1 . I was an environmental educator, tasked with instilling nature consciousness in young minds. My boss gave me standards for my nature hikes: “Educate students about river pollution”,“Inform students of regional endangered species”, or “Equip students to understand recycling.” While I did my best to engage with my tag-alongs, and give them an outdoor adventure, I noticed a disturbing tend — when the kids talked about their own relationships with nature, they were   full of guilt and fear.

Through the continuous stream of information now available in the modern age, the kids’ young minds were filled with the knowledge of deforestation, forest fires, extinct species, polluted waterways, and celebrities telling them to “do better”. Well-meaning but heavy-handed programs laid these big, scary problems at their feet, and then offered little help for tiny hands. After participating in classes like this for years, I can confidently report that the result of such teaching was often little more than helplessness, and continued disconnection from nature .

Rather than scaring kids, we need to use fun, adventure, discovery, and locally connected efforts to truly educate children about their world. I’ d like to advocate different approaches: Making creative art projects with things that can be found in nature or in daily life to show them the importance of conserving resources, creating a model ocean to teach them about ocean oil spills (泄漏) and pollution: gardening with them and teaching them about how plants grow so as to give them experience with taking care of nature, taking them to a zoo, farm, beach, or forest to see different types of animals.

While it’s important that we all collectively help raise today’s children to be tomorrow’s   environimental advocates, it deserves more attention to how to raise an environmentally conscious child to care about the environment without guilt or fear.

1. What does the underlined word “tag-alongs” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Hikes

B．Surveys.

C．Colleagues.

D．Students.

2. Why did kids feel guilty and fearful?

A．They lacked knowledge of climate change.

B．Regional species were endangered or dangerous.

C．Real information on the environment was inaccessible.

D．They were burdened with enormous negative eco issues.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards the present envirommental education?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Critical.

C．Favorable.

D．Unclear.

4. Which of the following approaches is advocated by the author?

A．Making crafts out of empty tissue boxes.

B．Reading the books about resource recycling.

C．Lecturing students on ocean spills and pollution.

D．Watching videos about plant growing in the classroom.

2 . “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” could eventually become less of a baby lullaby and more of an elegy (挽歌).

Seeing stars keeps getting more difficult because artificial lighting is making the night sky about 10% brighter each year, according to a study that analyzed reports from more than 50,000 amateur stargazers. That’s a much faster rate of change than scientists previously estimated looking at satellite data.

To illustrate the change, researchers gave this example: A child is born where 250 stars are visible on a clear night. By the time that child turns 18, only 100 stars are still visible. “We are losing, year by year, the possibility to see the stars, which has been a universal human experience,” said Fabio Falchi, a physicist at Chile’s University of Santiago de Compostela. “If you can still see the dimmest stars, you are in a very dark place. But if you see only the brightest ones, you are in a very light-polluted place.”

“Prior studies of artificial lighting, which used satellite images of the Earth at night, had estimated the annual increase in sky brightness to be about 2% a year,” said Christopher Kyba, a physicist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam.

But the satellites used weren’t able to detect light with wavelengths toward the blue end of the spectrum (光谱) — including the light from energy-efficient LED bulbs. More than half of the new outdoor lights installed in the United States in the past decade have been LED lights, according to the researchers. The satellites are also better at detecting light that scatters (散射) upward, like a spotlight, than light that scatters horizontally (水平地).

Georgetown University biologist Emily Williams, who was not part of the study, said, “Skyglow disturbs circadian rhythms in humans and other forms of life. Migratory songbirds normally use starlight to find out where they are in the sky at night. And when sea turtle babies hatch, they use light to orient toward the ocean — light pollution is a huge deal for them.”

1. What did the researchers, example indicate in paragraph 3?

A．The rapid decrease in star visibility.	B．The severity of outdoor air pollution.
C．Children’s fondness for a clear night sky.	D．People’s regret for lost childhood activities.

2. Which of the following was a disadvantage of satellites used in previous studies?

A．It couldn’t discover the blue color.	B．It failed to detect the whole spectrum.
C．It was sensitive to light from LED bulbs.	D．It couldn’t find horizontal light resources.

3. What is Emily Williams’ attitude to the effects of light pollution?

A．Tolerant.

B．Concerned.

C．Unclear.

D．Doubtful.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Stars Are Disappearing from the Night Sky

B．The Meaning Behind a Traditional Baby Song

C．Light Pollution Harms Wildlife and Ecosystems

D．Satellites Used in Measuring Night Sky Brightness

3 . Few sights feel nostalgia (怀旧的) like the flickering glow of fireflies at night. But these insects are in trouble. In America, eighteen species of fireflies face extinction.     1     Here’s what you can do to ensure that fireflies will continue to light up our backyards for generations to come.

Create a firefly habitat. The biggest threat facing fireflies today is the loss of their habitats. Fireflies mainly live underground or in moist (潮湿的) soil where they can feed on their favorite food earthworms. You can leave some woody bits and leaf litter around. You could also plant bush and trees and let your grass grow long.     2    

Turn off your lights. The same glow that makes fireflies so remarkable also means harm? You can draw your curtains shut at night to prevent light from seeping out the window — and turn off the lights completely.     3     Although red light has long been considered okay for fireflies, that thinking is changing. Whenever possible, darkness is the answer.

    4     Spraying (喷洒) your yard with pesticides and insecticides also poses a threat to fireflies. Most of the pesticides will kill fireflies just as swiftly as they kill ants and other less-beloved insects. Scientists are researching alternatives to chemical pesticides that could target specific species while leaving other insects unharmed.

Practice good firefly tourism. Fireflies are so attractive that they’re now the main attraction at tourist sites across the world.     5     The reason is that it encourages an appreciation for fireflies while also disturbing their life cycles and habitats. If a firefly-watching destination has installed raised walkways to protect fireflies, don’t stray from it.

A．What about colored lights?

B．Research more on other insects.

C．This can be a double-edged sword.

D．Consider limitation on use of pesticides.

E．Experts say their global species are endangered too.

F．It will help soil keep the moisture that fireflies love.

G．Firefly tourism’s important especially in poor countries.

4 . We all know fresh is best when it comes to food. However, most produce at the store went through weeks of travel and covered hundreds of miles before reaching the table. While farmer’s markets are a solid choice to reduce the journey, Babylon Micro-Farm (BMF) shortens it even more.

BMF is an indoor garden system. It can be set up for a family. Additionally, it could serve a larger audience such as a hospital, restaurant or school. The innovative design requires little effort to achieve a reliable weekly supply of fresh greens.

Specifically, it’s a farm that relies on new technology. By connecting through the Cloud, BMF is remotely monitored. Also, there is a convenient app that provides growing data in real time. Because the system is automated, it significantly reduces the amount of water needed to grow plants. Rather than watering rows of soil, the system provides just the right amount to each plant. After harvest, users simply replace the plants with a new pre-seeded pod (容器) to get the next growth cycle started.

Moreover, having a system in the same building where it’s eaten means zero emissions (排放) from transporting plants from soil to salad. In addition, there’s no need for pesticides and other chemicals that pollute traditional farms and the surrounding environment.

BMF employees live out sustainability in their everyday lives. About half of them walk or bike to work. Inside the office, they encourage recycling and waste reduction by limiting garbage cans and avoiding single-use plastic. “We are passionate about reducing waste, carbon and chemicals in our environment,” said a BMF employee.

1. What can be learned about BMF from paragraph 1?

A．It guarantees the variety of food.	B．It requires day-to-day care.
C．It cuts the farm-to-table distance.	D．It relies on farmer’s markets.

2. What information does the convenient app offer?

A．Real-time weather changes.	B．Current condition of the plants.
C．Chemical pollutants in the soil.	D．Availability of pre-seeded pods.

3. What can be concluded about BMF employees?

A．They have a great passion for sports.

B．They are devoted to community service.

C．They are fond of sharing daily experiences.

D．They have a strong environmental awareness.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．BMF’s major strengths.	B．BMF’s general management.
C．BMF’s global influence.	D．BMF’s technical standards.

5 . The Last Generation is an activist group in Germany, the name implying that our unsustainability will push us to extinction. To force their government into action, some of the group went on a month-long hunger strike in August 2021. It wasn’t a half-hearted effort: several ended up in hospital.

But I’d like to take the opposite framing. I think we have the opportunity to be the first generation that leaves the environment in a better state.

There are two kinds of optimism: complacent optimism and conditional optimism. Complacent optimism is the feeling of a child waiting for presents. Conditional optimism is the feeling of a child who is thinking about building a tree house, “If I get some wood and nails and persuade some other kids to help do the work, we can end up with something really cool.” The group actually did take bold action, yet I want to address the climate crisis from a different angle.

Yes, my framing seems hard to believe. I’ll explain why. Here I’m using the term “generation” loosely. I am from a generation that will be defined by our environmental problems. I was a child when climate change really began. I will see countries move from being almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels to being free of them. I will be 57 when governments hit the “2050 deadline” of reaching net-zero carbon emissions that so many have promised.

But, of course, there will be several generations involved in this project. There are a couple above me and a couple below me. And we all need to work together to achieve that.

For a conditional optimist, criticism is essential. We need to work through ideas to find the most promising ones. Most innovators have been optimists. But they were also strongly critical: no one would pick apart the ideas of Thomas Edison or Marie Curie more than they did themselves.

Don’t look away from the climate crisis that faces us. Let’s face up to it, not from a place of “damage control” but with a clear vision of the future we can build: one that not only stops warming in its tracks but builds a better world for us, all of us, and the species hat we share the planet with.

1. Why is The Last Generation introduced?

A．To blame them for their action.	B．To remind Germany of its duties.
C．To discuss the author’s perspective.	D．To demand urgent action from everyone.

2. What is the core of complacent optimism?

A．Belief in kindness.	B．Passive expectation.
C．Brief satisfaction.	D．Love of presents.

3. What does the underlined phrase “pick apart” in paragraph 6 mean?

A．Turn to.

B．Identify with.

C．Find fault with.

D．Make an assessment of.

4. What does the author intend the readers to do?

A．Envision and engage.	B．Adapt and advance.
C．Inspire and Innovate.	D．Explore and expand.

6 . When floods completely destroyed Bangkok more than a decade ago, Thai landscape architect, Kotchakorn Voraakhom became determined to help her sinking hometown fight this deadly climate threat. “The floods changed my life,” said Voraakhom, who studied at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. “It was the turning point, when I started using the tools of landscape architecture to cope with climate change.”

Voraakhom’s fantastic projects in Bangkok include a park that can hold up to one million gallons of water, Asia’s largest rooftop farm, an elevated walkway installed on a bridge and a lush (草木繁茂的) canal park in the city center.

One of Voraakhom’s most innovative designs is Centenary Park in Chulalongkorn University. The park stores large amounts of rainwater and prevents the surrounding streets from flooding. Built on an incline (斜坡), it directs runoff water through inclined gardens and artificial wetlands. From there, water flows into a retention pond (澄清的) with a capacity of nearly 480,000 gallons. Beneath the soil is an additional water tank which can hold nearly 160,000 gallons. The entire park can store up to one million gallons of water.

Voraakhom also created Asia’s largest rooftop farm, Siam Green Sky, transforming 22,400 square meters (241,000 square feet) into a lush field. The farm, which recycles food waste from restaurants in the building below and uses it as plant fertilizer (肥料), also slows down, soaks up and stores large amounts of rainwater. It is then used to grow vegetables, herbs and fruit, as well as rice.

The architect said she integrates nature and water into her designs to create landscapes that help alleviate flooding and add greenery to densely populated cities. The central question sinking cities like Bangkok need to focus on is: “how are we going to live with the water, without fear?” said Voraakhom. This idea of “living with the water” lies at the heart of her design approach.

1. What did Kotchakorn focus on to cope with flooding?

A．Green coverage.	B．Soil conservation.
C．Architecture design.	D．Alternative resources.

2. Which is not included in the architect’s projects?

A．Centenary Park.	B．Siam Green Sky.
C．An elevated walkway.	D．Chulalongkorn University.

3. What does the underlined word “alleviate” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A．Make less severe.	B．Get better.
C．Adapt itself to.	D．Take in.

4. What effect would Centenary Park have on viewers?

A．Calming.

B．Disturbing.

C．Refreshing.

D．Challenging.

7 . I went into our laboratory feeling depressed. For months, I had been trying to recycle some of our laboratory’s plastic waste into 3D-printed laboratory tools, but it wasn’t going well. My colleagues suggested thinking about how to avoid having so much plastic waste in the first place, which boosted my spirits and led to a series of changes in how we operate in the laboratory.

I raised the idea of creating 3D-printed laboratory tools out of some of our waste, but it was also tricky to get the recycled material into a consistent shape that could be fed into the 3D printer. After months of struggling, I feared that my vision might not live up to my expectations, so it was really a welcome relief when my colleagues were eager to brainstorm other ways to reduce our environmental footprint.

We decided to create a group sticking to pushing for “greener” ways to operate, inviting researchers in other laboratories at our institution as well as our own. Over the following months, we launched a series of initiatives that we feel have made a difference. We introduced new recycling bins to each laboratory, designed ways to reduce our use of plastic items and purchased meters to track the energy consumption of various pieces of laboratory equipment. That helped us create rules for each device, which we outlined on stickers: “Turn me off at the end of the day,” “Never turn me off,” or “Turn me off if empty or not in use.” We also increased the temperature of several low-temperature freezers after realizing some samples didn’t have to be stored so cold.

I’m still disappointed that I was not able to fully realize my 3D-printing vision, and I am committed enough to keep trying. But I’ve also learned that if one approach isn’t working, sometimes it’s best to take a step back and look for other solutions. I’m thankful that with the help of the academic community around me, we were able to do that.

1. Why was the author upset for months?

A．His lab tools were outdated.	B．He failed to realize his vision.
C．His idea was denied by co-workers.	D．He produced too much plastic waste.

2. Why did researchers put stickers on the devices?

A．To identify the ownership.	B．To decorate the equipment.
C．To give energy-saving reminders.	D．To offer cost-efficient approaches.

3. What will the author probably do in the future?

A．Develop new 3D printers.	B．Seek a greener laboratory.
C．Quit 3D-printing research.	D．Pursue an academic degree.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．One tree cannot make a forest.	B．Actions speak louder than words.
C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.	D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

8 . The Ladakh region, the northernmost plateau of India, sits more than 3,000m above sea level. The tall Himalayan mountains stop the _________ rains from coming there. So Ladakh has usually been _________ in the sun for 300 days per year. Floods were _________ unheard of before. However, floods have _________ four times since 2010 owing to climate change.

A decade and a half ago, the Ladakhi land provided villagers with a _________ water supply. Winter snow melted (融化) to _________ rivers and provided water for agriculture in the spring. But climate change has seen average winter _________ in Ladakhi rise. The snow melts faster, _________ villagers with little or no water in the spring. More and more _________ are leaving.

Despite that, there is __________ for this region. In 2019, engineer Sonam Wangchuk __________ unmelted ice under a bridge, sheltered from the sun. __________, he had an idea. Wangchuk wanted to help villagers __________ water in winter which could be saved for use in the spring. Freezing it in the shape of a cone (圆锥体) could maximize the volume of ice per surface area exposed to the sun and __________ the amount of time it would take to melt.

The engineer and a team of local people began looking for the best way of creating cones of ice. Eventually, they did it. Now named ice towers, they have gained __________ all across Ladakh.

1.

A．heavy

B．cold

C．daily

D．annual

2.

A．lost

B．bathed

C．trapped

D．hidden

3.

A．virtually

B．eventually

C．frequently

D．accidentally

4.

A．decreased

B．risen

C．occurred

D．escaped

5.

A．limited

B．stable

C．unique

D．changeable

6.

A．slow down

B．clean up

C．divide

D．feed

7.

A．temperatures

B．snowfalls

C．fogs

D．rivers

8.

A．surrounding

B．helping

C．leaving

D．equipping

9.

A．hikers

B．farmers

C．engineers

D．businessmen

10.

A．doubt

B．fear

C．peace

D．hope

11.

A．remembered

B．searched

C．noticed

D．measured

12.

A．Then

B．Besides

C．However

D．Instead

13.

A．carry

B．produce

C．freeze

D．purify

14.

A．lengthen

B．save

C．display

D．reduce

15.

A．fame

B．strength

C．victory

D．popularity

9 . The wildfires in the Amazon rainforest have produced alarm around the world.     1     However, there are several steps you can take to help reduce your impact on the Amazon and other rainforests.

Buy fewer paper and wood products.

One of the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon is logging, which is driven by the high demand for wood-based products.     2     For example, you can use both sides of a piece of paper. On top of that, look out for alternative paper products that are not made from tree materials as well as paper with a high percentage of recycled materials.

Cut your fossil fuel consumption.

Some scientists think that climate change could significantly increase the rate of forest loss in the Amazon. The burning of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere afterwards is one of the primary drivers of climate change:     3     You might take a bike to work instead of driving a car and switch off electrical appliances when you are not using them.

Hold businesses responsible.

    4     If you believe that a business is operating in a manner that is environmentally irresponsible, make yourself heard: Contact the company; call them out on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter; or organize a boycott.

Direct action has the power to transform how companies do business. In 1999, Home Depot, the single largest retailer of household. items in the world, agreed to gradually stop sales of old-growth wood.     5    

A．Sadly, there is not much you can do to stop the fires.

B．So wherever possible, try to cut down on your carbon emissions.

C．This practice has led to great progress in the conservation of rainforests.

D．These fire s have brought about losses beyond measure to both humans and nature.

E．The company’s decision was largely the result of a campaign led by grassroots activists.

F．Educate yourself about the business practices of companies that are active in the Amazon.

G．Reduce the amount of wood products you purchase and make the most out of items you have bought.

10 . Thrift stores are a refuge (避难所) for countless items from landing in garbage piles. Value Village, for example, saves more than 650 million pounds of clothing from landfills each year, making it one of the largest recyclers of used garments in the world. Their stores give a second life to 1.8 million pounds of clothes every day, which is equal to 600 mid-sized cars. Almost 100 percent of clothing and textiles are recyclable, yet 85 percent of it ends up in landfills. It’s estimated that the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing a year.

Lindsay Coulter is the so-called “Queen of Green” with the David Suzuki Foundation, educating people on how to live a greener life by making changes around the house. She says that donating and shopping at thrift stores is an excellent way to exercise all three of the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. She says, “Whether it’s a purse or a pair of shoes, it’s really worth considering going to thrift stores as another point of contact to help reduce your consumption.”

Coulter points out that since landfills are air-tight, textiles take longer to break down. “I’d imagine things like an old towel, a rag or an old T-shirt will last a really long time,” she says. The beauty of thrift shopping is that the supply is never-ending, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for one day, it’s likely to show up in no time.

One person who knows this quite well is Jodi Jacyk, costume specialist in the theatre and film department at the University of British Columbia. She says the majority of items for the university’s productions are purchased second-hand. Because of her shrinking budget, items like clothing and shoes are thrifted from Value Village. “We are constantly thrifting and we re-use costumes for many years. Thrift shopping is a much easier, cheaper way to do things.” she says.

The next time you need to lighten your closet, take the opportunity to go thrift shopping to lighten both your carbon footprint and your financial burden at the same time.

1. What is a “thrift store” according to the text?

A．It donates used items.	B．It deals with daily garbage.
C．It exchanges new clothes.	D．It sells second-hand items.

2. Why did Lindsay Coulter advise shopping at thrift stores?

A．To make a change of lifestyle.	B．To be friendly to environment.
C．To reduce the cost of the family.	D．To collect money for the Foundation.

3. What do we know about Jodi Jacyk?

A．She’s known as “Queen of Green”.	B．She doesn’t plan her expenses carefully.
C．She practices thrift shopping.	D．She complains about her shrinking budget.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Go Green Your Household Items

B．Give a Second Life to Our Clothing

C．Donation Is the Virtue We Should Treasure

D．Three Rs to Lighten Your Financial Burden