1 . Jimmy likes to follow rubbish trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he's an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce rubbish, including things that fall off rubbish trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Jimmy's jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bag.

Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many and up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them in supermarkets. The bags are not allowed in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Seeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Jimmy to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.

Among the bag bakers' arguments: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to buy paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they make up a small percentage of all rubbish on the ground today.

The industry has also taken aid at the product that has appeared as its replacement; reusable shopping bags. The stronger are usable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, long-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the earth than plastic.

Environmentalists don't question these points.They hope paper bags will be banned someday, too. They want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.

3 . As a result of pollution，Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things.

Pollution in water is not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms (生物体) to be affected are either plants or plankton(浮游生物). But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures.When this food disappears, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it’s not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the seashore that people realize what is happening.

Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources of sewage (污水) and industrial waste. As more detergent (洗涤剂) is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas. Detergents harm water bird, dissolving the natural substances which keep their feathers waterproof. Sewage itself, if not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful as there are many highly poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead (铅).

So, if we want to stop this pollution，the answer is simple: sewage and industrial waste must be made clear before flowing into the water.It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.

4 . Earth Hour is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature. It's a big event usually at the end of March every year. On this evening, people “go dark”.     1    

It's true that turning off lights for just one hour saves only a small amount of power.    2    On one level, joining in Earth Hour makes people think about the problem of climate change and what we can do in everyday life to protect nature.

But on another level, a large number of people’s acting together sends a powerful message to governments and companies.     3     They begin considering green issues when big decisions.

The logo(标识) of Earth Hour is “60+” .The number 60 is for the 60 minutes of Earth Hour.     4     In fact, people who join in Earth Hour say that taking part makes them want to do more for the environment.

    5     Musicians give concerts by playing acoustic(原声的) instruments instead of electric ones, and using candles instead of electric lights. Celebrity chefs have created special recipes for families to prepare and eat by candlelight. Tree-planting sessions, group walks and runs are also among the options.

5 . Tips for Green Travel with Kids

Traveling doesn’t mean letting go of all the eco-friendly choices we work so hard to achieve in our daily life. Here are a few tips for green travel with kids:

Booking nonstop flights whenever possible will reduce carbon emissions (碳排放). If the closest local airport doesn’t have nonstop flights to a certain place, check in with other local airports to see if nonstop flights are available.    1    

Whether you’re flying or driving, it’s easy when traveling to pull into fast food restaurants for snacks.    2    My kids love to help plan snacks. I let them create their own snacks for the trip at home.

Reusable water bottles are easy to bring along whenever you travel. At the airport, keep your reusable bottles empty until you have passed through the security (安检).    3    Single-use plastic water bottles create unnecessary waste and the plastic can be harmful to your health.

    4    Open a few windows and turn off the air conditioner. You should also help your children keep their good, green habits from home to place while traveling. Sometimes vacation can mean more than one shower each day — once in the morning and again after getting out of the pool. Pay attention to the number of showers and the length of showers.    5    

6 . On November 7, Lewis Pugh completed a one-kilometer swim in the freezing waters of King Edward Cove, off South Georgia in Antarctica. He was wearing only his swimming glasses, cap and Speedo !

Pugh is an advocate for our oceans and seas, working to protect these ecosystems with their large diversity of marine life. When asked why he doesn't wear a wetsuit(防寒泳衣), Pugh says, "I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I'm asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message."

It took Pugh about 19 minutes to complete the one-kilometer swim in Antarctica where the water averaged about 1.6 degrees Celsius. He says that his body can only tolerate about 20 minutes in the freezing waters before it starts shutting down. As he swims, his body temperature steadily drops, which in turn causes his muscle control to drop, slowing him down. When he is done with his swim, his support team rushes him to a hot shower and it takes almost an hour for his body temperature to return to normal.

Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters. Even expert swimmers who are unused to freezing water can drown within minutes because of the physical shock experienced by the body. Pugh says he trained for six months before this swim.

This is not the first time that Pugh has swum in dangerous conditions. In 2007, he swam one kilometer in the North Pole to draw attention to the melting Arctic ice due to climate change. In 2015, he swam in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica's Ross Sea as part of his successful campaign to help set up a marine reserve there.

7 . Rachel Carson was concerned about what was happenig to the environment. So   in her book Silent Spring, she warned that some chemicals were poisoning the air, the water, the earth, and all its creatures. She imagined a time when spring would not bring the rebirth of flowers, trees, and the songs of birds. The book became a bestseller, and Ms. Carson was in great demand as a speaker. People lisened to her because what she said made sense, and because she was a scientist who knew her facts.

Rachel Carson was primarily interested in the world of sea and shore, so she       became a marine biologst for the government. She studied and recorded facts about the sea' s plant and animal life, their special characteristics, and the nature of their environments. In 1951, she wrote The Sea Around Us, which brought her honors, fame, and respect around the world.

Ms. Carson then devoted herself full-time to research and writing. One thing     much on her mind was the effect of modern technology on the natural environment. One day, a distressed friend wrote her to say that a plane spraying(喷洒) DDT had flown over her yard, and the next day several birds lay dead. Carson decided to act.

For four years she studied the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in the United States, and then she wrote Silent Spring.

In her book Ms. Carson said that these pesticides would harm much more than     insects. She explained that these poisons would pollute the environment. “Even if their effects are not immediately observable, they remain for years in the water and the soil, and they become part of the food eaten by animals and humans.

Besides, after a time, insects develop immunity to pesticides,” she said.

Recent studies have shown that pesticides can affect human brainwave activity   and cause loss of memory and inability to concentrate. We should still remember Rachel Carson’s words, “I think we are challenged as we have never been challenged before to prove our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”

8 . Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars. lots of traffic jams and lots of pollution from exhaust fumes(废气). So the city began a scheme(计划)to improve the situation.

Under the Velib scheme ('Velib' comes from velo liberte, or 'bicycle freedom') people can take a bicycle, use it for as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour-on the bike is free, but if you don't return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. But it's only € 1 a day or € 29 a year! The bicycles are heavy (25kg), and they are all grey and have baskets. There are about 20,000 of them in the city, and around 1,450 bicycle stations. So there are a lot more Velib stations than the 298 subway stations!

Paris is not the first city to have a scheme like this. But not everybody thinks it's a great idea. One Parisian said. “These bicycles are only for short journeys. If people want to travel across the city, they won't use a bicycle-they'll still use their cars.”

A city spokesman said, “The bicycle scheme won't solve all our traffic problems, of course. But it might help reduce air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, is a big problem. There aren't any simple answers to traffic problems and pollution in cities. But unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get worse. The bikes might help people to lead a healthier life, too. “

High on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau     1    (lie) China’s “water tower” Sanjiangyuan. It is home to the headwaters of China’s three rivers: the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Lancang(Mekong) River. It is the three rivers     2     provide water for about half the population of China. However, human activities are putting this ecosystem     3     risk. Hopefully, though, we can repair this damage. In 2016, the Chinese government established Sanjiangyuan National Park in Qinghai province. The park,     4    (schedule) to open in 2020, has increased the area’s green coverage and attracted more wildlife. The local government has also made great effort to improve biological diversity. The success of Sanjiangyuan will mark the start of a     5    (green) future. With Sanjangyuan     6    (take) the lead, nine other regions in China     7    (choose) by a field conservation station to carry out projects over the past three years,     8     will form a national park system together. The idea of a national park system is still new in China, but    9    (it) realization is urgent. After all, building an ecological civilization bears great       10    (important) in the development and progress of human civilization.

10 . Let's take a minute to think about the water we use. The human body is 60% water and we need to drink lots of water to be healthy. When we are thirsty we just go to the kitchen and fill a glass with clean water.

    1    For example, farmers, who produce the food we eat, use water to make the plants grow. When we turn on a light or switch on a TV or a computer we use energy and we need water to produce this energy.

The truth is that we are lucky enough to have clean water whenever we want，but this is not the case for many people around the world.    2    That's around one in 10 people in the world. If we drink dirty water，we can catch diseases from the bacteria and become ill. Every year over 500，000 children die from diarrhea(腹泻)from dirty water. That's around 1，400 children every day！Also，in some countries children walk many kilometres every day to get water.    3    Therefore，they don't have time to learn how to read or write and don't get an education.

    4    On this day every year，countries around the world hold events to educate people about the problems of dirty water and that clean water is something that everyone should have around the world. At one school in the UK，children between the ages of 10 and 15 walk 6km with six litres of water.    5    People give them money to do this and all the money helps get clean water to as many people as possible around the world.