2 . Have you ever observed how a family runs smoothly? It’s the balance that plays a role in a family. But a family where there is too much chaos (混乱), argument, and one-sided communication has no balance. As a result, such a chaotic family suffers consequences like divorced parents, distances between children.

In the same way, nature needs balance, harmony and protection. You are already aware of the phrase — too much of everything is bad. That’s why the sensibility to bring balance in nature is every human’s responsibility.

The community of living species interacts with the environment’s non-living components in a healthy ecosystem. Rainfall, temperature, sunlight, soil, and water chemistry are the main examples of abiotic (无生命的) aspects of ecosystems that need to be in a stable manner.

       To survive, plants need a certain combination of temperature, moisture, and soil chemistry. Protecting plants is also important because it provides food for the animals. 

What you see above are the natural phenomena that have been happening since the beginning of the universe. That’s how nature has been functioning. But indulgent human activities in using natural resources has created poor habitation in the natural environment. In fact, here are the human actions that have broken the balance in nature for so many years now.

      People cut down trees to make space for new companies owing to an increase in population, which has decreased the amount of oxygen in the air. Global warming has resulted in the melting of the ice caps, leading to rising sea levels and other natural disasters like cyclones and tsunamis. As a result of habitat loss, it is getting harder for species to survive.  

To bring the Earth to its original form is impossible. But there is always a potential for bringing awareness. Hence, if the above human activities are lessened or changed with recycling activities, the next generation can still live a healthy life.

1. Why is a chaotic family mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To bring up a new topic.

B．To come to a conclusion.

C．To complain about family chaos.

D．To admire the balance of a family.

2. How do we keep the balance of nature?

A．Limit human activities to the fullest.

B．Control a certain amount of everything.

C．Don’t cut down trees for new companies.

D．Don’t use energy for economic development.

3. Which does the underlined word “indulgent” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Responsible.

B．Controlled.

C．Romantic.

D．Unlimited.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards the future of the Earth?

A．Worried.

B．Doubtful.

C．Confident.

D．Uncertain.

3 . Your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that you produce as you live your life. In order to hold the global temperature rise to 2˚C or less, everyone needs to average an annual carbon footprint of 1.87 tons by 2050.     1    

Eat low on the food chain. This means eating mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans. Meat and dairy is responsible for 14.5 percent of man-made global greenhouse gas emissions.     2     If you have no meat or dairy every day, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 8 pounds.

    3     Fashionable, cheap items go out of style quickly and get dumped in landfills where they produce methane (甲烷) as they decompose. Currently, the average American gets rid of about 80 pounds of clothing annually. In addition, most fast fashion comes from Asia, so shipping it to the U.S. requires the use of fossil fuels.

Use low energy appliances. Replace traditional light bulbs with LED ones. Though LEDs cost more, they use a quarter of the energy and last up to 25 times longer. Make energy efficiency a primary consideration when choosing a new microwave, air conditioning unit, dishwasher, or refrigerator.     4    

Choose green travel. An average car produces about five tons of carbon each year.     5    Take public buses, carpool, or bike to your destination when possible. This not only reduces CO₂ emissions, it also lessens traffic jams.

A．Don’t buy fast fashion.

B．Never choose quality clothing.

C．But people ignore this serious problem.

D．Making changes in transport matters much.

E．Here are ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

F．They are mainly from food production and processing.

G．Products with the ENERGY STAR sign have better efficiency.

5 . Sustainability was a hot topic at the Paris Air Show, the world’s largest event for the aviation industry, which faces increasing pressure to reduce the climate-changing greenhouse gases that aircraft emit. Even the massive orders at the show got an emission-reduction perspective: Airlines and producers said the new planes would be more fuel-efficient than the ones they replaced. However, most of those planes will burn conventional kerosene-based jet fuel.

Some companies are working on electric-powered aircraft, which are seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of the aviation industry, providing zero emissions and quieter flights. However, they are still some way off from widespread commercial use. That means sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has become the industry’s best hope of achieving its promise of net zero emissions by 2050. SAF, however, accounts for just 0.1% of all jet fuel. Made from sources like used cooking oil and plant waste, SAF can be mixed with conventional jet fuel but costs much more.

With such a limited supply of SAF, critics say airlines are making overly ambitious promises and exaggerating how quickly they can ramp up the use of SAF. The industry even has skeptics: Nearly one-third of aviation sustainability officers in a GE Aerospace survey doubt whether the industry will hit its net zero goal by 2050.

Across the Atlantic, a consumer group called BEUC filed a complaint against the European Union’s executive arm, accusing 17 airlines of greenwashing. The group says airlines are misleading consumers and breaking rules on commercial practices by encouraging customers to pay extra to help finance the development of SAF and offset future carbon emissions created by flying. In one case, the group’s researchers found Air France charging up to 138 euros for the green option.

“SAF is indeed the biggest technological potential to decarbonize the aviation sector, but the main problem is that it isn’t available. We know that before the end of the next decade — at least — it won’t be available in massive quantities,” said Dimitri Vergnc, a senior policy officer at BEUC.

1. What did airlines and producers emphasize at the Paris Air Show?

A．Ways of reducing fuel consumption.

B．Improvement in planes’ safety performance.

C．Environmental friendliness of their new planes.

D．Efficiency of conventional kerosene-based jet fuel.

2. Why does the author mention electric-powered aircraft?

A．To stress the necessity of developing SAF.

B．To highlight the future of the aviation industry.

C．To show efforts made to achieve net zero emissions.

D．To explain their advantages over traditional aircraft.

3. What does the underlined part “ramp up” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Stop.

B．Limit.

C．Balance.

D．Increase.

4. Where does the text most probably come from?

A．An airline ad.

B．A study result.

C．A news report.

D．A science paper.

7 . The Forest Eye project aims to create the largest living forest feature in England by growing 5,000 alder, beech and maple trees into the shape of a child’s eye. The trees are being planted in Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire, with the help of local young people. The trees will form an eye 300 meters wide that will be visible from the sky in about six years, when they have grown.

The project hopes to focus on the importance of young people’s ideas for creating a health y natural environment. It was designed by a company called Sand in Your Eye and has been created by Forestry England, an organization that protects forests and woodlands.

Josephine Lavelle, director at Forestry England, says, “Having the gaze of a child growing in the heart of this beautiful and ever-changing forest is a powerful symbol of how we need to listen and respond to the needs and vision of future generations.”

The project also aims to highlight the important role that forests play in fighting climate change. As well as providing a home for wildlife, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and create oxygen that humans need to breathe. When the trees have grown, they will provide a place for lots of wild animals, like bats, birds and small mammals to live. The Forest Eye will also create a space for people to explore and connect with nature.

Jamie Wardley, artistic director at Sand in Your Eye, has plenty of experience creating pieces of “land art”. These are huge drawings and sculptures made from grass, ice and sand, including a 60-meter portrait of Swedish climate-change campaigner Greta Thunberg on a school field in Yorkshire. He says, “The trees are my paint.” “Our work is about prompting people to think deeply and respond emotionally to some of the biggest issues facing us, including the climate crisis.” Wardley also plans to develop the Forest Eye into an even bigger project. “It is our ambition to create the whole face of a young girl at the same scale, measuring 2,000 meters across. Those trees that are planted in the Forest Eye are the very beginning of this,” he says.

1. What can we know about the project?

A．It is planting trees to form an eye.	B．It is aimed at creating artworks.
C．It is proposed by the local youth.	D．It is carried out in the largest forest.

2. What does the fourth paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The argument for the project.	B．The benefits of tree.
C．The value of children’s ideas.	D．The fight against climate change.

3. Which of the following can best describe Jamie Wardley?

A．Ignorant.

B．Adventurous.

C．Emotional.

D．Creative.

4. Which is the best title for the article?

A．Land arts take off	B．Tree planting catches on
C．Giant eye planting kicks off	D．Environmental groups spring up

9 . What do the woman’s family members do to help the environment?

A．They use fewer plastic bags.

B．They don’t drive cars.

C．They waste less food.