1 . 语法填空

Can We Eat Meat Without Damaging the Environment?

“I’ve eaten meat my whole life, but the more I learn about our planet, the more I question how we treat it,” says Liz Bonnin at the start of the BBC documentary Meat: A Threat To Our Planet?.

“Unless we do things very differently,” says Liz, “the impact the meat industry has    1    our environment is only going to get worse.    2    demand increases, so do greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. This leads to a very obvious question: should we just stop eating meat?” This question is often asked, and we can’t just use “yes” or “no” to answer it. I’d like to share with you my ideas on    3    to eat meat with the least environmental damage.

Eat grass-fed meat

We actually need to eat more grass-fed meat, mainly beef and lamb. University of Oxford Professor Myles Allen has recalculated the amount of CH₄ emissions from ruminants(反刍动物). The inference from this new research is that we don’t have to stop    4    （eat）grass-fed cattle or sheep. Instead of demonizing(妖魔化)them, we need to differentiate between the animals that are part of the problem --- namely intensively produced(集中生产的)poultry, pork and dairy products, and    5    that are part of the solution --- namely grass-fed ruminants. At the root of the climate change problem is our fossil fuel(化石燃料)consumption, this is where we need to take    6    （urgent紧急的,急迫的）action.

Consider    7    your meat comes from

There are responsible ways of eating meat. You can begin with knowing the farm your animal came from and what kind of life the animal    8    （lead）.The EU’s organic standard for livestock(牲畜), for instance, requires that a farm hold no more than two cows per hectare of land. In the UK, there is labeling available too,    9    will tell you if a meat’s been pasture-raised(牧场放养).

It’s important to ensure pastures are well-managed and not over-grazed(过度放牧). It’s almost possible to eat meat and be environmentally and socially conscious,    10    what we can do at least is to try not to buy meat that is mass-produced.

2 . The January fashion show, called Future Fashion, exemplified how far green design has come. Organized by the New York-based nonprofit Earth Pledge, the show inspired many top designers to work with sustainable fabrics for the first time. Several have since made pledges to include organic fabrics in their lines.

The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges. Scott Hahn, a cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate, which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality sustainable materials can still be tough to find. “Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren’t comparable materials that can just replace what you’re doing and what your customers are used to,” he says. For example, organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once woven into a dress. But some popular synthetics, like stretch nylon, still have few eco-friendly equivalents.

Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support. Last year the influential trade show Designers & Agents stopped charging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs who attend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25% sustainable. It now counts more than 50 green designers, up from fewer than a dozen two years ago. This week Wal-Mart is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic: it will buy transitional cotton at higher prices, thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material. “Main-stream is about to occur,” says Hahn.

Some analysts are less sure. Among consumers, only 18% are even aware that eco-fashion exists, up from 6% four years ago. Natalie Hormilla, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconverted consumer. When asked if she owned any sustainable clothes, she replied, “Not that I’m aware of.” Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and when she does, she’s on the hunt for “cute stuff that isn’t too expensive.” By her own admission, green just isn’t yet on her mind. But thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers—one day it will be.

1. What is said about Future Fashion?

A．It inspired leading designers to start going green.

B．It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far.

C．It served as an example of how fashion shows should be organized.

D．It convinced the public that fashionable clothes should be made durable.

2. According to Scott Hahn, one big challenge to designers who will go organic is that ________.

A．much more time is needed to finish a dress using sustainable materials

B．they have to create new brands for clothes made of organic materials

C．customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organic materials

D．quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readily available

3. We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake green fashion ________.

A．can attend various trade shows for free

B．are readily recognized by the fashion world

C．can buy organic cotton at favorable prices

D．are gaining more and more support

4. What is Natalie Hormilla’s attitude toward eco-fashion?

A．She doesn’t seem to care about it.

B．She doesn’t think it is sustainable.

C．She is doubtful of its practical value.

D．She is opposed to the idea very much.

3 . There’s more fresh water hidden below Earth’s surface in underground aquifers (含水层) than any other source besides the ice sheets. That groundwater earns an unshakably important place for rivers worldwide, keeping them running even when droughts bring their waters low.

But in recent decades humans have pumped trillions of gallons out of those underground reservoirs. In a new research, water experts and scientists are taking a global look at where groundwater is already being extracted at such a rate that it has caused water levels to drop so much in rivers and streams that they will slip into the ecological danger zone.

Much of that water is being removed much faster than it can be refilled. That has enormous potential consequences for people and crops in areas that don’t get enough rain. But far before those impacts emerge, the effects will fiercely hit rivers, streams, and the habitats around them. Hundreds of rivers and streams around the world would become so water-stressed that the entire ecological system would hit a danger point, says Inge de Graaf, the lead author of the research. “We can really consider this ecological effect like a ticking time bomb,” she says. “If we pump the groundwater now, we don’t see the impacts until like 10 years further or even longer.”

But the severity of the impacts might still be underestimated. As a baseline, they used the global water demand in 2010 and spun their climate model forward to predict how stresses on groundwater systems might develop. But as populations swell and the demand for food rises, those stresses could skyrocket for reasons other than climate change, speeding along the extraction from underground water sources.

The effects of over-pumping groundwater take years, if not decades, to become visible. Changes in rain have immediate, obvious effects on river flow. When it pours, rivers often rage. But groundwater is hidden and changes don’t always manifest in the place where the pumping occurs and are programmed to “wait for the perfect moment”. That makes aquifer management issues extra challenging. In the meantime, rivers and streams are the signal that says we’re using water in an unsustainable fashion, we need to take a hard look at what we’re doing.”.

1. The underground water is of critical importance to rivers due to the fact that ________.

A．it helps to maintain the same water level of rivers

B．it stops the running of rivers during dry spells

C．it leaves rivers drying out due to droughts

D．it ensures the flow of rivers throughout the year

2. The phrase “slip into the ecological danger zone” (in the second paragraph) suggests that ________.

A．it is thrilling to explore the ecological danger zone

B．pumping underground water is convenient though dangerous

C．the underground water level has dropped to an alarming level

D．the constant drop of water level prevents people feeling secure

3. Why does the author say “the severity of the impacts might still be underestimated” (in the fourth paragraph)?

A．Because the water demand data in 2010 was not accurate.

B．Because the water demand has soared ever since 2010.

C．Because the water demand was not stressful in 2010.

D．Because the water demand prediction didn’t consider climate change.

4. Over-pumping groundwater doesn’t show immediate effect because _________.

A．the changes are waiting for a heavy rain

B．underground water is used sustainably

C．the changes take longer to come to light

D．underground water is inexhaustible

4 . Directions: Complete the following passages by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Sustainable fashion, also called eco fashion, is part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability, the goal of which is to create a system which can be supported indefinitely in     1     of environmentalism and social responsibility. Sustainable fashion is part of the large     2     of sustainable design where a product is created and produced with consideration to the environmental and social impact it may have throughout its total lifespan, including its “carbon footprint”. Fashion designers are now re-introducing eco-conscious methods at source through the use of environmentally friendly materials and     3     responsible methods of production.

There are some organizations     4     on increasing opportunities for sustainable designers. The National Association of Sustainable fashion Designers is one of those organizations. Its purpose is to assist entrepreneurs with growing fashion-related businesses that create social change and respect the environment. Sustainable designers provide specialized triple bottom line education, training, and     5     to tools and industry resources that advance creative,     6     and high impact businesses. The organization’s mission is to create social change through design and fashion-related businesses by providing education, training and programs that are transformative to the industry and to     7     cooperation, sustainability and economic growth.

According to Earth Pledge, a non-profit organization (NPO), nothing can better     8     the necessity of supporting sustainable fashion than the fact that at least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles and 25% of the world’s pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton. This is     9     to cause irreversible damage to people and the environment and is in a sense linked to the     10     of certain species.

5 . Directions: Read the passage carefully. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Acid rain is now a familiar problem in the industrialized countries in Europe. Harmful gases like Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are produced by power stations and cars.     1    

Acid rain is also capable of dissolving some rocks and buildings made of soft rock, such as limestone, are particularly badly affected. The acid rain attacks the rock, and so carvings and statues are worn away more quickly.

    2    According to a report in the Scientist, acid rain is being blamed for the rapid decay of ancient ruins Mexico. The old limestone buildings in places like Chichen Itza, Tulum and Palenque are wearing away very quickly indeed. These sites are the remains of the buildings built by the Mayas between 250 BC and AD900, and the spectacular ruins of civilization are visited by thousands of tourists every year.

The acid rain is said to be caused by pollution from oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Car exhaust gases are also a problem. Local volcanic eruption make the problem even worse. Nevertheless, with enough money and effort, researchers say that many of the problems could be solved and the rate of dissolving reduced.     3    
Mexico’s current lack of funds is also partly due to oil. The country has rich oil field and a few years ago, when oil was expensive, Mexico was selling large quantities of oil to the USA and earning a lot of money. The government was therefore able to borrow huge sums of money from banks around the world, thinking they would have no problem repaying their debts. However, the price of oil then dropped, and Mexico has been left owing enormous sums of money and with not enough income from oil sales to pay back the loans.     4    

A．However, the Mexican government does not have enough money to do the work, and needs to spend what money it has on the Mexican people.

B．That is enough to have caused some of the ancient carvings to become seriously damaged already.

C．So unless the price of rises, it is unlikely that Mexican will be able to afford to clean up the pollution and save its Mayan ruins from destruction.

D．These measures would reduce the pollution, but would not stop it completely.

E．The problem, however, is not a European one.

F．They dissolve in rainwater and this makes acid rain, which damages trees, rivers and streams.

6 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. alarming       B. properties     C. revealed     D. invasive       E. rescue     F. instrumental G. households   H. document     I. concerned     J. amateur       K. initiatives

Before science became professionalized in the 19th century,     1     naturalists were collecting information and helping us understand the natural world. A 2009 study found that nearly 50% of UK     2     feed wild birds. The National Trust has more than 5 million members, and 60,000 active volunteers helping to protect the countryside as well as historic     3    . Now, with our environment arguably under greater threat than ever and species declining at a(n)     4     rate, volunteers are once again at the forefront of efforts to limit the damage.

Volunteers and enthusiasts can be powerful drivers for big changes. On the Isle of Man, more than 8,000 people (nearly 10% of the population) are involved in regular weekend beach cleans. At one recent event, 123 volunteers turned up and removed 183 bags of litter in just a couple of hours. Thanks to     5     such as this, the island shares Unesco biosphere reserve status with the Galápagos, Yellowstone in the US, Uluru in Australia, and hundreds of other sites.

Recreational divers are making a real difference underwater too. They monitor the spread of     6     species, and record how native species respond. Divers also     7     levels of marine litter and other human impacts. Volunteer divers have played an important role in collecting information about marine conservation zones. Volunteers have also made a vital contribution to the conservation of basking sharks. The work of a citizen science Basking Shark Project in the 1980s and 90s was     8     in getting these sharks on the protected species list in the UK, while satellite tagging     9     the first recorded transatlantic crossing by a basking shark.

Volunteers and enthusiasts can be powerful drivers for big changes. No one can know better, or care more about, our most special places than the people who live in them and give up their free time to look after them. As a group of divers and     10     residents who lived on the shores of the bay, they took their campaign on to national and international stages and continue to inspire people who might otherwise feel powerless when faced with threats to the places that matter to them.

7 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

World leaders get some face-to-face time at the U.N. climate summit

Sometimes in diplomacy, the sideline(副业) is where all the action is. That was the case at the     1     of the Paris climate summit on Nov. 30, where nearly 150 world leaders met in one of the largest such     2     in history. They were ostensibly(表面的) there to talk about   global   warming,   but   with   Paris   less   than   three   weeks   removed   from   a     3     terrorists attack and the Middle East in chaos, presidents and prime ministers took the opportunity to discuss global security     4     just offstage of the summit. So president Obama sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about the     5     in Syria and Ukraine, and with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the possibility of broader anti-terrorism     6    . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinan Authority President Mahmoud Abbas----sharply at     7     this year even found time to exchange a rare handshake at the summit.

The threat of terrorism     8     the sideline discussions----so much so that some critics asked why it wasn’t the main event. But climate change and terrorism are part of the same threat. National security experts have warned for years that climate change     9     to the social instability that in turn feeds extremist groups like ISIS. Before leaving Paris, Obama made the same point: “This one     10    , climate change, affects all trends.” And it will only be stopped by global action.

8 . Living in an urban area with green spaces has a long-lasting positive impact on people’s mental well-being, a study has suggested. UK researchers found moving to a green space had a sustained positive effect, unlike pay rises or promotions, which only provided a short-term boost.

Co-author Mathew White, from the University of Exeter, UK, explained that the study showed people living in greener urban areas were displaying fewer signs of depression or anxiety. “There could be a number of reason,” he said, “for example, people do many things to make themselves happier: they strive of promotion or pay rises, or they get married. But the trouble with those thins is that with those things is that within six months to a year, people are back to their original baseline levels of well-being. So, these things are not sustainable; they don’t make us happy in the long term. We found that for some lottery winners who had won more than ￡500,000 the positive effect was definitely there, but after six months to a year, they were back to the baseline.”

Dr. White said his team wanted to see whether living in greener urban areas had a lasting positive effect on people’s sense of well-being or whether the effect also disappeared after a period of time. To do this, the team used data from the British Household Panel Survey compiled by the University of Essex.

Explaining what the data revealed, he said: “What you see is that even after three years, mental health is still better, which is unlike many other things that we think will make us happy.” He observed that people living in green spaces were less stressed, and less stressed people made more sensible decisions and communicated better.

With a growing body of evidence establishing a link between urban green spaces and a positive impact on human well-being, Dr. White said, “There’s growing interest among public policy officials, but the trouble is who funds it. What we really need at a policy level is to decide where the money will come from to help support good quality local green spaces.”

1. According to one study, what do green spaces do to people?

A．Improve their work efficiency.

B．Add to their sustained happiness.

C．Help them build a positive attitude towards life.

D．Lessen their concerns about material well-being.

2. What does Dr. White try to find out about living in a greener urban area?

A．How it affects different people.

B．How strong its positive effect is.

C．How long its positive effect lasts.

D．How it benefits people physically.

3. What did Dr. White’s research reveal about people living in a green environment?

A．Their stress was more apparent than real.

B．Their decisions required less deliberation.

C．Their memories were greatly strengthened.

D．Their communication with others improved.

4. According to Dr. White, what should the government do to build more green spaces in cities?

A．Find financial support.

B．Improve urban planning.

C．Involve local residents in the effort.

D．Raise public awareness of the issue.

9 . Escaping predators (食肉动物), digestion and other animal activities—including those of humans—require oxygen. But that essential ingredient is no longer so easy for marine life to obtain, several new studies reveal.

In the past decade ocean oxygen levels have taken a dive—an alarming trend that is linked to climate change, says Andreas Oschlies, an oceanographer at the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Germany, whose team tracks ocean oxygen levels worldwide. “We were surprised by the intensity of the changes we saw, how rapidly oxygen is going down in the ocean and how large the effects on marine ecosystems are,” he says. It is no surprise to scientists that warming oceans are losing oxygen, but the scale of the drop calls for urgent attention. Oxygen levels in some tropical (热带的) regions have dropped by an astonishing 40 percent in the last 50 years, some recent studies reveal. Levels have dropped less significantly elsewhere, with an average loss of 2 percent globally.

A warming ocean loses oxygen for two reasons: First, the warmer a liquid becomes, the less gas it can hold. That is why carbonated drinks go flat faster when left in the sun. Second, as polar sea ice melts, it forms a layer of water above colder, more salty sea waters. This process creates a sort of lid that can keep currents from mixing surface water down to deeper depths. And because all oxygen enters the surface, less mixing means less of it at depth.

Ocean animals large and small, however, respond to even slight changes in oxygen by seeking refuge in higher oxygen zones or by adjusting behavior, Oschlies and others in his field have found. These adjustments can expose animals to new predators or force them into food-scarce regions. Climate change already poses serious problems for marine life, such as ocean acidification, but deoxygenation is the most pressing issue facing sea animals today, Oschlies says. After all, he says, “they all have to breathe.”

Aside from food web problems, animals face various other physiological challenges as their bodies adjust to lower oxygen levels. Chinese shrimp (虾) move their tails less vigorously to preserve energy in lower oxygen environments. Some creatures, such as jellyfishes, are more tolerant of low oxygen than others are. But all animals will feel the impact of deoxygenation because they all have evolved their oxygen capacity for a reason, says Oschlies. “Any drop in oxygen is going to damage survivability and performance,” he says.

1. According to the first two paragraphs, what worries scientists the most?

A．The worsening deoxygenation in the warming ocean.

B．The survival of predators and various marine animals.

C．The alarmingly changeable oxygen levels in the ocean.

D．The lack of attention to the warming of tropical oceans.

2. Which of the following is a reason for the oxygen loss in the ocean?

A．Polar ice melting consumes much oxygen in the ocean.

B．Global warming reduces the amount of oxygen in the air.

C．The surface polar ice water prevents oxygen going down.

D．Salty water holds less gas in the increasingly warmer ocean.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Ocean deoxygenation changes some animals’ natural territories.

B．Ocean acidification is more serious a problem than deoxygenation.

C．Not all ocean animals are bothered by the decreasing oxygen levels.

D．Some animals reduce their movements in order to absorb more oxygen.

4. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．The Oxygen Levels of Marine Life	B．Ocean Warming Affects Food Web
C．The Survivability of Ocean Animals	D．The Ocean Is Running Out of Breath