1. What did Harry Nuriev do in 2019?
A.He displayed a special sofa. |
B.He designed a sofa using bags. |
C.He searched a fair for old items. |
A.Improve product quality. | B.Use sustainable material. | C.Lengthen furniture’s life. |
A.A designer’s green sofa. |
B.Problems in the furniture industry. |
C.The change in the fashion industry. |
1. What do the public pay more attention to according to the recent survey?
A.News media. | B.Political issues. | C.Living conditions. |
A.500. | B.1,500. | C.15,000. |
A.Join in environmental protection campaigns. |
B.Develop a sense of environmental protection. |
C.Donate money to the environmental department. |
A.Driving less. | B.Planting trees. | C.Picking rubbish. |
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today announced the 2023 Champions of the Earth.
“To protect our planet, we must find innovative ways to reduce the amount of plastic waste,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “One of this year’s Champions of the Earth, Blue Circle of China, has found a very good
Plastic has transformed everyday life and produced many
The addiction to plastics has created what experts call an environmental disaster. Every year, up to 23 million tons of plastic waste goes into lakes, rivers and seas. By 2040, carbon emissions associated with the production, use and disposal of plastics could account
UNEP’s Champions of the Earth honors individuals, groups and organizations whose actions have a
4 . A carbon footprint is only one component of the broader ecological footprint. An ecological footprint compares the population’s consumption of resources and land with the planet’s ability to regenerate. The Earth’s ecological footprint is currently 23 percent over capacity. It takes about one year and two months to regenerate what we consume in a year.
Carbon footprints help people keep track of changes. Because footprints quantify an amount of carbon that increases or decreases based on energy use, they let people know that a new hybrid car or home insulation (隔离) helps. Transportation accounts for 33 percent of CO2 emissions in the United States, so many people try to lower their mileage (里程). Some walk or bike whenever possible; others take public transport. Home energyuse accounts for 21 percent of U. S. CO2 emissions, so it helps to have an efficient home. Setting the thermostat (恒温器) at a moderate temperature and installing double-paned windows lowers energy costs.
Of course, individual efforts can go only so far. Cutting CO2 and other greenhouse gases down to safer levels requires significant government regulation. Lessening carbon footprints does let people see where they are and how they can change. Those who want to accept personal responsibility for their emissions can track their own reductions and change their habits.
Because carbon calculators ask for only rough estimates, it’s easy for investigators to approximate the footprints of celebrities and politicians. Analysts hope to uncover high-profile figures, especially those who promote environmentalism. Although performer Madonna and other celebrities have been accused of flying frequently, former vice president Al Gore has drawn the harshest accusations. The Gores’ spokesperson did not deny that but emphasized that the couple subscribes to green power.
1. How long can the Earth produce what we need in a year?A.2 months. | B.12 months. | C.14 months. | D.23 months. |
A.Why people are worried about CO2 emissions. |
B.How individuals can help to lower CO2 emissions. |
C.Where most CO2 emissions come from in the United States. |
D.What measures have been taken to cut down CO2 emissions. |
A.The participation of the public. |
B.The development of new equipment. |
C.The changes of our living habits. |
D.The powerful efforts of the government. |
A.Because they have mastered methods. |
B.Because it doesn’t call for much accuracy. |
C.Because famous people are easy to approach. |
D.Because new technology has advanced greatly. |
5 . A brown and dry lawn is not something many gardeners would boast about. But that is exactly the kind of yard competition organizers in Sweden were looking for when they launched the prize for the “World’s Ugliest Lawn”. People from around the world were invited to post pictures of their dehydrated(脱水的)grass to social media in a bid to win the uncertain honor.
The intention, according to those behind the project, was to raise awareness of “saving water on a global scale by changing the norm for green lawns”. Lawns, which can require large amounts of water to maintain, are coming under increasing examination as climate change makes periods of drought more frequent and intense.
The global initiative was launched on the official website for Gotland in Sweden. “Huge amounts of water are used to water lawns for aesthetics(美学). As the world gets warmer, lack of water in urban areas is projected to affect up to 2.4 billion people by 2050. By not watering lawns for aesthetic reasons, we can protect the availability of groundwater,” the competition organizers said.
The unlikely title has been awarded to Kathleen Murray who lives in Sandford in Tasmania, Australia. According to the organizers, Murray’s lawn “boasts deep and dry divots created by three wild bandicoots(袋狸)and not one dust-covered decimeter is wasted on watering”. Murray said in the press release about her triumph, “I am terribly proud! I knew I would have my 5 minutes of fame, even if it was for having the ugliest lawn on the planet! I am now free of ever taking care of my lawn again.”
A press release by the Gotland, office added, “For the planet and its declining stockpiles of life-giving liquid, thank you, Kathleen, as well as those naughty bandicoots damaging your lawn for the greater good.” Organizers added, “Gotland aims to show to Sweden and the world that sustainable behavior doesn’t have to be dull.”
1. What can we say about the yard competition organized in Sweden?A.People had even doubted its authenticity. |
B.People worldwide were unwilling to join. |
C.Its participants must be professional gardeners. |
D.Its entries must agree with the existing aesthetics. |
A.To call on people to protect lawns. | B.To encourage people to be creative. |
C.To challenge the norm of aesthetics. | D.To remind people of water shortage. |
A.Ambition. | B.Success. | C.Sorrow. | D.Barrier. |
A.People’s Whelming Reaction To A Yard Contest In Sweden |
B.Lawns And Rare Bandicoots Calling For Urgent Protection |
C.A Lawn Named The Ugliest Globally All For A Good Cause |
D.The World’s Ugliest Lawn Unaccepted By The Whole World |
6 . Do you know cultivated meat? Typically, making this sort of meat starts with cells from domestic animals. The cells are grown in bioreactors full of nutrient-rich liquid, and then harvested, and eventually become products such as steak or chicken. In a homely kitchen of Eat Just, a startup, a slice of such meat was fried and then served with peppers. The first mouthful of it was extraordinary because the meat was grown in a lab, rather than on an animal. Meanwhile, it was also dull, because the texture, taste, look and smell of the meat was almost identical to that of chicken.
In June, Eat Just and Upside Foods became the first two companies to win regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat in America. A handful of other firms are trying to bring cultivated meat to market. But the hope is fading owing to continued high costs and troubles with mass production.
The UN reports meat and dairy production already accounts for 12% of humanity’s greenhouse-gas emissions, Demand for meat is skyrocketing among the growing middle classes of Africa and Asia. Lab-grown meat could help meet that demand without the world breaking its carbon budget. By contrast, two-fifths of Americans claim to restrict their meat consumption either for ethical(伦理的) reasons or environmental ones. Lab-grown meat may seem less ethically worrisome than eating animals. And the early success of plant-based meat alternatives gave investors hope. Beyond Meat, one such firm, went public in 2019, and saw its value shoot to $14 billion.
Though lab-grown meat offers an alternative to farm-grown meat, questions have been raised about how climate-friendly it can be. A study published earlier this year found that in some circumstances cultivated meat could be more polluting than the conventional stuff because the bioreactor is in great need of power to control its temperature. Consequently, only if renewable energy is used in the production process will cultivated meat cut the carbon footprint of the meat industry.
Whether this effort can make lab-grown meat attractive and cheap enough to attract consumers remains to be seen.
1. What does the author focus on concerning cultivated meat in paragraph 1?A.Its characteristics. | B.Its health benefits. |
C.Its cooking methods. | D.Its similarities to artificial meat. |
A.Most Americans skip meat. |
B.Asians prefer lab-grown meat. |
C.Beyond Meat is facing financial collapse. |
D.Lab-grown meat may have a vast consumer market. |
A.Poisonous chemical leaks. | B.Land occupation. |
C.Grecnhouse-gas emissions. | D.Water consumption. |
A.Opposed. | B.Favorable. | C.Uncaring. | D.Reserved. |
7 . Wind turbines (风力发电机) work especially well out in coastal waters, where ocean winds can be very strong. Offshore wind farms cost more to build than onshore ones. Offshore equipment must be heavier than onshore equipment. It has to stand up to very heavy winds, big waves and strong currents. Sending people to install, operate and repair equipment at sea is costly. But once set up, offshore wind could pick up bonus tasks.
According to Haris Ishaq, an engineer at the University of Victoria in Canada, one of the best add-ons to wind farms is making hydrogen gas, which means making a clean power source in a clean way. A device called an electrolyzer (电解器) can split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The electrolyzer needs fresh water, not salt water. To remove the sea salt, Ishaq’s team proposes removing the salt through a special technique, which is supposed to run on the electricity produced by the offshore wind farms.
Ishap’s group also proposes adding a second bonus task to wind farms—to capture (捕获) CO2 from the atmosphere. Atmospheric CO2 levels are higher than ever, resulting in a worsening greenhouse effect. A process called direct air capture, or DAC, can remove CO2 from the air. The DAC devices need electricity to run. Fans move air across a solid material that captures CO2 and releases everything else. When the solid material is heated to 100° Celsius, it releases the stored CO2. The same solids can then be reused to grab more CO2. The electricity made by wind turbines would power the devices’ fans and the electric boiler, to heat the carbon-collecting solid. To store the CO2 released, Ishaq’s team proposes injecting it into a type of deep-sea rock. That rock reacts with the gas, turning it into more rock in 10 to 25 years.
Ishaq’s team modeled wind turbines, electrolyzers and DAC units on computers to confirm their proposed system is a good idea. The next step is to test a small version of this set up on a floating platform in the ocean.
1. Why are offshore wind farms built despite many difficulties?A.They can serve better purposes. | B.They are money-saving. |
C.They can be used longer. | D.They need little maintenance. |
A.Reducing greenhouse effect. | B.Testing an air-capturing process. |
C.Exploring a kind of deep-sea rock. | D.Starting a hydrogen-collecting project. |
A.Neutral. | B.Cautious. | C.Uncertain. | D.Approving. |
A.Clean Energy Is Put into Better Use |
B.Hydrogen Promises to Be The Energy of Tomorrow |
C.Engineers Propose Add-ons to Offshore Wind Farms |
D.Wind Turbines Work Especially Well Out in Coastal Waters |
8 . If you look at the dynamic “Global Temperatures” map on NASA’s website, you can see the historic temperature change over time across the planet as the timeline goes from 1880 to the modern day. By 2019, the entire planet is in red, orange, and yellow colors, indicating temperatures much higher than the historical average in every country and human inhabitance.
If the timeline went to 2023, the map would look even worse. That’s because the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever, according to ocean monitors. July was the hottest month in recorded history. Next July could be worse. Unless we do something quickly, we face dealing with more and more dangerous and expensive natural disasters in the future.
Forest fires sent smoke from Canada across the North American continent, causing New York City to have the worst air quality in its recorded history. Heavy rainstorms fell on Vermont and the Northeastern United States in just a couple of days in the middle of July, which exceeded the amount that area would usually receive in two months and caused extreme damage to homes and businesses. Around the same time, flash flooding in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — north of Philadelphia — killed nearly a dozen people.
Erich Fischer, a researcher specializing in climate studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is concerned that natural disasters could get much worse in the future—and in ways we cannot predict. He called for a “strike for climate justice,” which actually took place on Sept. 15, 2023. “The strategy needs to be twofold (双重的) . We need to decrease carbon emissions as much as realistically possible. That is already happening with people using electric cars and other green technologies. At the same time, we also need to find ways to predict the risk of natural disasters ahead of time,” said Erich Fischer.
1. Why does the writer mention the data on NASA’s website in paragraph 1?A.To explain a concept. | B.To introduce a topic. |
C.To provide a solution. | D.To make a prediction. |
A.The severity of natural disasters. | B.The worst air quality in New York City. |
C.The extreme damage by flash flooding. | D.The cause of the forests fires in Canada. |
A.He advocated a twofold strategy. |
B.He suggested forbidding carbon emissions. |
C.He required people to use more electric cars. |
D.He emphasized the awareness of climate changes. |
A.The Hottest Month in History | B.Natural Disasters in the World |
C.Extreme Weather Could Get Worse | D.Green Technology Would be Needed |
1. What positive news do the scientists report regarding low-carbon technologies?
A.The usage of low-carbon technologies has increased. |
B.The costs of many key low-carbon technologies have fallen dramatically. |
C.The efficiency of low-carbon technologies has improved significantly. |
A.The reliance on existing technologies. |
B.The lack of government policies. |
C.The dependency on new technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. |
A.They promote healthier lifestyle choices. |
B.They reduce reliance on pharmaceuticals. |
C.They increase awareness of environmental issues. |
A.They are not widely accepted by the scientific community. |
B.They are still very expensive and at an early stage of development. |
C.They have a negative impact on the environment. |
10 . Living for 97 years is an impressive achievement in and of itself. Most people hitting this milestone are probably thankful for what health they have and the memories they’ve made. In the case of TV host and conservationist Sir David Attenborough, he can reflect on a life of activism in service for our planet. The British icon turned an impressive 97 on May 8, 2023. Born in 1926, Attenborough has spent most of his life on camera for the BBC covering animals and natural history. Today, despite his age, he is still an active campaigner for our planet.
Attenborough, who received a degree in natural sciences from Cambridge University, joined the BBC full-time in 195. He travelled around the world with his Zoo Quest programme, highlighting different creatures. Afterwards, he created his iconic series Lifeon Earth in 1979. Since then, he has created and starred in countless programmes which have brought nature closer to viewers around the world.
His recent documentary with World Wildlife Fund, David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, often returns to a theme which has predominated in Attenborough’s later work. He reflects on just how much the environment has changed in his-decades of observation and how swiftly time is running out before·further serious damage can be prevented. This programme was widely streamed and considered a “wake up call” for the world. While Attenborough is far from the first or only voice to raise this call, his reach as a respected and powerful figure within the BBC provides a useful platform.
Although he has received countless awards, Attenborough has used recent accolades (荣誉) as a chance to focus once more on the planet. Shortly after winning the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, he sent an urgent message about the state of the planet to all viewers. in Frozen Planet Ⅱ. Even after his 97th birthday, he continues to write and speak on preserving the UK and the world for future generations.
1. What is Sir David Attenborough known for?A.The possession of treasures. | B.The memories about activities. |
C.The rewards as a British icon. | D.The contribution to earth protection. |
A.By majoring in natural science in university. |
B.By travelling throughout the world while in BBC. |
C.By sitting closer to viewers when hosting programmes. |
D.By starting and starring in many relevant programmes. |
A.It features environment shifts and conservation. |
B.It is about how swiftly one’s life run out. |
C.It is received by few viewers and thought little of. |
D.It provides a powerful and useful platform for BBC. |
A.Dependent and curious. | B.Devoted and responsible. |
C.Humorous and passionate. | D.Ambitious and reserved. |