1 . While pedaling hard on a bike, do you feel like you are saving the planet? Or do you just feel out of breath? In fact, cycling is now considered one of the ultimate weapons humanity can use in the fight against climate change.
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in March supporting bicycles as a tool for dealing with climate change. The resolution calls on member states to “integrate the bicycle into public transportation, in urban and rural settings in developing and developed countries”, with all 193 members of the UN unanimously (一致同意地) adopting the resolution.
This decision has received a positive response from numerous groups in support of cycling and environmental awareness internationally. “It is an important step toward the recognition of cycling as an important mode of transport,” said the European Cyclists’ Federation.
The resolution from the UN comes at a time when climate change has returned to the center of global attention. On Feb 28, the UN published a new report assessing recent climate change trends. The report warns that the global average temperature will rise by 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), with more than 40 percent of the world’s population being “highly vulnerable” to these temperature changes.
In May 2020, bike sales in Spain increased 22-fold (22倍) compared with 2019. In London, large parts of the city are being closed off to cars so that people can walk and cycle safely. Cities like Berlin and Montreal have also added new, wider bike lanes.
More importantly, the resolution focuses on bike-sharing services, which could be seen as recognition of China’s bike-sharing success, noted CGTN.
China has some of the largest bike-sharing systems in the world. The country has more than 360 cities with dockless (无桩的) bike-sharing systems, with nearly 20 million bicycles for an average 47 million trips each day, according to China’s Ministry of Transport. This transportation option that produces zero emissions reduces the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere by 4.8 million tons every year, according to a 2020 report from the World Resources Institute.
1. According to the first paragraph, when cycling you may feel________ .A.relaxed | B.proud | C.anxious | D.nervous |
A.Because it is an only tool to cope with climb changes. |
B.Because it can be used in urban and rural settings in all countries. |
C.Because it has been agreed with by all 193 members of the UN. |
D.Because most people support cycling and environmental awareness. |
A.To show China has succeeded in bike-sharing services. |
B.To indicate China has the most bikes in the world. |
C.To call for the world to learn from China. |
D.To suggest that China has developed quickly. |
A.20 million tons. | B.9.6 million tons. |
C.4.8 million tons. | D.24.8 million tons. |
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2. 只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
There are many people who wants to protect the environment but don’t know that should be done. Here are a few tips that can help you lighten the burden on the heavily polluting earth.
Don’t leave any electrical appliance (电器) on careless if you are not using it. It can contributed to saving energy. In addition, recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags and newspapers if circumstances allow us to. Finally and the most importantly, be an educator. Talk with both your family and friends about global warming or let them be aware the importance of protecting the environment. Please remember that everyone contribution counts when it comes to creating a greener world.
1. 你对绿色生活的理解;
2. 你的建议。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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4 . Zhang Fan, 36, a movie visual effects designer who returned to Beijing from New Zealand for work last year, was surprised by the improvement to the city’s air quality. “I remember the smell in the air and the frequent smoggy days before I left in 2013, after getting a job offer from a film company in New Zealand, ” he said. Last year, a Chinese company offered Zhang a more promising position, so he returned, saying that he could find more opportunities in his line of work in Beijing than elsewhere. In addition to rapid economic development in the Chinese capital, he said the most impressive change is the local air quality. “People discussed air pollution a lot when I was in Beijing previously. Now, it seems that the topic has disappeared completely, as every day is good in terms of air quality,” Zhang said. “The sky in Beijing these days is so clear. ”
On Jan. 4, the municipal authorities in Beijing announced a comprehensive success in improving air quality, with the city’s annual average concentration of PM2. 5 in the air, falling to 33 micrograms per cubic meter, and ozone (臭氧) concentration dropping to 149 mcg per cu m last year.
Yu Jianhua, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, said at a news conference, “This is a milestone for Beijing’s hard work in fighting air pollution and also means that the city has met its air quality target outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan(2021-25) ahead of schedule. Beijing has demonstrated to the world over the past 20 years that a mega city with a rapidly increasing GDP, vehicle count, population and energy consumption can move forward to cut air pollution effectively. The PM2.5 reduction over the past few years has surpassed that of developed countries during the same period.
According to the Bureau, the city’s average concentration of PM2.5 dropped by 63 percent last year from 2013, an average annual reduction of about 8 percent. The city experienced 288 days of good air quality last year—up from 112 days in 2013—and just eight days of heavy air pollution. This achievement is clear to see and exciting, but it has not been easy work.
1. Why did Zhang Fan returned to Beijing?A.He was tired of his life abroad. | B.He has a deep affection for the city. |
C.The city’s air quality has improved. | D.A golden chance was offered to him. |
A.By using examples. | B.By using figures. |
C.By offering experimental findings. | D.By citing personal experience. |
A.Huge. | B.Rich. | C.Civilized. | D.Noted. |
A.Business. | B.Fashion. | C.Environment. | D.Entertainment. |
5 . The newly-elected president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro says that his country should withdraw (退出) from the 2015 Paris Agreement, and that Brazil’s rainforest protections are standing in the way of economic success. During the election campaign, he promised to ease protections for areas of the Brazilian Amazon set aside for native people and wildlife. Are Brazil’s rainforests in danger?
The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, is called “the lungs of the planet.” Each tree takes in and stores carbon dioxide from the air around it. Billions of trees pull up water through their roots and release water vapor into the air, forming tiny drops of water. The Amazon creates 30 to 50 percent of its own rainfall. Carlos Nobre, a climate scientist, says that it is almost impossible to say Just how important the rainforest is to the planet’s living systems.
Some of Bolsonaro’s support comes from business and farming groups. One supporter, Luiz Carlos, noted that farmers “are not invaders, they are producers.” He blamed the past government for supporting rainforest protections at the cost of farmers. “Brazil,” he said, “will be the biggest farming nation on Earth during Bolsonaro’s years.”
Paulo Artaxo, a professor of environmental physics at the University of Sao Paulo, says that if Bolsonaro keeps his campaign promises, then “deforestation of the Amazon will probably increase quickly — and the effects will be felt everywhere on the planet.”
Other scientists warn that if the Amazon and other tropical rainforests lose too many trees, this could affect rainfall in other areas. Without enough trees to support the rainfall, the longer and bigger dry season could turn more than half of the rainforest into a tropical grassland.
1. The first paragraph is intended to ________.A.draw people’s attention to the disappearing rainforests |
B.ask people to ease the protection of rainforests |
C.attract the public to the newly-elected president |
D.to complain about the new government's withdrawing |
A.produce much farmland |
B.examine people’s lungs |
C.change the earth’s living system |
D.destroy farmers’ crops |
A.The new president’s supporters care less about farmers. |
B.Scientists are concerned about the protection of rainforests. |
C.The rainforests will stop the economic development in Brazil. |
D.The past government is to blame for the destruction of rainforests |
A.a newspaper |
B.a magazine |
C.a guidebook |
D.a textbook |
6 . Angela Pozzi didn’t like seeing plastic trash washing up on the shore near her home in Bandon, Oregon. She wanted to unite her community to clean it up, so she started an organization and called it Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea.
Volunteers help clean up Oregon’s 300 miles of shoreline. Then, using only plastics from the beach cleanup, Ms Pozzi and her staff and many, many volunteers create sculptures of sea animals. Ms Pozzi says, “I want to create sculptures that, hopefully, will make people consider their plastic purchases and be aware of how so much plastic ends up in the oceans.”
Since 2010, more than 10,000 volunteers have collected 21 tons of trash and helped create more than 70 works of art. Four traveling exhibits have displayed the sculptures in more than 18 places. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, hosted an exhibit through September 2018.
People have used plastics to create life-saving medical devices, inexpensive containers and gadgets, and toys, of course. But unlike wood, cotton, and other natural materials, plastics don’t break down into anything useful to other living things. Instead, they stay for years in landfills, waterways, and the oceans. The materials are harmful to some sea animals, such as turtles, sea lions, and birds. Some of these creatures eat plastic objects that look like food. Others become entangled (被缠住) in plastic nets or packaging.
Ms Pozzi gives credit to everyone who helps. “One person didn’t create these sculptures,” she says. “Some people have picked up the plastic; others have sorted the items by color. Still others have washed each piece of plastic trash. Volunteers have drilled holes or helped to make the small wire-stitched panels, while others welded (焊接) the giant frames. I do the heads and detail work, and my staff and I take all the pieces everyone contributes to finish the work.” Says Ms Pozzi, “Until we run out of plastic on the beach, the work will continue.”
1. According to the passage, Washed Ashore ________.A.is an official organization | B.collects plastics for money |
C.turns the waste into artworks | D.aims to prevent the use of plastics |
A.The long history of the organization. |
B.The accomplishments of the organization. |
C.The sculptures are popular in many places. |
D.Many people are in favour of the organization. |
A.A double-edged sword. | B.A threat to living things. |
C.More stable in landfills. | D.Food for sea creatures. |
A.To teach it to readers. | B.To show its difficulty. |
C.Because she feels very proud. | D.Because it is an art by teamwork. |
7 . Among the world’s waste-recycling pioneers, Germany is the leader. The country has quite a detailed way of sorting their waste-down to the color of glass waste, the type of paper, the separate bin for metals, etc.
Here below are what you should know about Germany’s waste sorting system:
◇You are expected to gather your waste in your apartment/housing area’s local public garbage bins.
◇There are commonly several types of public garbage bins available in the German’s apartment/housing areas:
Blue bin — for paper and cardboard
Green and white bin — for glass, different bins for differently colored glass, not available for holiday decorations and lights
Yellow/orange bin — for plastic and metals
Brown bin — for goods that can be changed naturally by bacteria into substances that don’t harm the environment, like leftovers, fruit and vegetables
Gray/black bin — for everything else that can’t be recycled such as used cat litter and animal waste
◇Some items don’t belong in these public garbage bins. Items like used batteries, electronics, unused paints, and lights must be returned to the special agent/locations so they can be properly recycled. Other items such as clothes, shoes, and oversized rubbish and furniture are advised to be donated or sold.
◇There’s this thing called Pfand in Germany, a certain part of the price for a bottled drink that you get back if you send back the bottle to certified (有资历的) shops. German law requires shops over a certain size selling bottled drinks have a Pfandruckgabestelle, or place for bottles with deposits (押金). These bottles usually made of glass or plastic will be refilled. Of course, there’re strict health regulations.
1. Which bin should the fallen leaves be classified into?A.The blue bin. | B.The brown bin. |
C.The grey/black bin. | D.The green and white bin. |
A.By returning it to special agents. | B.By placing it in a specific location. |
C.By giving it away to those in need. | D.By donating it to a Pfandruckgabestelle. |
A.To collect money for some shops. | B.To help shops reuse plastic or glass. |
C.To reduce the broken bottles. | D.To encourage bottles to be returned. |
8 . The worldwide 20th century “Green Revolution”, which saw huge year-by-year increases in global grain yields (产量),was fueled by the development in the 1960s of new high-yielding dwarfed (矮小) varieties known as Green Revolution Varieties (GRVs).
These dwarfed GRVs are common all over the world in today’s wheat and rice crops. Because they are dwarfed, with short stems, GRVs devote relatively more resources than tall plants to the growth of grains rather than stems, and are less likely to suffer yield losses from wind and rain damage. However, the growth of GRVs requires farmers to use large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers (氮肥) in their fields. These fertilizers are costly to farmers and cause extensive damage to the natural environment. The development of new GRVs combining high yields with reduced fertilizer requirements is thus a global agricultural goal.
Researchers at the University of Oxford and the Chinese Academy of Science have discovered for the first time a gene that can help reach the goal. Comparing 36 different dwarfed rice varieties, the researchers identified a novel natural gene that helps increase the rate at which plants make use of nitrogen from the soil. This gene, called GRF4, can increase the amount of a protein (蛋白质) in plant cells. GRF4 is actually a promoter that encourages the activity of other genes—genes that promote nitrogen uptake (摄入). Professor Harberd said, “Increasing GRF4 levels could contribute to an increase in the grain yields of GRVs, especially at low fertilizer input levels.”
The researchers say the latest rice variety containing GRVs should now become a major target for farmers in increasing crop yields and fertilizer use efficiency, with the aim of achieving the global grain yield increases necessary to feed a growing world population at a reduced environmental cost. It is very urgent at the moment.
Professor Harberd added, “This study is an example of how studying fundamental science objectives can lead rapidly to potential solutions to global challenges. It shows how the discovery can enable chances for food security and future new green revolutions.”
1. What can we know about dwarfed GRVs?A.They have higher yield and taller stems. |
B.They are a “double-edged sword”. |
C.They are environmentally friendly. |
D.They can be easily affected by weather. |
A.Increasing the rate of nitrogen use. |
B.Producing cheaper nitrogen fertilizers. |
C.Using fewer fertilizers to produce more grains. |
D.Finding a gene to solve agricultural problems. |
A.It promotes other genes' activity. |
B.It increases the output of crops. |
C.It takes in nitrogen from the soil. |
D.It lowers fertilizer input levels. |
A.Decreasing the amount of fertilizers required by GRVs. |
B.Encouraging farmers to adopt the new rice variety. |
C.Calling on farmers to use effective fertilizers. |
D.Focusing on the improvement of GRF4. |
A.GRVs—a potential measure to achieve global food security. |
B.The influence of agricultural development on the environment. |
C.The importance of raising public awareness of global issues. |
D.GRF4—foundation for new green revolutions. |
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