1 . With a consulting room, an intensive care unit and a rehabilitation center, the Wucheng wildlife rescue center near Poyang Lake has become a place for sick and injured wintering birds to recover.
”We have
Shu said meals are provided for the sick birds according to their species and
Nearly 98 percent of the world’s white cranes, over 80 percent of the oriental storks and more than 70 percent of the white-naped cranes spend their
Li Chunru, 75, has cared for injured birds for nearly four decades.
On Jan 2, migratory bird protection centers in Jiangxi and Tianjin released nine recovered birds in Duchang, including oriental storks, gray cranes, swans and geese. Seven of the birds had been brought from Tianjin for treatment. The birds were released in Poyang Lake so they could more easily
Liu Xinxi, an official with the Poyang Lake Wetland Park, said the birds are becoming less
Dai Nianhua, a researcher with the Institute of Bioresources at the Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, said the implementation of a 10-year fishing ban in Poyang Lake has better protected aquatic organisms and created
“With people’s increasing awareness of environmental protection, the ecological environment of Poyang Lake has been improving,” Dai said.
1.| A．fed | B．raised | C．treated | D．studied |
| A．holds | B．trades | C．hosts | D．sells |
| A．clinic | B．lake | C．spot | D．habitat |
| A．living | B．eating | C．sleeping | D．dating |
| A．recovery | B．treatment | C．dinner | D．rest |
| A．summer months | B．winter months | C．the rest of their life | D．treatment period |
| A．health | B．business | C．environmental | D．humanity |
| A．Previously | B．Professionally | C．Officially | D．Personally |
| A．filled with | B．dotted with | C．installed with | D．fitted with |
| A．collect | B．rejoin | C．lead | D．seek |
| A．As for | B．At best | C．In general | D．Apart from |
| A．nourished | B．endangered | C．distributed | D．enhanced |
| A．timid | B．fierce | C．tame | D．bold |
| A．accessible | B．distant | C．close | D．available |
| A．favourite | B．favourable | C．comfortable | D．agreeable |
2 . Pictures of the bird called the red siskin appear on Venezuela’s money, on products and in school books.
But the small song bird is disappearing from the wild. It has become the victim of reducing forests and hunters who want to sell their bright red feathers. That threat has brought together an international team. They hope to save the bird. The plan is to have farmers plant organic coffee plants which are covered with branches that make good nesting places for the birds.
Once found in the millions, as few as 300 red siskins remain in Venezuela. “They don’t have many years left, unless we do something right now,” said Miguel Arvelo.
Fanners who meet the project’s rules will win the right to sell their beans with “Bird Friendly” labels. They will be able to set prices for such “high quality” products that can be five times higher than legal prices set by the government.
The male siskin is valued for its red feathers and black head. Breeders cross them with yellow pet birds to create babies with colourful feathers. Protection under Venezuelan law has not prohibited hunters from catching the birds to sell on an illegal international market. Poor Venezuelan families often catch and sell the birds. The money they receive can feed their children for months, said biologist Jhonathan Miranda.
At the same time, a red siskin breeding centre is being built at a private zoo in Venezuela. There, 200 birds are expected to be born next year. Scientists keep the places where the birds live a secret to protect them from hunters. They permitted some reporters to photograph a small number of birds at one of those secret places. Twelve or more of the small, red birds flew into sight just as the sun appeared.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen so many birds together,” said Miranda. “It gives us hope.”
1. What do Miguel’s words in the third paragraph suggest?| A．The red siskins can’t live longer. | B．It is urgent to save the red siskins. |
| C．Organic coffee plants will die soon. | D．Coffee farmers do the right thing now. |
| A．To make them plant less coffee crops. | B．To increase their coffee production. |
| C．To provide red siskins with good habitats. | D．To allow some sunshine into the coffee fields. |
| A．They produce coffee beans of high quality. | B．They have a ban on their coffee planting. |
| C．They enjoy the right to feed birds with beans. | D．They can sell their coffee at a higher price. |
| A．Saving red siskins by planting coffee plants | B．Helping Venezuelans plant more coffee crops |
| C．Preserving the endangered species in Venezuela | D．Building a breeding centre for red siskins |
3 . This 3-mile stretch of sand and tide pools beneath a castle of 80-foot cliffs is a California tourism poster if there ever was one. Nothing disturbs the perfect, sunny view, except — once you’re aware of them — microplastic particles (颗粒). But you have to look close-on-your-hands-and-knees close-to see one. And once you do, you see another and another — so many that you may not think of this, or any beach, the same way again. These tiny preproduction plastic balls that manufacturers (生产商) melt down to form everything have been escaping factories, container ships, trains, trucks — and public notice — for decades.
The 2- to 3-millimeter, multicolored balls are a subset (子集) of microplastic-plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size. Microplastic particles accumulate where water takes them, and they’ve been found on shorelines of every continent.
Dr McReynolds is an environmental scientist who’s now joined a global movement studying their trail into the environment. Establishing a baseline count of the presence of microplastic particles — and, more broadly, any microplastics — is the focus of Dr McReynolds’ scientific study here. Charting the count, noting tide, current, and weather conditions will show if amounts are increasing, and perhaps at what rate and why. That knowledge, he says, can inform solutions to plastic pollution such as regulation of their use.
“What are you doing? Picking up trash?” asks a steady stream of beach walkers whenever Dr McReynolds’ crew walks onto the beach and sets up equipment. These are teachable moments for Dr McReynolds.
One recent morning he told some beach walkers how microplastic particles are believed to absorb toxic chemicals, and — because they resemble fish eggs — are eaten by fish and birds and enter the food chain. Almost right on time, a seagull hopped up to a plastic-coated photo of microplastic particles and hungrily pecked (啄食) at it.
Will his work help save the world? Dr McReynolds waves a finger at that idea, “I won’t ever use that word — I won’t save the world from this pollution problem. Preserve it, yes. We want to take care of it.”
1. What do we know about microplastic particles from paragraph 1?| A．They are too small to be seen. | B．They have been ignored for long. |
| C．They are products of plastic balls. | D．They can be made into almost everything. |
| A．Classifying plastic particles into subsets. | B．Finding solutions to plastic pollution. |
| C．Charting the tides and currents of oceans. | D．Creating a data collection for microplastics. |
| A．The interesting teachable moments. | B．The spread of poisonous chemicals. |
| C．The harmful effect of microplastic particles. | D．The beauty of the photo of microplastic particles. |
| A．To save the world. | B．To protect the earth. | C．To educate the public. | D．To provide solutions. |
4 . Recycling is good for our planet, but it can be confusing. Can I recycle plastic bags? What about pizza cartons? Toothpaste tubes? Which bin should I use? There are so many questions, and more than half of Americans are unsure about how to recycle.
Know what to put in the recycling bin. Keep it simple and focus on the most commonly recycled items, such as paper, glass, aluminum and plastic.
Wash or clean items. Do a quick clean to make sure there is no food left in containers before you put them in the bin.
Don’t bag it. Unless you live in a place that requires it, like New York City, keep the recyclables lost in the bin. “A lot of the time, it’s not safe for our employees to tear those bags open, or it takes too much time,” said Keller. “
| A．Know what is not recyclable. |
| B．The answers are not hard to find. |
| C．A lot of bagged stuff goes right to the landfill. |
| D．Plastic bags can be used again or returned to grocery stores. |
| E．If you really don’t know if an item is recyclable, then just throw it in the garbage. |
| F．This is really important if you only use one bin because food items could ruin paper. |
| G．Hard plastics like water and soft drink bottles or anything like these can be recycled. |
5 . Recently the air was turning warm. I went for a drive
I wondered
She
I told her that I wrote articles for the
So the next time you go out for a drive, be
| A．through | B．over | C．beyond | D．with |
| A．movement | B．progress | C．destination | D．match |
| A．crying | B．surviving | C．running | D．floating |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Obviously | D．Suddenly |
| A．discussed | B．watched | C．contacted | D．exchanged |
| A．whether | B．what | C．that | D．who |
| A．concerned | B．professional | C．ordinary | D．strict |
| A．encouragement | B．assistance | C．improvement | D．importance |
| A．admired | B．reported | C．employed | D．introduced |
| A．requested | B．warned | C．told | D．suggested |
| A．books | B．animals | C．rubbish | D．trees |
| A．nervously | B．immediately | C．normally | D．thoughtlessly |
| A．promised | B．invented | C．challenged | D．invited |
| A．produced | B．collected | C．thrown | D．designed |
| A．local | B．popular | C．expensive | D．secret |
| A．pride | B．question | C．hesitation | D．regret |
| A．attractive | B．thankful | C．embarrassed | D．relaxed |
| A．protectors | B．family | C．workmates | D．experts |
| A．traffic | B．distance | C．moment | D．part |
| A．contributed | B．added | C．exchanged | D．followed |
These days, we still need to wear masks because of COVID-19 when we go to some places like hospitals and supermarkets. It becomes a rule. We use lots of masks every day. But do you know a lot of them may end up on the streets, in the parks, or even in the rivers?
A company in Cornwall, Britain came up with a good idea to solve the problem.
Now in Cornwall, over 300 schools get these litter pickers.
7 . With just a towel around Mr Goh Sia Hock’s neck to soak up ( 吸入) his sweat, the 54-year-old landscape worker continues to work outdoors under the midday sun. For five-and-a-half days each week, he spends hours outdoors. “But I have been doing this for about one-and-a-half years now, so I’m quite used to it.” Even so, he admits that the recent weather has been testing his limits.
Last month, Singapore saw 14 days where the daily maximum ( 最高的) temperature reached 34 degrees. The southern and south-eastern parts of the island also saw warmer nights with a minimum temperature of around 28 degrees.
As temperatures climb, experts said people may have a higher risk of developing heat-related injuries or illnesses and special focus should be paid to these diseases. Currently, cases of heat injuries and deaths in Singapore are low compared to places such as India and eastern Europe, where deadly summer heatwaves have killed thousands of people. According to data provided by the Ministry of Health, between 71 and 124 people were admitted to hospitals for heat-related illnesses each year from 2010 to 2020.
But with Singapore heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world, temperatures could soar ( 猛增) to new heights in the coming years. According to the National Climate Change Secretariat, Singapore’s yearly mean temperatures have been continuously climbing over the past few years, increasing from 26.9 degrees in 1980 to 28 degrees last year. Seven of the top ten hottest years fell within these ten years.
“The sort of issues that Singapore will be facing won’t be things like wildfires, but rather a gradual increase of warmer temperatures,” said climate scientist Winston Chow, an associate professor of science, technology and society at the Singapore Management University. “We might see temperatures over 36 degrees at some point, but sooner rather than later. The likelihood of heat stress, heat injuries and deaths will increase because of increase in exposure ( 遭受) to a warmer climate.”
1. How does Mr Goh Sia Hock feel about working outdoors recently?| A．It is extremely uncomfortable. |
| B．It is pretty embarrassing. |
| C．It is very enjoyable. |
| D．It is quite easy. |
| A．Get checkups in hospital frequently. |
| B．Stay indoors when heatwaves come. |
| C．Pay attention to heat-related diseases. |
| D．Move to places with lower temperatures. |
| A．The mean temperature in Singapore is the highest in Asia. |
| B．The mean temperatures in Singapore have been rising for years. |
| C．The rate of temperature rise in Singapore is slower than expected. |
| D．The rising temperature has been unnoticeable in Singapore since 1980. |
| A．It would not have any influence for quite a while. |
| B．It would cause severe wildfires in the future. |
| C．It would be as common as wildfires. |
| D．It would be challenging to deal with. |
8 . In Jakarta, apart from the narrow, unpaved road, the two-meter-high concrete coastal wall is the only thing that separates Susan’s small restaurant from the sea. Her family depends on that wall. Growing up here, Susan used to play on the beach in front of her house. But by the 2000s the beach had disappeared, and the sea frequently flooded the neighborhood.
In 2002, the government built the coastal wall, to give the residents peace of mind and time-a respite (暂缓) from the steady sinking of the land under the city and the steady rising of the sea. But just five years later, in 2007, the wall proved no match for the worst floods in Jakarta’s modern history.
Jakarta is now sinking at a truly alarming rate-a rate that varies around the city but is up to 11 inches a year in the northern areas. About 40 percent of Jakarta is below sea level. By comparison, climate change is raising sea level by only less than an inch a year. But sinking land and rising sea both point toward the same outcome: regular flooding in Jakarta. “Jakarta is the center of administration, economy, culture, and entertainment. Over the years Jakarta has grown into a big city with no environmental support system.” says Andy, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia. Ultimately that’s why it is sinking today.
The situation is one reason the government announced that the nation’s capital would be moved away to a new city to be built on Borneo, which is now forest. But local communities aren’t so happy with the plan. They fear the project would destroy their land, forest, and livelihoods. In Jakarta, on the other hand, those who welcome the decision arguing that it will ease Jakarta’s burdens of crowding and pollution.
But as the government leaves the sinking capital, what is to become of the 10 million people like Susan who still live there?
1. What is the function of the coastal wall?| A．To prevent the land from sinking. |
| B．To keep the residents from floods. |
| C．To stop the steady rising of the sea. |
| D．To restore the beach for the residents. |
| A．The floods were caused by nature and humans. |
| B．Climate change is the primary cause of the floods. |
| C．The rise of the sea level is the outcome of regular flooding. |
| D．The economic development has a great impact on the floods. |
| A．It is no longer the nation’s capital now. |
| B．It is an underdeveloped city with a large population. |
| C．Its residents suffer a lot from the plan of the government. |
| D．Its measures to protect the environment are far from satisfactory. |
| A．Intolerant. |
| B．Supportive. |
| C．Worried. |
| D．Indifferent. |
9 . Michael Gonsalves, a chef of Golden Oak at Disney World, has a cuisine concept rooted in fresh, locally-sourced ingredients that originated from childhood harvesting produce from their family garden with his mom to eventually leading kitchens at Walt Disney World Resorts to employ a sustainable model.
“Truly the whole process starts with menu planning,” he said. Creating one dish leads into the creation of many more through the end-to-end use of products. As chefs, they are always searching for the best ingredients. It is then their focus to ensure they appreciate and respect all that go into each and every one of them. For example, they source chicken that is naturally grown and fed on a natural plant forward diet, no hormones (激素) or additives — that’s used in many ways throughout menus from a simple grilled chicken breast to bone soup. Nothing goes to waste.
When they do have waste, even if minimal, they shift it from landfills to transform it into compost (堆肥) that’s then used across the Walt Disney World property. They also support Second Harvest, a local community food bank where healthy produce, prepared, but not served, meals eatable for human consumption are donated. Disney also works with pig farmers when they can’t distribute foods past the point of safety for human consumption. Besides, wildlife reservations love to get the meat because tigers and wild cats can still eat that.
Their operations are “on a path to a sustainable zero waste kitchen of tomorrow” where chefs learn the full-life cycle of plants from seed to plate and gain a better understanding and appreciation for the product and their craft.
Golden Oak at Disney has millions of bees that produce up to 300 pounds of honey per year, plus those bees help with cross pollination (授粉) of their gardens on a daily basis. They advocate a culture that helps develop not only the quality of food, but an appreciation for nature.
1. Where did Michael Gonsalves’ idea about cuisine come from?| A．His mom’s suggestions. | B．His dream of becoming a chef. |
| C．His interest in delicious food. | D．His labor experience as a child. |
| A．They are grilled to eat. | B．They are used to the fullest. |
| C．They are divided into groups. | D．They are selected by quality. |
| A．Give examples about zero waste. |
| B．Introduce the unique habit of wildlife. |
| C．Stress the importance of natural food. |
| D．Explain the operation mode of the food bank. |
| A．Disney World:New Cuisine Road |
| B．Michael Gonsalves:Creative Chef |
| C．Michael Gonsalves:Advocate of Food Diversity |
| D．Disney World:Pioneer in Environmental Protection |
1. What is the woman doing?
| A．Hosting a program. |
| B．Having a job interview. |
| C．Doing an environmental test. |
| A．The fish were covered with oil. |
| B．The birds died of a rare disease. |
| C．The whales were washed up on the shore. |
| A．Interesting. |
| B．Difficult. |
| C．Easy. |
| A．He liked outdoor activities. |
| B．He enjoyed staying at the coast. |
| C．He was interested in the ocean system. |
