1 . Climate change leads to a threat to the world’s sandy beaches, and as many as half of them could disappear by 2100, a new study has found. Even by 2050 some coastlines could be unrecognizable from what we see today, with 10% to 12% facing severe erosion (侵蚀).
Using updated sea level rise predictions, the researchers analyzed how beaches around the world would be in a future with higher seas and more damaging storms. They also considered natural processes like wave erosion, as well as human factors-like coastal building developments, all of which can affect a beach’s health. The study found that sea level rise is expected to outweigh these other factors, and that the more heat-trapping gases humans put into the atmosphere, the worse the influences on the world’s beaches are likely to be.
It’s hard to overstate just how important the world’s beaches are. They cover more than one third of the world’s coastlines, and protect coastal areas from storms. Beaches are also important economic engines, supporting relaxation, tourism and other activities. And in some areas, the beach is more than a vacation destination. In places like Australia, life near the coast revolves around the beach for much of the year.
Some of the world’s most popular beaches are already taking action. Places like Miami Beach are trucking in thousands of tons of sand to patch up (修复) badly eroded shorelines, while others have built sea walls and breakwaters in an attempt to hold precious sand in place. But the financial and environmental costs of these projects are huge, and scientists say rising seas and more powerful storms, supercharged by a warmer climate, will make this a losing battle.
However, the researchers did find that humans have some control over what happens to the world’s beaches. If the world’s governments are able to stick to modest cuts to heat-trapping gas pollution, the researchers found that 22%of projected beach losses by 2050 could be prevented, a number that grows to 40%by 2100 if greenhouse gases are limited.
1. Which is the biggest contributor to severe beach erosion?| A．Damaging storms. | B．Wave erosion. |
| C．Coastal building. | D．Sea level rise. |
| A．It is hard to protect coastal beaches. |
| B．One third of storms take place near beaches. |
| C．Beaches are of great significance to our lives. |
| D．Most Australians live on beach tourism. |
| A．Popularizing the beaches. |
| B．Holding sand in place. |
| C．Reducing the project costs. |
| D．Stopping global warming. |
| A．Half beaches could disappear by 2100. |
| B．Climate change is doing harm to our lives. |
| C．The beach is more than a vacation destination. |
| D．Governments are taking action to fight wave erosion. |
①使用纸巾的弊端； ②使用手帕的好处； ③呼吁全体学生一起加入。
注意：1. 词数在80左右；
2. 开头已给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：面巾纸facial tissue 手帕handkerchief/hanky
Dear fellow students,
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The Students’ Union
3 . Rachel Carson was concerned about what was happenig to the environment. So in her book Silent Spring, she warned that some chemicals were poisoning the air, the water, the earth, and all its creatures. She imagined a time when spring would not bring the rebirth of flowers, trees, and the songs of birds. The book became a bestseller, and Ms. Carson was in great demand as a speaker. People lisened to her because what she said made sense, and because she was a scientist who knew her facts.
Rachel Carson was primarily interested in the world of sea and shore, so she became a marine biologst for the government. She studied and recorded facts about the sea' s plant and animal life, their special characteristics, and the nature of their environments. In 1951, she wrote The Sea Around Us, which brought her honors, fame, and respect around the world.
Ms. Carson then devoted herself full-time to research and writing. One thing much on her mind was the effect of modern technology on the natural environment. One day, a distressed friend wrote her to say that a plane spraying(喷洒) DDT had flown over her yard, and the next day several birds lay dead. Carson decided to act.
For four years she studied the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in the United States, and then she wrote Silent Spring.
In her book Ms. Carson said that these pesticides would harm much more than insects. She explained that these poisons would pollute the environment. “Even if their effects are not immediately observable, they remain for years in the water and the soil, and they become part of the food eaten by animals and humans.
Besides, after a time, insects develop immunity to pesticides,” she said.
Recent studies have shown that pesticides can affect human brainwave activity and cause loss of memory and inability to concentrate. We should still remember Rachel Carson’s words, “I think we are challenged as we have never been challenged before to prove our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”
1. Silent Spring is a book that__________| A．aims to raise people’s environmental awareness |
| B．stresses the importance of the cycle of nature |
| C．describes the author' s childhood experiences |
| D．asks people to enjoy the beauty of spring |
| A．curious | B．humorous | C．excited | D．worried |
| A．became world-famous due to Silent Spring |
| B．warned against the use of chemicals to kill insects |
| C．had a good knowledge of the planets in the universe |
| D．created a system for improving human brainwave activity |
| A．we should prove ourselves to be the ruler of this world |
| B．it's a chance for us to prove our mastery of nature |
| C．it's time for us to think about what we have done |
| D．settling on the earth is a challenge for humans |
4 . 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 |
5 . There has, in recent years, been an outpouring of information about the impact of buildings on the natural environment. Information which explains and promotes green and sustainable construction design, strives to convince others of its efficacy (功效) and warns of the dangers of ignoring the issue. Seldom do these documents offer any advice to practitioners, such as those designing mechanical and electrical systems for a building, on how to use this knowledge on a practical level.
Although there are a good many advocates of “green” construction in the architectural industry, able to list enough reasons why buildings should be designed in a sustainable way, not to mention plenty of architectural firms with experience in green design, this is not enough to make green construction come into being. The driving force behind whether a building is constructed with minimal environmental impact lies with the owner of the building; that is, the person financing the project. If the owner considers green design unimportant, or of secondary importance, then more than likely, it will not be factored into the design.
The commissioning (委任) process plays a key role in ensuring the owner gets the building he wants, in terms of design, costs and risk. At the predesign stage, the owner’s objectives and expectations are discussed and documented. This gives a design team a solid foundation on which they can build their ideas. Owners who skip the commissioning process, or fail to take “green” issues into account when doing so, often come a cropper once their building is up and running. Materials and equipment are installed as planned, and, at first glance, appear to fulfil their purpose adequately. However, in time, the owner realizes that operational and maintenance costs are higher than necessary, and that the occupants are dissatisfied with the results. These factors in turn lead to higher ownership costs as well as increased environmental impact.
In some cases, an owner may be aware of the latest trends in sustainable building design. However, firms should not take it as read that the client already has an idea of how green he intends the structure to be. Indeed, this initial interaction between owner and firm is the ideal time for a designer to outline and promote the ways that green design can meet the client’s objectives, thus turning a project originally not destined for green design into a potential candidate.
Typically, when considering whether or not to adopt a green approach, an owner will ask about additional costs or return for investment. In a typical project, landscape architects, mechanical and electrical engineers do not become involved until a much later stage. However, in green design, they must be involved from the outset, since green design demands interaction between these disciplines. This increased cooperation clearly requires additional cost. However, there may be financial advantage for the client in choosing a greener design. There are examples of green designs which have demonstrated lower costs for long-term operation, ownership and even construction.
1. What is the main reason for the lack of green buildings being designed according to the passage?| A．Few firms have enough experience in designing and constructing green buildings. |
| B．Construction companies are unaware of the benefits of sustainable designs. |
| C．Firms do not get to decide whether a building is to be constructed sustainably. |
| D．Firms tend to convince clients that other factors are more important than sustainability. |
| A．experience misfortune | B．change one’s mind |
| C．notice the benefits | D．make a start |
| A．Most clients have a clear idea of whether they want a green building at the beginning. |
| B．Green buildings are most likely to cost more money than conventional buildings. |
| C．The commissioning process offers a good opportunity to bring up the subject of green design. |
| D．Firms should avoid working with clients who reject green designs in their buildings. |
| A．explain the importance of communication when a building is commissioned |
| B．emphasize the importance of green building design in protecting the environment |
| C．explain to building owners why ignoring green issues is costly and dangerous |
| D．inform professionals how they can influence clients to choose greener designs |
6 . Scientist， conservation organizations and government trying to stop the trend of extinction （灭绝） often focus on protected areas such as national parks and wildlife preserves. But with as many as million species（物种） at risk， this plan of action may not be enough to conserve wildlife.
Slowing the mass extinction that now appears to be underway will require more creative means of coexisting alongside wild plants and animals. A new study indicates the effectiveness of some such approaches by examining some lands managed by indigenous groups.
“ We show really strongly that， from a biodiversity standpoint in terms of species richness，indigenous － managed lands are at least comparable to protected areas， ” says biologist Richard Schuster of Carleton University. And in some places， they are better than parks and preserves －even though indigenous communities may use their lands’ resources by hunting or searching for food.
Schuster and his team analyzed more than 15，000 areas in Australia， Brazil and Canada. They found that the total diversity of wildlife was highest on lands either managed or co － managed by indigenous groups， while randomly selected areas with no formal protection were the least bio－diverse. For threatened species in particular， indigenous lands scored slightly higher than protected lands on overall species richness in Brazil and Canada， as well as higher for threatened animals in Australia.
Each country has a different geography， climate and history. Yet remarkably， Schuster says， the best indicator for species diversity is whether a given area was managed by an indigenous community. He pointed out that practices such as sustainable（可持续的） hunting， fishing and searching， as well as burning， are more likely to occur in such areas. Don Hankins， an ecologist at California State University，agrees. “ there’ s probably going to be more of a connection to the land， ” he says， “ and a use of the land for the things that are there， compared to a national park. ”
“ It’ s really important to listen to the people who live on the land and have them drive the stewardship efforts going forward， ” Schuster says， adding that partnering with indigenous communities may enable the world’ s countries to better meet a wide range of conservation goals： “ We really need all the help we can get as a global community to prevent species extinction that we’ re facing right now. ”
1. What does the underlined word “ indigenous” probably mean in Paragraph 2？| A．Social. | B．Native. |
| C．Protected. | D．Threatened. |
| A．National parks are even higher in species diversity. |
| B．Indigenous communities overhunted on their lands. |
| C．Some preserves almost have no formal protection. |
| D．Indigenous lands do better in keeping bio－diversity. |
| A．Species diversity depends on geographical positions. |
| B．Humans’ everyday activities are no longer sustainable. |
| C．Indigenous groups have a close bond with their lands. |
| D．Protected areas work perfectly in wildlife protection. |
| A．Beating back extinction. | B．Dealing with environmental problems. |
| C．Setting up nature reserves. | D．Fighting against unsustainable behaviors. |
提示：1. 地球的现状和存在的问题；
2. 人们在“地球日”这天用什么行动关爱地球；
3. 号召人们把每一天都当作地球日，天天关爱地球。
Making Every Day Earth Day
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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
There are some organizations
According to Earth Pledge, a non-profit organization (NPO), nothing can better
9 . 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． |
10 . Is Your Diet Destroying the Environment?
A vegetarian diet is often praised for its health benefits. Studies have shown that vegetarians usually have lower levels of heart disease and a lower risk of diabetes than people who eat meat. What most people are less aware of, however, are the effects that a vegetarian diet can have on the environment.
Researchers from the Union of Concerned Scientists in the US recently studied how consumer behavior affects the environment. The study showed that meat consumption is one of the main ways that humans can damage the environment, second only to the use of motor vehicle.
Then, how can eating meat have a negative effect on the environment? For a start, all farm animals such as cows, pigs, and sheep give off methane (沼气) gas by expelling (排出) wind from their bodies. One cow can produce up to 60 liters of methane each day. Methane gas is the second most common greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Many environmental experts now believe that it is more responsible for global warming than carbon dioxide. It is estimated that 25% of all methane released into the atmosphere comes from farm animals.
Another way that meat production affects the environment is through the use of water and land. 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of beef, whereas 20 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of wheat. One acre of farmland used for crop production can produce 40,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 pounds of carrots, or 50,000 pounds of tomatoes.
Many people now see the benefits of switching to a vegetarian diet, not just for health reasons, but also because it plays a vital role in protecting the environment. However, some nutritionists advise against switching to a totally strict vegetarian, or vegan diet. They believe a vegan diet, which excludes all products from animal sources, such as cheese, eggs, and milk, can be short of many necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need.
Today, many people know it’s important to take better care of their bodies and to use the earth’s resources more efficiently. As this understanding spreads, more people may realize that to help the environment and for the human race to survive, more of us will need to become vegetarians.
1. The underlined word “it” in Para.3 refers to ___________.| A．methane gas | B．carbon dioxide |
| C．expelling wind | D．greenhouse gas |
| A．growing tomatoes has the highest production |
| B．crop production is better than meat production |
| C．meat production consumes too much water and land |
| D．farm animals are the main producer of the methane gas |
| A．Our diet is destroying the surroundings. |
| B．Raising farm animals affects the environment. |
| C．A vegetarian diet helps to protect the environment. |
| D．More and more people are becoming strict vegetarians. |
