% decline in overall snow crab abundance from 2018 to 2021. The population declined by 83% from 2018 to 2022 as some small crabs entered the population in 2022, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Last year’s snow crab harvest was 5.6 million pounds, the smallest in over 40 years. Snow crab populations dropped after a 2019 Bering Sea warming, and the causes of the population crash are probably stresses from the warmer water and increased threats from predators (捕食者).
“Management of Bering Sea snow crab must now focus on conservation and rebuilding given the condition of the stock (库存),” the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in a statement.
Bering Sea crab harvests as recently as 2016 earned $280 million. A fleet of about 60 boats from Alaska, Washington and Oregon typically pursue the crab, and each boat employs about six people.
“It’s going to be life-changing, if not career-ending, for people,” said Dean Gribble, a crab boat captain who has fished for snow crab since the late 1970s. “A lot of these guys with families and kids have no options other than getting out. That’s where the hammer is going to fall—on the crew.”
1. Why did Alaska officials cancel several crab harvests?| A．To save the animals. | B．To narrow the market. |
| C．To increase the price. | D．To reform the industry. |
| A．Entire. | B．Small. | C．Sharp. | D．Annual. |
| A．Praise the fishermen’s great work. | B．Add some background information. |
| C．Summarize the previous paragraphs. | D．Introduce a new type of well-paid job. |
| A．The policy is a total failure. | B．The locals should stay at home. |
| C．The fishermen will be hit hard. | D．The snow crab has been in danger. |
6 . To some, a cow’s burp (打嗝) might seem like a small thing. But in New Zealand, cows outnumber people by two to one. There are only five million people in New Zealand, which is home to 10 million cows and 26 million sheep.
Cows do not easily digest the grass they eat — instead, they ferment (发酵) it in their stomachs. The process releases a lot of gas. So, every time someone eats beef or drinks milk, the process of getting that product comes at a high cost to the environment. The cows produce methane (甲烷) gas. While the gas does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it has a much stronger effect on global warming.
The scientists in New Zealand are working on ways to reduce the amount of gas that comes out of the cows.They are considering changing the food the animals eat or putting a device on the cows to change the methane into something innocuous. There is also talk of feeding the cows a kind of special red seaweed or giving them a food addition that would help them digest the grass.
In addition, farmers want a solution. That is because New Zealand has announced plans to tax farmers whose animals produce too much methane gas. The farmers say they will be affected if the tax plan goes into effect.
A farmer running a farm in the town of Featherston,in the Wellington Region, is trying to get more milk from each cow. The increased efficiency means he does not need as many cows, which in turn reduces the amount of methane coming from his farm. At a farmer level, he is doing his bit to help save the planet.
The fight against methane is serious in NewZealand. The country promised to reduce the gas produced by farm animals by up to 47 percent by the.year 2050.
1. Why does cows’ burping become a problem in Name Zealand?| A．The cows consume much grass. |
| B．New Zealanders prefer milk. |
| C．The number of the cows is too large. |
| D．The cows have the digestive problem. |
| A．Harmless. | B．Useful. |
| C．Rare. | D．Inexpensive. |
| A．They can’t afford the rising costs. |
| B．They will raise fewer cows. |
| C．They can’t increase milking efficiency. |
| D．They will face a heavier burden. |
| A．Climate Change: Cow Burping Is to Blame |
| B．Methane Gas: The Fight Against It Is Serious |
| C．Global Warming: New Zealand Targets Cow Burps |
| D．Cow Burping: Scientists Look for Ways to Stop It |
7 . A United Nations group of experts predicted that global warming would reach extreme levels by the early 2030s. The likely result: ever-worsening weather disasters and related events—hunger, extinction of some plant and wildlife species and the spread of infectious diseases.
There is still time to avoid these disasters, but the window for action is closing quickly. Yet the reality is, few countries are on track to meet their existing goals to address climate change. Luckily, there is one bright note in this otherwise black picture: individual innovators are stepping up to try to find solutions to fight climate crisis using technology in new and creative ways.
When Beth began working in the fashion industry, she was disappointed to find that many makers tended to largely guess what people would actually buy. As a result, companies overproduced clothes, creating needless waste and environmental pollution.
To reduce unsold products and material waste in the fashion industry, in 2015, Beth began her own company, Unspun, which seeks solutions by making on-demand custom clothing tailored to a buyer’s body using a 3D-body scan. “We will never make clothes before they have a home.” said Beth. Its self-developed 3D-weaving(编织) machine enables customisation using a body scanner.
Unspun launched its first 3D woven items using the innovative tech last year. Since then, the company has produced thousands of pairs of pants, hats, bags in a test run for a large European retailer(零售商).
Unspun doesn’t intend to keep its novel production technique to itself. The company is in the process of building microsites around the world to localize 3D weaving production. For example, the company has set up its office in Hong Kong with a focus on business development, marketing and customer services. “Our goal is to reduce the global human carbon footprint by 1 percent, and the only way to realistically get there is to become a platform, working with forward-thinking brands (品牌) to collectively cleanup the industry,” says Beth.
1. What does the underlined words “bright note” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Experts’ prediction. | B．Individual contribution. |
| C．The window for action. | D．A new technology. |
| A．avoid blind production | B．promote the sales of clothing |
| C．produce 3D-weaving machines | D．take the lead in the fashion industry |
| A．To test out3D-weaving machine. |
| B．To stress its commercial advantages. |
| C．To show an application of Beth’s idea. |
| D．To illustrate the significance of teamwork. |
| A．Beth: Rising to Fame Overnight |
| B．Unspun: Weaving Clothes With Zero Waste |
| C．Global Warming: Issuing a Warning to Earth |
| D．3D-weaving Machine: Hitting the Market Soon |
global, solution, recycle, balance, involve, to sum up, overcome, therefore, come up with, take part in
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9 . How green are you? Do you know how to be green?
We all need a healthy environment, but we produce waste every day and it is harmful to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do something to help. Here are some ideas for you.
Reduce
Reduce means “use less”. Don’t waste things. This saves money and reduces pollution. Before we buy something new, think whether it is really necessary — or maybe the old one is still useful.
Reuse
Reuse means “use again”. When we buy things, make sure that they can last a long time. When something is broken, we should repair it instead of throwing it away and buying a new one. Don’t use a paper cup or a paper bag. It’s better to use a china (瓷) cup and a lunch box because you can use them again.
Recycle
Recycle means “change things into something else”. Though it takes energy to change something into something else, it’s better than throwing things away or burning them.
So please remember these words: reduce, reuse and recycle.
1. Which of the following is TRUE?| A．Always throw away old things. |
| B．Don’t waste things. |
| C．Always buy new things. |
| D．Never buy new things. |
| A．reuse | B．reduce |
| C．repair | D．recycle |
| A．menu | B．dictionary |
| C．storybook | D．magazine |
| A．How to produce things. |
| B．How to burn things. |
| C．How to be green. |
| D．How to help others. |
10 . Children from four Buckingham shire primary schools visited Epilepsy Society to plant a hedge (树篱) as part of a Plant-for-the-Planet project. The children from these schools were planting a hedge in the garden of the Queen Elizabeth House at the charity in Chalfont St Peter. Plant-for-the-Planet gives children across the globe the opportunity to learn about the threats of global warming to the environment, and then put their new knowledge into practice as they plant new trees.
The day was organised by Bob Sherren who showed the children how to plant the planet-friendly line of trees in protective chambers (防护室) to shield them from hungry wildlife as they settle in their roots. Bob said, “The day really was ‘Thinking Globally, Acting Locally’ put into action. The children learned about the importance of planting trees as a way of helping to bring about climate justice (正义) for many living in poorer nations and of course enjoyed planting the trees too.” The eventual hedge, which will grow to full size over ten years behind the Queen Elizabeth House, is made up of trees such as oaks, silver birches and so on.
Bob added, “The children were also able to help people living at Epilepsy Society because they will gain some well-needed privacy from the hedge in time. The natural wildlife benefits too from the fruits and nuts that a hedge made from native species can provide as well as the possibility for any number of nesting sites.”
Emma Darlington, Epilepsy Society’s volunteer officer, said, “I think it’s so important to encourage the younger generation that the future is in their hands and that they can make a difference, whether it is through taking part in projects like this or spreading awareness. We hope they learn a little bit about the work we do at Epilepsy Society too — the trees they planted will be enjoyed by everyone here for years to come.”
1. What is the purpose of the Plant-for-the-Planet project?| A．To help children learn more about society. |
| B．To offer children colourful after-school activities. |
| C．To raise children’s awareness of global warming. |
| D．To teach children how to protect natural wildlife. |
| A．Separate. | B．Take. | C．Get. | D．Protect. |
| A．Tired. | B．Proud. | C．Discouraged. | D．Peaceful. |
| A．She hopes to popularise volunteering work. |
| B．She tries to drive the children to study hard. |
| C．She expects the children to take positive action. |
| D．She believes the younger generation are promising. |
