1 . A handful of healthy soil could contain great numbers of living organisms. However, poisonous pesticides (杀虫剂) are causing harm and destruction to them, according to a recent analysis.
For the analysis, researchers looked through nearly 400 published studies including over 2,800 experiments on how pesticides affect soil organisms. They found that pesticides harmed organisms critical to maintaining healthy soils, but these harms have never been considered in the safety reviews of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).Poisonous pesticides are driving factors in the sharp decline of many soil organisms, such as ground beetles. They have been identified as the most significant driver of soil biodiversity loss in the last ten years.
However, that research has always been ignored. The EPA, which is responsible for pesticide supervision(监管)in the country, openly acknowledges that somewhere between 50 and 100 percent of all agriculturally applied pesticides end up on the soil. Yet, to assess pesticides’ harms to soil species, the agency just uses a single test species, the European honeybee, to estimate risk to all soil organisms. It spends its entire life above ground in artificial boxes.
Worse still, as soil health gain popularity globally, pesticide companies have jumped up to green wash and promote their products. Every major company is now advertising its role in improving soil health, such as advocating planting cover crops. As general beliefs, these practices are indeed good for soil health and, if adopted responsibly, are a great step to take. But companies know that these practices are often accompanied by increased pesticide use. Chemicals and pesticides have to be applied more frequently to kill weeds before crops are planted.
The long-term environmental cost can no longer be overlooked. Soils are some of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, containing nearly a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity. Protecting them should be a priority, not an afterthought.
1. What does the underlined word “They” refer to in Paragraph 2?| A．Soil organisms. | B．Ground beetles. |
| C．Artificial boxes. | D．Poisonous pesticides. |
| A．The honeybee is a typical species living in nature. |
| B．The assessment of pesticides’ harms is one-sided. |
| C．Less than half of applied pesticide go to the soil eventually. |
| D．The EPA attaches great importance to pesticide inspection. |
| A．To obey the EPA’s rules. |
| B．To increase their product sales. |
| C．To protect the environment. |
| D．To shoulder their social responsibility. |
| A．Soil: essential to agriculture. |
| B．Pesticides: harmful to soil health. |
| C．Organisms: significant to harvest. |
| D．Pollution: destructive to biodiversity. |
1. 全球变暖的负面影响（海平面上升、疾病的传播、物种灭绝等；）
2. 如何从我做起减缓全球变暖。例如：乘坐公共交通工具出行、节约用水、避免使用一次性产品等。
注意:1. 词数100左右；（可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯）
参考词汇：全球变暖global warming; 低碳生活low-carbon life；
物种灭绝the extinction of species；公共交通public transportation；
一次性的disposable； 二氧化碳排放the emission of carbon dioxide
Dear teachers and fellow students,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
the Students’ Union
3 . The last complete ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic has collapsed(倒塌).The Milne Ice Shelf is
Above normal air temperatures,offshore winds and open water in front of the shelf are all parts of the
＂It was only a
| A．at the edge of | B．in front of | C．at the back of | D．at the end of |
| A．rather than | B．less than | C．other than | D．more than |
| A．situations | B．conditions | C．elements | D．problems |
| A．combines | B．covers | C．evaluates | D．obtains |
| A．seriously | B．especially | C．naturally | D．nearly |
| A．down | B．below | C．up | D．above |
| A．reduced | B．broken | C．threatened | D．brought |
| A．which | B．that | C．where | D．whose |
| A．uncovered | B．discovered | C．predicted | D．spotted |
| A．program | B．progress | C．project | D．process |
| A．question | B．thing | C．matter | D．concept |
| A．possibly | B．likely | C．probably | D．surely |
| A．simplified | B．launched | C．confirmed | D．accompanied |
| A．research | B．search | C．culture | D．business |
| A．dreams | B．ideas | C．attitudes | D．memories |
4 . On numerous drives with my mom through my childhood, she would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle from danger while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.
Though Mother's Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related to each other. My mom has been ''green'' since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift(节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and reuses her plastic bags.
Mom creates a kind of harmonious relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to avoid the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders out at night, it is likely that they will be knocked down by a family of raccoons(浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house and are caught in juice glasses will be set loose in the garden.
I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for dandelions(蒲公英)to fly in the wind; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn't need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came mercy and an instinct(直觉)for protection.
I am slowing down and it isn't because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is just out of my concern for the planet itself. I've begun to save glass jars and reuse packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other in the trees above my house.
Last summer, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I enjoyed my tomatoes while sitting on my low wall. I immediately wanted to share with my mom.
1. Why does the author say Earth Day is connected with Mother's Day?| A．Because Mother's Day falls shortly after Earth Day. |
| B．To stress that all the older women are environmentalists. |
| C．To stress how much her mother cares about the environment. |
| D．Because her mother asks her to be kind to nature on Mother’s Day. |
| A．Picking dandelions on busy streets. | B．Rescuing a beetle from some danger. |
| C．Setting a caught spider free in the garden. | D．Saving glass jars and empty cheese containers. |
| A．the author's mother is very impatient with her children |
| B．The author's mother knows how to live in harmony with nature |
| C．the author's mother knows how to keep the wildlife off her yard |
| D．the author's mother used to lecture her to protect the environment |
| A．doubtful—critical—positive | B．approving—doubtful—negative |
| C．understanding—critical—approving | D．negative—understanding—approving |
5 . Man has
Man destroys nature by polluting the air. That’s probably the greatest danger
Biologists have
The deer multiplied(繁殖) until there were as many as 40,000 on the island. They destroyed
| A．lovely | B．strange | C．many | D．much |
| A．harms | B．breaks | C．injury | D．destroys |
| A．stems | B．branches | C．leaves | D．flowers |
| A．what | B．how | C．why | D．when |
| A．still | B．ever | C．even | D．quite |
| A．which | B．that | C．what | D．how |
| A．years | B．meetings | C．parties | D．holidays |
| A．to | B．of | C．about | D．for |
| A．waters | B．smells | C．gases | D．whistles |
| A．effects on | B．efforts for | C．reasons for | D．causes of |
| A．poor | B．weak | C．strong | D．ill |
| A．studied | B．developed | C．invented | D．discovered |
| A．valuable | B．need | C．necessary | D．helped |
| A．consider | B．think it | C．regard | D．sound |
| A．field | B．land | C．mountain | D．island |
| A．left | B．got | C．reached to | D．arrived in |
| A．a whole | B．most | C．more | D．more much |
| A．plants | B．rice | C．vegetation | D．food |
| A．Nobody | B．Anybody | C．Somebody | D．Everybody |
| A．got | B．went | C．arrive | D．did |
6 . Throughout Europe golf has been popular for many years. A recent report says that in Great Britain alone, 700 new golf courses (球场) will have to be built over the next ten years to satisfy people’s demand.
This is all good news for golf lovers, but it worries those who want to protect the environment. Their argument is that the new courses are disturbing the balance of nature. Woods, ponds and fields are being dug up to make way for the courses. The birds and animals that used to live there are being killed or forced to leave. The amount of water that a club uses to keep its course in good condition is reducing the amount of water available for industrial and other uses. The chemicals used to control insects are sinking into the underground water.
There may be some truth in this, but it is not the whole truth. The days are long past when building of any kind was allowed in beautiful places with no thought for the environment. Planning permission, nowadays, is as strict for golf courses as it is for any other type of development. Before any such project is given the go-ahead, many factors are studied. It is only when it is clear that no harm will be done to the area that the builders are allowed to move in.
A strong case can even be made that golf courses are actually good for the areas where they are built. Courses are built in areas which are not areas of natural beauty. The new courses often make the area livelier. To make holes more difficult, trees are planted and lakes are filled in around greens. Not surprisingly perhaps, it is not unusual to find that, within months of a course being completed, a whole variety of animals and birds have moved in.
Obviously, careful thought has to go into the design of the new courses. As few changes as possible should be made to the natural environment. The wild-life and woods should also be protected. But this can be, and is being, done. There is no reason why golfers and nature cannot live peacefully together.
1. What is TRUE about building a new golf course nowadays?| A．It takes up too much land. |
| B．A lot of trees have to be cut down. |
| C．It is easy to get planning taken into consideration. |
| D．Many things will be taken into consideration. |
| A．That a whole variety of animals and birds have moved in the courses is uncommon. |
| B．Only when it is clear that no harm will be done to the area, are the builders allowed to move in. |
| C．Golf courses could make local areas look beautiful. |
| D．Golf courses’ construction wastes too much water and money. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In their book Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, Robert and Brenda Vale say keeping a medium sized dog has the same ecological impact as driving 10,000 km a year in a 4.6 liter Land Cruiser.
“We’re not actually saying it is time to eat the dog. We’ re just saying that we need to think about and know the ecological impact of some of the things we do and that we take for granted.”
Constructing and driving the jeep for a year requires 0.41 hectares of land, while growing and manufacturing a dog’s food takes about 0.84 hectares — or 1.1 hectares in the case of a large dog such as a German shepherd.
Convincing flesh eating cats and dogs to go vegetarian for the sake of the planet is a non starter, the Vales say. Instead they recommend keeping “greener”, smaller, and more sustainable pets, such as goldfish, chickens or rabbits.
The book’s playful title, and serious suggestion that pet animals may be usefully “recycled”, by being eaten by their owners or turned into pet food when they die, may not appeal to animal fans.
Annoying as the idea may be, the question is valid given the planet’s growing population and limited resources, Robert Vale said.
“Issues about sustainability are increasingly becoming things that are going to require us to make choices which are as difficult as eating your dog. It’s not just about changing your light bulbs or taking a cloth bag to the supermarket,” he said.
“It’s about much more challenging and difficult issues,” he added. “Once you see where cats and dogs fit in your overall balance of things, you might decide to have the cat but not also to have the two cars and the three bathrooms and be a meat eater yourself.”
1. The authors gave their book the playful title to________.
| A．make it amusing | B．create a vivid image |
| C．show writing skills | D．arouse people’ s concern |
| A．the amount of consumed land | B．the neglected ecological impact |
| C．some familiar examples | D．some actual figures |
| A．Going vegetarian. | B．Raising cats and dogs. |
| C．Using a cloth bag. | D．Keeping a greener life. |
| A．Manufacturers. | B．Drivers. | C．Animal fans. | D．The authorities. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Inspiring. | C．Inviting. | D．Touching. |
8 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
9 . A smartphone program is helping scientists learn about changes taking place in nature. More than 100,000 citizen-scientists around the world are taking pictures of many kinds of plants and animals using a program called iNaturalist. The program gives researchers much information about where plants and animals live, and how a growing human population is changing plant and animal life.
In Arlington, Virginia, naturalists are making a record of the plants and animals that live in the heavily populated area.
Alonso Abugattas is the local government’s natural resources manager. He works to protect and improve Arlington’s natural spaces. The group is using the iNaturalist smartphone program to record its observations. Then iNaturalist users throughout the world can look at the images and try to help recognize them. The program records where and when the picture was taken. This lets experts like Abugattas and others create maps that show where plants and animals are living, and how that changes because of development and climate change. That is important in Arlington and around the world.
Scott Loarie is co-director of iNaturalist. He said species are dying at a faster speed than ever, and the mix of life on Earth is threatened. “And we’ve only begun to understand exactly how those ecosystems contribute to our food system, or human health—all these things that we depend on.”
Loarie says iNaturalist lets citizen-scientists help professional (专业的) scientists gather data of the wild plants and animals in the world. More than 100,000 iNaturalist observers on all seven continents have made more than four-and-a-half million observations. The information has been used in studies of other animals.
Alonso Abugattas says the group in Arlington recorded more than 450 kinds of animals and plants. “If you just open up your eyes to the natural world, you’d be amazed at what’s out there.”
1. Which of the following is the function of the iNaturalist smartphone program?| A．Creating maps to show climate change. |
| B．Reminding experts to make out the photos. |
| C．Marking the time and places of the photos. |
| D．Writing down the names of species in the photos. |
| A．The goal of iNaturalist. |
| B．The regret for dying species. |
| C．The importance of scientists. |
| D．The value of species to humans. |
| A．It calls on people in the world to change nature. |
| B．It directly helps professional scientists to gather data. |
| C．It gets wildlife information and data from all over the world. |
| D．It lets professional scientists pay attention to humans’ behaviors. |
| A．Two Heads Are Better Than One |
| B．A Cheap Way to Study Plants and Animals |
| C．Measures Are Being Taken to Protect Plants and Animals |
| D．Naturalists Use a Smartphone Programme to Take Photos of Wildlife |
10 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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” |
