1 . Ant Forest, a green initiative by the world’s leading payment and lifestyle platform Alipay, received the “U.N. Champions of the Earth” award, the UN’s highest environmental honor. It was given to Ant Forest for motivating half a billion people to adopt an eco-friendly and greener lifestyle, greatly contributing to ecological protection with the help of digital technology.

Alipay achieved this by inspiring its users to do environmentally-friendly things, such as walking, using public transportation, going paperless in the office and more to earn “green energy points”. These points can then be used to water and grow their own virtual young trees. After the virtual young trees have grown up on line, Ant Forest will plant real trees somewhere in China.

The number of Ant Forest users has reached 350 million, reducing 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. “Such programs are quite attractive to me. I feel satisfied to see a real tree planted just by doing some simple things such as riding bicycles and buying tickets online,” said an interviewee.

This initiative of Ant Forest is in line with the Chinese government’s strategy of a “Green Economy”. The country is taking aggressive actions in expanding its green coverage. Now, its efforts are paying off, with improved biodiversity and a healthier economic growth. Rare animal species have been spotted and forest parks are now popular attractions of tourism.

The planet is at a critical point which could result in natural disasters. It seems clear that unless governments, businesses and people form a focused team, it’s difficult to stop global warming. Fortunately, Ant Forest shows that it is possible to make joint efforts while relying on digital technology. And more initiatives are using technology to contribute to a sustainable future of the planet.

1. What was Ant Forest given the award for?

A．It brings convenience to people’s lives.

B．It is run by the world’s leading payment platform.

C．It technically assists many people to protect ecology.

D．It has made the greatest contribution to global development.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．How Alipay makes profits.

B．How Ant Forest is carried out.

C．What a low-carbon life is like.

D．Why Alipay takes up the initiative.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．350 million people have planted real trees.

B．Promoting tourism can help save animals.

C．China keeps a balance between economy and ecology.

D．The expansion of green coverage mainly results from Ant Forest.

4. How does Ant Forest contribute to the sustainable future?

A．By criticizing natural disasters.

B．By stopping the global warming.

C．By providing a platform to make joint efforts.

D．By encouraging people to donate money to plant trees.

2 . Blue Planet II’s latest episode focuses on how plastic is having a disastrous effect on the ocean and slowly poisoning our sea creatures. Researchers recently also found that sea creatures living in the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, have plastic in their stomachs. Indeed, the oceans are drowning in plastic.

Though it seems now that the world couldn’t possibly function without plastics, consumer plastics are a remarkably recent invention. The first plastic bags were introduced in the 1950s;   the same decade that plastic packaging began gaining in popularity in the United States. This growth has happened so fast that science is still catching up with the change. Plastics pollution research, for instance, is still a very early science.

We put all these plastics into the environment and we still don’t really know what the outcomes are going to be. What we do know, though, is disturbing. Ocean plastic is estimated to kill millions of marine animals every year. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by it. One in three leatherback turtles, which often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, have been found with plastic in their bellies. Ninety percent of seabirds are now eating plastics on a regular basis. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 100 percent.

And it’s not just wildlife that is threatened by the plastics in our seas. Humans are consuming plastics through the seafood we eat. I could understand why some people see ocean plastic as a disaster, worth mentioning to the same degree as climate change. But ocean plastic is not as complicated as climate change. There are no ocean trash deniers (否认者), at least so far. To do something about it, we don’t have to remake our planet energy system.

This is not a problem where we don’t know what the solution is. We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to dispose (处理) of it. We know how to recycle. We can all start by thinking twice before we use single-use plastic products. Things that may seem ordinary, like using a reusable bottle or a reusable bag----when taken collectively, these choices really do make a difference.

1. Why is plastics pollution research still a very early science?

A．The plastics pollution research is too difficult.

B．Plastics have produced less pollution than coal.

C．The world couldn’t possibly function without plastics.

D．Plastics have gained in popularity too fast for science to catch up.

2. How did the author support his opinion in Paragraph 3?

A．By statistics.

B．By quotations from leading experts.

C．By using examples from his own experience.

D．By comparison and contrast.

3. What can we infer about climate change?

A．Climate change is caused by human activities.

B．Some people hold some doubts about climate change.

C．Climate change is less important than ocean pollution.

D．Ocean plastic is more complicated than climate change.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Ocean plastic is a global issue.

B．The oceans become choked with plastic.

C．Blue Planet II has left viewers heartbroken.

D．Plastics gain in popularity all over the world

3 . Not only does the use of plastic water bottles hurt your wallet, it also increases pollution and wastes energy and water. Only 23% of all plastic in America ends up in a recycling bin, meaning over $ 1 billion worth of plastic is treated as rubbish a year. Recently, Skipping Rocks Lab has invented a kind of water bottle called Ooho.

It is a convenient, clear water bottle that can either be drunken or eaten. To drink it, you can either peel off the membrane (薄膜) or tear a hole in the membrane with your teeth to pour the water into your mouth. To eat it, you simply put the whole bottle in your mouth. One problem the scientists have run into is how to ship large amounts of Ooho bubbles(水泡) without arriving with a very wet truck. However, they have attempted to package units of individual bubbles together inside a larger and thicker membrane. It is targeting large outdoor events, such as marathons, music festivals, and sporting events, where tons of plastic bottles are used, and frequently left behind as litter. And too much plastic is sure to do harm to the environment, which could account for their purpose of such a new invention.

The team has been working for the past two years to develop the technology and materials needed to produce Ooho; they have recently applied a patent for their new advancements. The price for an individual bubble or a unit of bubbles has not been set yet, but they cost about two cents to create a unit, which is cheaper than plastic bottles. It has appeared at events in London, San Francisco, Boston, at conferences, festivals, and so on.

Ooho is catching many people’s attention and has raised over $ 1 million and gained 1,000 investors in only three days. It is mostly being sold at events at the moment to keep the consumer’s interest while the production machine is getting up and running. It is quickly making a rise,so keep an eye out this year for these bottles of the future.

1. How is most plastic dealt with in America?

A．It’s sold.	B．It’s recycled.
C．It’s buried.	D．It’s wasted.

2. Why did the team invent Ooho?

A．To make a profit for a company.	B．To protect the environtnent.
C．To make people eat as they drink.	D．To reduce the cost of plastic bottle.

3. What can we infer about Ooho from the text?

A．It is easy and safe to ship it in large amounts.

B．It has become popular since it began to be sold.

C．It might be sold at a lower price than plastic bottles.

D．It cost the team a lot of money to develop the technology.

4. What does the author really want to say in the last paragraph?

A．Ooho is to be a success in the future.

B．Ooho is being supported by smart people.

C．Ooho is taking the place of plastic bottles now.

D．Ooho is being produced to attract more investors.

4 . At long last, Stefano Boeri Architects’ brilliant Bosco Verticale towers are finally completed. The “world’s first vertical forest” consists of a fantastic pair of costly towers that add nearly 2.5 acres of lush vegetation to the sky line of Milan, a city notorious (声名狼藉的) for its air pollution.     1     Like a pair of green lungs, its forested appearance of 21,000 plants will absorb CO₂, control noise pollution, lessen the urban heat island effect, and create oxygen and favorable micro-climates.

The Bosco Verticale mixed-use towers are constructed with a $2.5 billion public-private investment as part of the re-development of Milan’s Porta Nuova district. The towers, measuring 260 feet and 367 feet, house 800 trees between 9 and 30 feet tall, over 4,000 shrubs (灌木) and 15,000 ground cover plants. Bosco Verticale is created with LEED Gold Certification (绿色建筑黄金认证) in mind.     2    

The buildings shrub have welcomed their first residents.     3     A fast-growing bird population has already begun to nest in Bosco Verticale’s rich leaves, of which over a hundred different species of trees and shrubs are represented.     4    

The superstructure is also selected for the world famous International Highrise Building Award as one of the five most beautiful and original high-rises in the world that is completed.     5    

A．“We take great pride in this project, which may earn us an award” says Boeri.

B．Boeri is currently in China, where he plans to build another Bosco Verticale project.

C．It is also equipped with a gray water recycling and irrigation system.

D．However, Bosco Verticale will be more than just a beautiful sight to enjoy.

E．“The real key to this project is biodiversity,” says Boeri.

F．It is also well received by the Chinese experts in the field.

G．But those families aren’t the only ones to call the vertical forest home.

5 . Do you ever wonder why trees begin to bud (发芽) earlier in some cities? Scientists finally found the answer but it’s not very pleasant. New science suggests a relationship between light pollution and the timing when trees produce buds, which signals the arrival of the spring season.

Light pollution is defined by the Lighting Research Center as the unwanted consequence of outdoor lighting such as street lights. Excessive (过多的) man-made light at night results in disturbed natural cycles, and also prevents the observation of stars and planets at night. But its effect on the environment goes beyond that.

By studying some trees, researchers found out that trees that are more exposed to artificial lighting at night bud up to 7.5 days earlier than those at the natural nighttime setting. And they found out that light had a more significant effect than temperature when the buds came out. The early budding may cause problems for insects, which feed on leaves, and the birds which then feed on them in turn. Professor Richard, who helped lead the research, explained that more than the budding of trees, the study implies the danger to the balance of the ecosystem. “At the moment, caterpillars (毛毛虫) are timed to hatch to make the most of the opportunities to feed on freshly budded leaves, and birds hatch in time to feed on the young caterpillar,” he said.

Migratory (迁徙的) birds are also negatively affected by light pollution. The glare might confuse them and make them lose their flying sense. The phenomenon might explain why some birds accidentally knock into buildings.

Such results stress the need to pursue studies that aim to measure the effect of light pollution. If the issue were left to continue, it is estimated that by 2100, spring would begin almost a full month earlier than it does today.

1. What will happen if there is too much man-made light?

A．People’s eyesight will be damaged.

B．The ecosystem will likely lose its balance.

C．No stars or planets may be observed at night.

D．Animals’ living habits may change suddenly.

2. How does the early budding affect insects or plants?

A．It will cause the rising number of insects.

B．It could lead to trees growing fewer leaves.

C．It may result in some insects going hungry.

D．It might push insects to hatch more slowly.

3. What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．The effect of light pollution is destructive.

B．The spring of 2100 will become much longer.

C．Light pollution should be taken seriously.

D．A further study on light pollution is scheduled.

4. What is the suitable title for the passage?

A．Why spring comes earlier in some cities

B．Why light pollution needs to be studied

C．How trees’ early budding takes place

D．How much light is “too much”