1 . Every day as the sun rises, Ma Hongyi, a 66-year-old farmer, can be seen patrolling (巡逻) Yuncheng Salt Lake with his dog in Yuncheng city, North China’s Shanxi province.
Ma still remembers the day when he first saw two big pink birds wandering through the water. “I had never seen such pretty birds. They were even taller than me, with long wings,” Ma recalls. He was later informed that those birds were flamingos, a rare sight in China, which were listed on the International Union for Protection of Nature’s red list of endangered species in 2013. From that day on, Ma started his second career as a volunteer to prevent human beings from doing harm to the wildlife. “The birds are attracted by the good environment,” Ma says. “I will do my best to protect the lake so that birds can come here every year.”
Yuncheng Salt Lake covers an area of 132 square kilometers and used to serve as a salt production base. As the country began attaching greater importance to environmental protection, an ecological (生态的) protection and development center was set up in 2012 to carry out regular ecological protection and restoration of the lake. “The greatest value of the Salt Lake lies in its ecology, which should be properly protected,” says Chu Xianghao, head of the city. The lake area hosts 292 types of wild animals, along with 782 plant varieties, some of which are newly recorded species in the country.
After patrolling the lake as a volunteer for over four years, Ma was employed by the local government to help with wildlife protection in 2019. “The lake’s ecology is getting better,” Ma says, adding that he looks forward to the arrival of the flamingos every year. “Some of them are my old friends,” he says.
1. What event makes Mr Ma to start his second career?A.Seeing a rare scenery in his field. |
B.Finding a list of endangered species. |
C.Coming across a certain bird unexpectedly. |
D.Knowing the way to increase the number of species. |
A.Repair. | B.Examination. | C.Competition. | D.Defence. |
A.Salt lake is environmentally friendly. |
B.The past base still makes lots of salt now. |
C.Mr Ma used to have a walk around lakes every morning. |
D.The environment of Salt lake is suitable for flamingos all year round now. |
A.Mr Ma -- from a Farmer to a Volunteer |
B.Mr Ma -- a Loyal Guardian of Flamingos |
C.Mr Ma -- an Expert on Endangered Species |
D.Mr Ma -- the First Finder of Flamingos in China |
2 . Hardware in general, and smartphones in particular, have become a huge environmental and health problem in the Global South's landfill sites (垃圾填埋场).
Electronic waste(e-waste) currently takes up 5 percent of all global waste, and it is set to increase rapidly as more of us own more than one smartphone, laptop and power bank. They end up in places like Agbogbloshie on the outskirts of Ghana's capital, Accra. It is the biggest e-waste dump in the world, where 10,000 informal workers walk through tons of abandoned goods as part of an informal recycling process. They risk their health searching for the precious metals that are found in abandoned smartphones.
But Agbogbloshie should not exist. The Basel Convention, a 1989 treaty, aims to prevent developed nations from unauthorized dumping of e-waste in less developed countries. The e-waste industry, however, circumvents regulations by exporting e-waste labelled as "secondhand goods' to poor countries like Ghana, knowing full well that it is heading for a landfill site.
A recent report found Agbogbloshie contained some of the most dangerous chemicals. This is not surprising: smartphones contain chemicals like mercury (水银), lead and even arsenic (砷). Reportedly, one egg from a free-range chicken in Agbogbloshie contained a certain chemical which can cause cancer and damage the immune system at a level that's about 220 times greater than a limit set by the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA). Most worryingly, these poisonous chemicals are free to pollute the broader soil and water system. This should concern us all, since some of Ghana's top exports are cocoa and nuts.
Some governments have started to take responsibility for their consumers' waste. For example, Germany has started a project that includes a sustainable recycling system at Agbogbloshie, along with a health clinic for workers. However, governments cannot solve the problem alone, as there is an almost limitless consumer demand for hardware, especially when governments' green policies are focused on issues like climate change.
Only the manufacturers can fix this. A more economically sustainable and politically possible solution is through encouraging hardware manufacturers to make the repair, reuse and recycling of hardware profitable, or at least cost-neutral.
1. What can we infer from paragraph 2?A.Electronic waste requires more landfill sites across Ghana. |
B.Electronic waste is too complex to get fully recycled. |
C.Electronic products need to be improved urgently. |
D.Electronic pollution is a burning question in Agbogbloshie. |
A.Abolishes. | B.Tightens. | C.Brings in. | D.Gets around. |
A.The threat of polluted food around the world. |
B.The damage of chicken’s immune system. |
C.The lack of diversity in Ghana’s exports. |
D.The violation of EFSA’s standards. |
A.Manufacturers’ developing a sustainable hardware economy. |
B.Governments’ adjusting their green policies about e-waste. |
C.Reducing customers’ demands for electronic products. |
D.Manufacturers’ urging the government to make effective policies to ensure more profit. |
3 . Afroz Shah, a lawyer in Mumbai, hasn’t had a weekend off in four years. But he hasn’t spent this time preparing for
His mission? Saving the world’s oceans from
It’s a calling he found in 2015 after moving to a community in Mumbai called Versova Beach. He had played there as a child and was
“The whole beach was like a
In October 2015, Shah began
For Shah, the work has always been a
He’s now spent 209 weekends on this mission,
“This world talks too much. I think we must talk
A.teaching | B.court | C.housework | D.cleaning |
A.river | B.soil | C.plastic | D.oil |
A.upset | B.excited | C.delighted | D.hesitant |
A.grown | B.changed | C.reserved | D.protected |
A.pure | B.golden | C.shiny | D.visible |
A.carpet | B.curtain | C.painting | D.photograph |
A.temporary | B.permanent | C.ugly | D.pretty |
A.sticks to | B.keeps off | C.gives back | D.ends up |
A.killer | B.cleaner | C.guest | D.decoration |
A.sweeping | B.attacking | C.visiting | D.beautifying |
A.pulling | B.thinking | C.picking | D.looking |
A.came | B.failed | C.went | D.spread |
A.involved | B.lived | C.stuck | D.paid |
A.easy | B.tough | C.personal | D.general |
A.known | B.regarded | C.decided | D.honored |
A.cause | B.case | C.position | D.fame |
A.requiring | B.rejecting | C.inviting | D.inspiring |
A.originally | B.finally | C.politically | D.theoretically |
A.fewer | B.less | C.better | D.worse |
A.honor | B.beauty | C.hope | D.love |
注意:词数100左右。
Save electricity, protect the environment
Dear fellow students,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The English Club
5 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf causes serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces.
There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. What do we know about golf from Paragraph 2?A.It eats up city areas of Portugal and Spain. |
B.It causes water shortages around the world. |
C.It needs water and energy to keep its courses. |
D.It pollutes the Earth with chemicals and wastes. |
A.Because it is cost-effective. | B.Because it improves our health. |
C.Because it is an outdoor sport. | D.Because it uses fewer resources. |
A.Cycling around a lake. |
B.Motor racing in the desert. |
C.Playing basketball in a gym. |
D.Swimming in a sports center. |
A.Golf: a waste of resource. |
B.Green sports: a wiser choice. |
C.Power walking: a simple exercise. |
D.Sports center: a greater replacement. |
6 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf causes serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following does the author most probably recommend?A.Playing basketball in a gym. |
B.Motor racing in the desert. |
C.Cycling around a lake. |
D.Swimming in a sports center. |
A.It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
B.It causes water shortages around the world. |
C.It pollutes the Earth with chemicals and wastes. |
D.It needs water and energy to keep its courses. |
A.it uses fewer resources | B.it improves our health |
C.it is an outdoor sport | D.it is recommended by experts |
A.show us the function of major sports |
B.encourage us to take up green sports |
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports |
D.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
There was a job vacancy for taking care of the Great Barrier Reef!
Ben did a lot during his time
8 . During the summer of 2021, I flew to Greece to learn more about the wildfires there. I wanted to hear people’s stories, to understand what it meant to be displaced by environmental disaster.
In a cafe for people surviving the fire, I met brave children who now have to live with terrible scars, physical and emotional. I met a man who could not even speak to me, his eyes filling with tears.
I was expecting to hear a lot about loss; I was not expecting to learn so much about the attribution (归因) of blame. I came to understand how desperately people needed to blame a tangible entity (实体) –a person, a group of people, the government. Indeed, this was understandable and reasonable. The outbreak and mishandling of the fire needed to be explored, looked into and dealt with.
What surprised me, however, was that the survivors were completely silent over any mention of the climate crisis and global heating. It was made clear to me that this subject was unacceptable. Survivors felt that these issues had nothing to do with what they had suffered, and that the people actually responsible needed to pay.
But when it comes to climate breakdown, blame did not come to just one person, one corporation, one country. In Greece, the fire didn’t rage so hard because someone had set off a spark—— it raged so hard because years of global heating had dried up the land, part of a set of unsustainable (不能持续的) practices and inaction that had set our planet on fire. And now the fires are even worse.
The more I spoke to people, including climate scientists, the more I came to see that there is often a gap that separates science from public awareness. In her book “Engaging With Climate Change” Sally Weintrobe says that “many people who accept global warming continue to regard it as a problem of the future”. To my astonishment, this seemed to apply even to people who had themselves been affected directly by wildfires.
1. What did the author hardly expect to learn in Greece?A.Kids’ scars. | B.Economic loss. |
C.Survivors’ blame. | D.Duration of the fire. |
A.It was closely related to global heating. |
B.They couldn’t accept its massive destruction. |
C.The government should be responsible for it. |
D.It resulted from someone’s setting fire to the forest. |
A.Much attention has been given to it. |
B.People don’t consider it serious now. |
C.Scientists are urged to apply efficient way to it. |
D.People should make their opinions about it heard. |
A.To inform readers of wildfires in Greece. |
B.To encourage readers to donate to survivors. |
C.To equip people with surviving skills in wildfires. |
D.To raise people’s awareness about the climate crisis. |
9 . French company Airseas, has promised to help big goods ships reduce their fuel consumption (能源消耗), and cut their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (排放) by 20%. And they’re doing this with the Seawing — a 1,000 square meter kite that will fly 300 meters above the water’s surface. So the shipping industry is rediscovering the joy and efficiency of sails (帆).
The large, ship-sized kite is now being developed, and the company plans to open a factory to produce the Seawing in 2026. Once produced, Airseas has promised that launching and operating a Seawing on a goods ship will be automated (自动化), making it easy for crews (船员) to use. The crew can simply press some buttons and a large kite will rise into the sky. That’s not to say that the goods ships won’t use their engines at all, but the kite will take some pressure off of those engines and will reduce the need for fuel. The wind will move the ship, just like it did for hundreds of years in the old days before industrialization.
Lowering emissions by 20% may not seem like a big deal, but moving large amounts of goods back and forth on the high seas creates 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than the airline industry, which produced about 2% of the world’s emissions in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. Shipping is also a massive industry, and one worth focusing on for lowering emissions. About 90% of the world’s traded goods are moved around through ships, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.
Some companies are expecting this new version of sails. Japanese shipping company, “K” Line has placed orders for the Seawing kite, and the European Union has also invested more than $2 million in funding.
1. What is French company Airseas trying to do?A.Take part in kite-flying competitions. | B.Make sea exploration easy and joyful. |
C.Produce big kites to be used for sailing. | D.Ship goods with low fuel consumption. |
A.It will completely replace engines. | B.It will be light in weight. |
C.It will follow the goods ship at sea. | D.It will be easily operated by crews. |
A.To stress a problem. | B.To make a comparison. |
C.To introduce a new topic. | D.To explore a possibility. |
A.The sail ships are getting popular again. | B.The GHG emissions are a big problem. |
C.Seawing will be produced in factories. | D.Kites will help cut shipping emissions. |
10 . After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.
Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.
The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
1. What is the text mainly about?A.Wildlife research in the United States. |
B.Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area. |
C.The conflict between farmers and gray wolves. |
D.The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park. |
A.Damage to local ecology. |
B.Preservation of vegetation. |
C.A decline in the park’s income. |
D.An increase in the variety of animals. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Uncaring. | C.Positive. | D.Disapproving. |