1 . We Need to Think about Conservation on a Different Timescale
Time, perceived by humans in days, months, and years, contrasts with nature’s grander scales of centuries and millennia, referred to as “deep time.” While paleontologists (古生物学者) are trained to think in deep time, conservationists are realizing the challenges it poses. Shortsightedness about time limits modern conservation, with efforts often overlooking past healthy conditions of ecosystems in the context of climate and biodiversity crises.
The shifting baseline syndrome (综合症), where standards in a place change gradually, makes conservation more complex. It involves evaluating ecosystems primarily on their recent past, often with negative consequences.
Recent shifts in California’s forest management practices, from stopping fires to embracing Indigenous knowledge of controlled burns, exemplify the importance of understanding historical ecosystem dynamics. To enhance conservation, adopting a deep-time approach is crucial.
Modern mathematical modeling, combined with long-term data, offers a pathway for preserving ecosystems. In California’s kelp (海带、海藻) forest, researchers identified an overlooked keystone species — the extinct Seller’s Sea Cow (大海牛). By examining past kelp forests, a deeper story impacting regeneration was revealed. The sea cow, a massive plant-cater, contributed to a diverse, vital undergrowth by trimming kelp and letting light reach the area.
The researchers put forward a novel approach to kelp forest restoration: selectively harvesting kelp, imitating the sea cow’s impact. This strategy, considering historical dynamics, challenges assumptions about recent ecosystems and offers new conservation methods.
Rather than only focusing on removing urchins (海胆) or reintroducing sea otters, the researchers suggest employing teams of humans to selectively harvest kelp, as the Steller’s sea cow once did, to encourage fresh growth. This sustainable harvest could benefit both the ecosystem and human consumption.
In short, assumptions based on the recent past may impede the understanding and protection of ecosystems. On the other hand, the application of controlled burns, similar modeling studies, and a deep-time perspective (视角) could significantly transform conservation efforts. Recognizing our role in an ongoing narrative spanning millions of years is essential, urging a comprehensive understanding of ecosystems through time. Embracing this role is crucial for shaping the future and establishing vital connections from the past to the future.
1. What is the “shifting baseline syndrome,” mentioned in the passage?A.A syndrome that affects human beings’ perception of time. |
B.A phenomenon where ecological standards shift in a place. |
C.A psychological disorder common among conservationists. |
D.A condition where ecosystems change gradually over time. |
A.It promotes the prevention of wildfires. | B.It aids in mathematical modeling efforts. |
C.It helps reveal historical ecosystem dynamics. | D.It enhances human consumption of ecosystems. |
A.Reform. | B.Disrupt. | C.Quicken. | D.Deepen. |
A.Shifting baseline syndrome has positive ecological changes. |
B.Mathematical modeling with the latest data can be effective. |
C.Deep-time perspective and historical dynamics are crucial. |
D.Recent history is more preferred in ecosystem restoration. |
2 . The high-tech revolution has inspired a pleasure endless stream of new and exciting electronic products that we just can’t live without. In fact, the speed of technological innovation can make last year’s must-have this year’s junk. And that’s the problem.
The average life span of a personal computer has been shortened to around 18 months and this has nothing to do with worn-mice or damaged disk drives. Simply put, electronic products can become out of date before you’ve even figured out how they work.
So what happens to all those old keyboards, monitors, organizers and CPUs? Most are stored away in a warehouse (仓库), taking up valuable space. But many end up in landfills, and that is where the trouble really begins. Computer monitors can contain up to 3.5 kg of dangerous waste once they are no longer in use.
Unfortunately, this problem is not going to disappear anytime soon. In fact, it is growing by the minute. In Japan alone, people throw away some 20 million TVs, washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioners each year. What is to be done with all this techno-trash?
One way to reduce waste is to avoid throwing away in the first place. Many companies reuse parts from old products in new models. This is not cheating-it makes both environmental and economic sense. Cannon, for example, has adopted a philosophy known as “kyosei”, meaning “living and working together for the common good?” — a goal of achieving balance between the environment and the corporate (公司的) activities. The company has even gone so far as to say that environmental assurance should come before all business activities, and that companies unable to achieve such assurance do not deserve to remain in business.
As part of that effort, the company has started a global recycling program with a goal to reduce, reuse and recycle more than 90% of its used products. In 1999, for example, Cannon collected 128, 000 copying machines and 12, 175 tons of toner cartridges (色粉盒) in Japan, Europe and the United States.
Some argue that electronic garbage can also be controlled during the design phase. This concept, called “design for the environment”. Not only does this make environmental sense, but it saves the customer money. IBM, meanwhile, recently planned programs in Canada and the US that, for a small fee, will take back not just an IBM but also any manufacturer’s computer. Depending on the age and condition, the equipment will then be either donated to charity, or broken down for reusable parts and recyclable materials.
1. With the rapid development of science and technology high-tech products can ____.A.last for many years |
B.become worn out soon |
C.become old and useless soon |
D.be used forever |
A.Too much room is needed for their probable storage. |
B.People do not know how to deal with them at all. |
C.The amount of this techno-trash is increasing everyday without stop. |
D.Harmful substances contained within may pollute the environment. |
A.Business must be achieved at the cost of environment. |
B.Environment holds great importance than business. |
C.Business and environment has little impact on each other. |
D.Recycling makes only environment sense instead of economic benefits. |
A.while designing products, we must make something to contain garbage |
B.while designing products, don’t throw away garbage away |
C.while designing, we must work out how much garbage the new product will bring about |
D.while designing, we must take environment into consideration. |
A.The problem caused by high-tech products can’t be solved in short time |
B.The techno-trash problem can easily be solved in big countries |
C.The problem can be solved to some degree if enough attention is paid |
D.It is still hard to say whether this problem can be solved or not |
3 . Scientists have discovered more than 5,000 new species living on the seabed in an untouched area of the Pacific Ocean that has been identified as a future hotspot for deep-sea mining, according to a review of the environmental surveys carried out in the area.
It is the first time the previously unknown biodiversity of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a mineral-rich area of the ocean floor that spans 1.7m sq miles between Hawaii and Mexico in the Pacific, has been comprehensively documented. The research will be critical to assessing the risk of extinction of the species, given contracts for deep-sea mining in the near-pristine area appear imminent.
Most of the animals identified by researchers exploring the zone are new to science, and almost all are unique to the region: only six, including a carnivorous sponge and a sea cucumber, have been seen elsewhere.
Contracts for mining exploration in the CCZ have been granted to 17 deep-sea mining contractors in an area covering 745,000 sq miles. The companies, which are backed by countries including Britain, the US and China, want to dig for minerals including cobalt manganese and nickel in part to sell to the alternative energy sector.
To better understand the impact of mining this fragile ecosystem and its newly discovered inhabitants, an international team of scientists has built the first “CCZ checklist” by compiling all the records from expeditions to the region. Published in the journal Current Biology, it includes 5,578 different species, of which an estimated 88% to 92% had never before been seen.
To study and collect specimens (样品) from the ocean floor, biologists have joined research cruises in the Pacific that send remote-controlled vehicles to traverse (穿越) the seabed 4,000 to 6,000 meters below. Adrian Glover, a deep-sea biologist at the NHM and senior author of the study described it as an “incredible privilege”. The expedition, funded through the Natural Environment Research Council and others, is backed by UK Seabed Resources (UKSR), a deep-sea mining company that operates the UK’s exploration area. The scientists watch operations by video link direct from the boat as new species are gathered by remote control vehicles in the darkness below.
The seabed, Glover said, is an “amazing place” where, despite the extreme cold and dark, life thrives. “One of the characteristics of the abyssal plain is the lack of food, but life has a way of persisting down there,” he said, “It’s a mystery.” One of the deep-sea animals discovered was nicknamed the “gummy squirrel”, because of its huge tail and jelly-like appearance, he said. There are also glass sponges, some of which look like vases.
With approval for deep-sea mining looming, Glover said he believed it was “imperative that we work with the companies looking to mine these resources to ensure any such activity is done in a way that limits its impact upon the natural world”.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “imminent”?A.Easy to carry out. | B.Ready to take place. |
C.Hard to cope with. | D.Important to look over. |
A.Identifying new species living on the seabed. | B.Assessing the risk of extinction of species. |
C.Documenting the biodiversity of the area. | D.Exploring the potential for deep-sea mining. |
A.Abundance of food. | B.Extreme lifeless environment. |
C.Presence of glass sponges. | D.Prosperous life despite challenging conditions. |
A.A magic zone:available to mining companies |
B.A mineral-rich area: Clarion-Clipperton Zone |
C.An “amazing place”: new species booming |
D.Deep-sea wonders: the new species found in a Pacific mining hotspot |
4 . What do you know about fashion? The fashion industry, which has become one of the most
A friend of mine
The items are the products of an industry that, in the past 30 years, has become one of the most successful and also most
“The fashion industry represents a key environmental
One wonders: What can we do about it? Don’t you have any clothes on? It’s not that
A.convincing | B.interesting | C.confusing | D.damaging |
A.carry out | B.come out | C.set out | D.break out |
A.builds | B.runs | C.supports | D.controls |
A.expensive | B.useless | C.worthless | D.attractive |
A.businessmen | B.children | C.locals | D.masses |
A.little | B.few | C.much | D.many |
A.on behalf of | B.in the form of | C.for the sake of | D.in terms of |
A.effective | B.destructive | C.preventive | D.alternative |
A.quarrel | B.argument | C.fight | D.conflict |
A.tell the truth | B.hit the brakes | C.pave the way | D.break the ice |
A.threat | B.effect | C.problem | D.protection |
A.results from | B.consists of | C.brings about | D.relies on |
A.ambition | B.action | C.satisfaction | D.attraction |
A.far | B.extreme | C.bad | D.complex |
A.enjoy | B.imagine | C.miss | D.avoid |
5 . The news that Derby has approved what promises to be Britain’s largest urban rewilding project so far is very welcome. The 320-hectare Allestree Park will, subject to detailed consultation, be given over to a range of habitats and perhaps even see the reintroduction of species such as dormice and red kites.
Urban rewilding - which is not the same as urban green space, however extensive - can take many forms. They
But in fact, some of the most successful projects have been
Urban rewilding,
The pressure for development means that there will always be tension with
In these mid-pandemic, post-Brexit, austerity-bitten (财政紧缩的) times, the financial arguments can be hardest to
A.differ | B.originate | C.range | D.develop |
A.transporting | B.attaching | C.leading | D.transforming |
A.mature | B.established | C.reputational | D.accidental |
A.specifically | B.fundamentally | C.previously | D.primarily |
A.bring about | B.serve as | C.contribute to | D.rely on |
A.breeding | B.launching | C.introducing | D.favoring |
A.by contrast | B.for instance | C.in itself | D.in the meanwhile |
A.appreciations | B.perceptions | C.insights | D.recovery |
A.encounter | B.sustain | C.create | D.promote |
A.recreational | B.political | C.industrial | D.commercial |
A.qualified | B.maintained | C.reserved | D.cultivated |
A.linked to | B.inseparable from | C.dismissed as | D.equivalent to |
A.value | B.profit | C.benefit | D.worth |
A.approve | B.counter | C.settle | D.consider |
A.fundamental | B.essential | C.overwhelming | D.obvious |
6 . The environmental practices of big businesses are shaped by a fundamental fact that offends our sense of justice. A business may maximize the amount of money it makes by damaging the environment and hurting people. When government regulation is effective, and the public is environmentally aware, environmentally clean big businesses may out-compete dirty ones, but the reverse is likely to be true if government regulation is ineffective and the public doesn’t care.
It is easy to blame a business for helping itself by hurting other people. But blaming alone is unlikely to produce change. It ignores the fact that businesses are not charities but profit-making companies, and they are under obligation to maximize profits for shareholders by legal means.
Our blaming of businesses also ignores the ultimate responsibility of the public for creating the conditions that let a business profit through destructive environmental policies. In the long run, it is the public, either directly or through its politicians, that has the power to make such destructive policies unprofitable and illegal, and to make sustainable environmental policies profitable.
The public can do that by accusing businesses of harming them. The public may also make their opinion felt by choosing to buy sustainably harvested products; by preferring their governments to award valuable contracts to businesses with a good environmental track record; and by pressing their governments to pass and enforce laws and regulations requiring good environmental practices.
In turn, big businesses can exert powerful pressure on any suppliers that might ignore public or government pressure. For instance, after the US public became concerned about the spread of a disease, transmitted to humans through infected meat, the US government introduced rules demanding that the meat industry abandon practices associated with the risk of the disease spreading. But the meat packers refused to follow these, claiming that they would be too expensive to obey. However, when a fast-food company made the same demands after customer purchases of its hamburgers dropped, the meat industry followed immediately. The public’s task is therefore to identify which links in the supply chain are sensitive to public pressure.
Some readers may be disappointed or outraged that I place the ultimate responsibility for business practices harming the public on the public itself. I also believe that the public must accept the necessity for higher prices for products to cover the added costs of sound environmental practices. My views may seem to ignore the belief that businesses should act in accordance with moral principles even if this leads to a reduction in their profits. But I think we have to recognize that, throughout human history, government regulation has arisen precisely because it was found that not only did moral principles need to be made explicit, they also needed to be enforced.
My conclusion is not a moralistic one about who is right or wrong, admirable or selfish. I believe that changes in public attitudes are essential for changes in businesses’ environmental practices.
1. The main idea of Paragraph 3 is that environmental damage__________.A.is the result of ignorance of the public |
B.requires political action if it is to be stopped |
C.can be prevented by the action of ordinary people |
D.can only be stopped by educating business leaders |
A.reduce their own individual impact on the environment |
B.learn more about the impact of business on the environment |
C.raise awareness of the effects of specific environmental disasters |
D.influence the environmental policies of businesses and governments |
A.Meat packers stopped supplying hamburgers to fast-food chains. |
B.Meat packers persuaded the government to reduce their expenses. |
C.A fast-food company forced their meat suppliers to follow the law. |
D.A fast-food company encouraged the government to introduce regulations. |
A.Will the world survive the threat caused by big businesses? |
B.How can big businesses be encouraged to be less driven by profit? |
C.What environmental dangers are caused by the greed of businesses? |
D.Are big businesses to blame for the damage they cause to the environment? |
A.tirelessly B. urgency C.concrete D.acknowledged E.roadmap F.call G committed H. intended I. update J. summed K.just |
The pressure for change is building: reactions to the Glasgow climate pact
The Glasgow climate package, aimed at ensuring the world limits global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, was
"There is still a huge amount more to do in the coming years. But today's agreement is a big step forward and, critically, we have the first ever international agreement to phase down (逐步减少)coal and a
Al Gore,the former US vice-president,also praised the public pressure put on world leaders at the conference: “The Glasgow Climate Pact and the pledges made at Cop26 move the global community forward in our urgent work to address the climate crisis and limit global temperature rise to 1.5C, but we know this progress, while meaningful,is not enough. “We must move faster to deliver a
Many developed and developing countries nailed the progress it represented on the world's goals .But green campaigners warned that the
On the last-minute weakening of language about phasing out coal, Timmermans said: "Let's be clear, I'd rather not have the change. I was very happy with the language we had." But he added it was “like going from 24 carat gold to 18 carat, it's still gold...we are now making
Countries will have to return next year and the year after to
8 . Hundreds of scientists, writers and academics sounded a warning to humanity in an open letter published last December: Policymakers and the rest of us must engage openly with the risk of global collapse. Researchers in many areas have projected the widespread collapse as “a credible scenario(情景) this century”.
A survey of scientists found that extreme weather events, food insecurity, and freshwater shortages might create global collapse. Of course, if you are a non-human species, collapse is well underway.
The call for public engagement with the unthinkable is especially germane in this moment of still-uncontrolled pandemic and economic crises in the world's most technologically advanced nations. Not very long ago, it was also unthinkable that a virus would shut down nations and that safety nets would be proven so disastrously lacking in flexibility.
The international scholars’ warning letter doesn't say exactly what collapse will look like or when it might happen. Collapseology, the study of collapse, is more concerned with identifying trends and with them the dangers of everyday civilization. Among the signatories(签署者) of the warning was Bob Johnson, the originator of the “ecological footprint” concept, which measures the total amount of environmental input needed to maintain a given lifestyle. With the current footprint of humanity, “it seems that global collapse is certain to happen in some form, possibly within a decade, certainly within this century,” Johnson said in an email.
“Only if we discuss the consequences of our biophysical limits,” the December warning letter says, “can we have the hope to reduce their speed, severity and harm”. And yet messengers of the coming disturbance are likely to be ignored. We all want to hope things will turn out fine. As a poet wrote,
Man is a victim of dope(麻醉品)
In the incurable form of hope.
The hundreds of scholars who signed the letter are intent(执着) on quieting hope that ignores preparedness. “Let's look directly into the issue of collapse,” they say, “and deal with the terrible possibilities of what we see there to make the best of a troubling future.”
1. What does the underlined word “germane” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?A.Scientific. | B.Credible. |
C.Original. | D.Relevant. |
A.worried | B.puzzled |
C.surprised | D.scared |
A.The signatories may change the biophysical limits. |
B.The author agrees with the message of the poem. |
C.The issue of collapse is being prioritized. |
D.The global collapse is well underway. |