1 . The number of fish caught just outside a recently expanded marine (海洋) protected area in Hawaii has risen. It is a sign that quadrupling (四倍) the size of the reserve in 2016 may have shored fish populations in the region.
When the Marine National Monument around Hawaii was enlarged to 1,510,000 square kilometers, marine conservationists around the world rejoiced.
Fishers may have felt differently, however, as fishing inside the area is not allowed. Yet by creating a space for dwindling tuna populations to recover, supporters argued, the reserve would benefit fisheries as well.
As populations inside the reserve boundaries steadily increased, they predicted, the fish would spill (溢出) over into the surrounding areas, increasing the amount of tuna available to catch.
Proving that is tricky, however, as tuna can’t be counted directly. Their numbers may rise or fall for a variety of reasons other than the expansion of a reserve. But the new study, published in Science this week, strongly suggests the number of fish caught just outside the MPA is higher now than it used to be.
Alan Friedlander, chief scientist for the National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas project, calls the study a “very careful and strict test of spillover from marine protected areas.”
Importantly, says John Lynham, an environmental economist at the University of Hawaii and one of the study’s authors, the increase in tuna catches near the reserve held up even when looking at the average numbers caught by particular fishers. This shows the effect is not due to more effective crews now fishing local waters, he explains. To account for effort, catch numbers were divided by the ever-increasing number of fishing hooks in the area.
Lynham and colleagues found the catch per hook increased over the 10 years of the study. Fishers were catching on average six more yellowfin and five more bigeye tuna per year after the expansion than before.
“That last one, especially, was a surprise,” says Lynham, “because it is economically much more important, and there were fewer indications of an increase.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The rising number of fish caught is a sign of a well-reserved area. |
| B．Enlarge the size of reserve may contribute to the increasing of fish population. |
| C．The number of fish caught has risen to quadrupling (四倍) the size of that in 2016. |
| D．Fish catching outside the reserve does good to the expanded marine protected area. |
| A．They felt joyful. | B．They felt different. | C．They felt unpleasant. | D．They felt excited. |
| A．By figuring the average catch per hook in the area. |
| B．By summing up the catch of mare effective crews. |
| C．By looking at the numbers caught by particular fishers. |
| D．By detecting the number of tuna population in the surrounding area. |
| A．Tuna population embraces a boost | B．Marine Protected Areas Help Fisheries |
| C．Local fisheries hold a promising future | D．Tuna population can be counted scientifically |
2 . Commercial aviation (航空) alone contributes around three percent of total global carbon emissions (排放). But the industry is actively looking for green solutions in the form of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In a study released this week, a team of researchers from the U. S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) details a method of transforming food waste into SAF that can be used in existing engines. Making SAF is a more complicated process—it’s got to be very similar to the petrol-based aviation fuel we use today in commercial flights.
The researchers use volatile fatty acids (挥发性脂肪酸)(VFAs) from smelly food waste and transform it into simple paraffin molecules (石蜡分子) that can be used in fuel and really aren’t all that chemically different from traditional emissions-heavy fuels. There are other renewable biofuels that have been made from biomass (生物质), specifically oil and fat from vegetables and animals, but using the ever-mounting pile of food waste to fuel flights broadens those possibilities.
Derek Vardon, a senior research engineer at NREL, says major companies are eager to get involved in SAF because some sustainable solutions, such as battery-operated commercial flights, just aren’t possible yet with current battery technology. A battery-powered plane would be too heavy to fly long distances—“So using SAF that works in the same way as the fuel we have is a simpler way to trade out traditional emissions-heavy fuels.” Vardon also says that “because the wet waste would normally go to a landfill and break down to release greenhouse gases, the process of making and using SAF could actually have a negative carbon footprint when it is dramatically used.”
A major question as the researchers move forward with this type of research is if it is possible to run an airplane engine on fully renewable biofuel. Rolls-Royce recently did a test on one of their engines with 100 percent SAF and it worked. “This fuel is not crazy and we can solve these problems,” Vardon says.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about SAF?| A．It can be used to reduce carbon emissions globally. |
| B．It’s less functional than the petrol-based aviation fuel. |
| C．It’s composed of VFAs and simple paraffin molecules. |
| D．It is virtually impossible to be made from biomass like oil and fat. |
| A．The benefits of food rubbish-generated SAF. | B．The environmental impacts of the wet waste. |
| C．The simple process of making and using SAF. | D．The future of battery-operated commercial flights. |
| A．To promote its production. | B．To confirm the potential of SAF. |
| C．To show off its powerful airplane engines. | D．To express doubt about the research. |
| A．Natural emergence of renewable biofuels | B．Green alternative to emissions-heavy fuels |
| C．Unavoidable decline of commercial aviation | D．Gradual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions |
3 . The Lifecycle of a T-shirt
We all probably have a lot of T-shirts, but do you ever stop and think about the influence of a T-shirt on the planet? You’d probably be surprised to learn what's involved in the lifecycle of just one T-shirt.
There are 5 major stages: material, production, shipping, use and disposal The material stage involves farming, irrigating, fertilizing, harvesting and ginning（轧花）. While cotton is a natural fiber (纤维）and not as harmful to the environment as manmade fibers, it still takes a toll in the material and production stages. Commercial cotton farming uses a large amount of water, and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂）is widespread across the globe, especially in cotton farming. Studies have shown that farmers spend around $4.1 billion on pesticides annually, of which 25% was spent on cotton crops in the US.
Once the cotton is grown and harvested, so begins the production stage: spinning, knitting（编织）, bleaching, dyeing, cutting, sewing, etc.——these processes also use a great deal of water and energy. Commercial dyes and bleaches are harmful pollutants and can eventually pollute groundwater.
After the T-shirt is produced, it enters the transportation stage. This often involves overseas shipping. Take a look in your closet. Chances are that most of your cotton garments (衣服）are made in China or India. Garments can be shipped via plane, ship or truck…，all of which spill CO2 into the atmosphere. Calculations show that CO2 emissions from light trucks alone amount to 1.15 pounds per mile.
Once the T-shirt reaches the retail market, it is purchased. This stage may seem like the least environmentally damaging part. But consider the number of times you’ve washed and dried your favorite T-shirt. Washing machines are certainly becoming more efficient. However, the average American household does 400 loads of laundry per year, using about 40 gallons of water per load. Such excessive water use is combined with the large amount of energy used by dryers.
The final stage of life is disposal. This releases harmful emissions, or involves a landfill where cotton takes years to break down. Current US records show that an estimated 15% of clothes and shoes are recycled, which means that consumers send a shocking 85% of these materials to landfills.
We all need new clothes every once in a while, but let’s all try to keep in mind what goes into the production of clothing... It has a real impact on the planet.
There are a lot of things you can do to help reduce your impact. Reuse and recycle clothes. If they’re too worn out to wear, cut them up and use them as cleaning rags. Donate them to charity or another organization that recycles textiles. When possible, make an effort to buy organic cotton. Turn down the thermostat(恒温器) on your washer, and line dry your clothes when the weather will allow it.
1. The underlined phrase “takes a toll” probably means “ ”| A．wastes water | B．takes a lot of time |
| C．uses energy | D．has a bad effect |
| A．pesticides in cotton farming cost over 4 billion dollars every year |
| B．C02 emissions of land transport amount to 1.15 pounds per mile |
| C．about 15% of the clothes and shoes are made of materials that are recycled |
| D．about 16, 000 gallons of water is used annually by an average family on laundry |
| A．The production process may affect water safety. |
| B．The clothing cost is relatively low in China and India. |
| C．Cotton clothes are buried because they are hard to break down. |
| D．The use stage is the least environmentally harmful of the five stages. |
| A．To encourage people to donate clothes to charity. |
| B．To promote eco-friendly actions related to clothes. |
| C．To persuade people to purchase more organic cotton. |
| D．To introduce the five stages in the lifecycle of clothing. |
