1 . After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.
Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.
The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
1. What is the text mainly about?A.Wildlife research in the United States. | B.Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area. |
C.The conflict between farmers and gray wolves. | D.The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park. |
A.Forced out. | B.Separated. | C.Tested. | D.Tracked down. |
A.Damage to local ecology (生态). | B.A decline in the park’s income. |
C.Preservation of vegetation. | D.An increase in the variety of animals. |
A.Disapproving. | B.Positive. | C.Doubtful. | D.Uncaring. |
2 . The first time ever I realized that plastic was a serious matter for our planet was during a road trip in Western Australia, almost 12 years ago.
We
This was just one of the many experiences I’ve lived that made me more
Our trip to Borneo was another life-changing
Besides, we were also
Facing this global issue
A.stayed | B.visited | C.worked | D.stopped |
A.land | B.ocean | C.district | D.supermarket |
A.threw | B.picked | C.dropped | D.carried |
A.sure | B.proud | C.conscious | D.comfortable |
A.travel | B.deliver | C.remove | D.play |
A.adversity | B.campaign | C.experience | D.expedition |
A.free | B.cheap | C.valuable | D.safe |
A.failed | B.managed | C.hesitated | D.happened |
A.frequently | B.precisely | C.deeply | D.firmly |
A.action | B.project | C.discipline | D.protection |
A.dry up | B.give off | C.clean up | D.shave off |
A.washed | B.proved | C.rushed | D.injured |
A.on purpose | B.on behalf | C.in particular | D.in person |
A.confusion | B.determination | C.frustration | D.satisfaction |
A.make | B.have | C.achieve | D.find |
3 . A tree-planting initiative in Kenya has seen over 30,000 trees being planted. The Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to counter climate change and the reduction in forest in the East African nation since 2016.
Founded by climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti when she was fifteen years old, the initiative’s primary focus is on developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools and addressing food insecurity in the region through planting fruit trees. Since its foundation, over 30,000 trees have been planted in Kenya, while thousands of school children have not just planted trees but adopted them to ensure that young people learn the importance of acting as a guardian over the health of the environment. The trees have recorded a survival rate of over 98 percent, as they remain tended to from young trees to maturity.
Speaking to world leaders at the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26), Elizabeth issued a serious warning on the threat of climate change. Over two million of Kenyans are facing climate related starvation. In 2025, half of the world’s population will be facing water shortage. The climate crisis will displace 80 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Elizabeth said, “I have been doing what I can. Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans.” So far, they have grown 30,000 fruit trees to maturity, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children. “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water,” she added.
1. What is the initiative intended for?A.Making policies. | B.Raising money. |
C.Educating adults. | D.Fighting climate change. |
A.Hunger. | B.Sickness | C.Water shortage. | D.Economic risks. |
A.3,000 trees have been planted. |
B.Green awareness has been raised. |
C.80 million people have been saved. |
D.School education has been guaranteed. |
A.Friendly and talented. | B.Caring and responsible. |
C.Honest and determined. | D.Ambitious and humorous. |
4 . Scientists have found something strange has been happening among sensitive bird species in the Brazilian Amazon in recent years. Not only were the birds declining in number, but their bodies were also shrinking in size. “We found that size was not only shrinking for those sensitive species-it was declining for everyone, “said researcher Vitek Jirinec of Louisiana State University. Jirinec’s findingsare contained in a new study published in the journal Science Advances last Friday.
The study examined 77 species over a 40-year period, during which time the rainforest had become warmer. It found they were rapidly evolving perhaps because smaller birds remove heat more efficiently as they have more surface area in relation to volume. Brian Weeks of the University of Michigan explained it this way: “You could imagine lots of little ice cubes in a glass of water, as opposed to one big ice cube, and the little ice cubes melt faster because smaller things have larger surface area-to-volume ratios(比),so they exchange heat more quickly. “Weeks didn’t work on this particular study, but he did research the size of more than50 species of migratory (迁徙的) birds in North America a few years back. He too found that nearly all of them were shrinking decade by decade.
The two studies strengthen the idea that birds all over the planet, migratory or not, may be changing shape due to a warming climate. Weeks said these sorts of changes should concern all of us. “All around the world, people depend on natural systems. Complete natural systems provide more economic benefits to humanity than the entirety of the world’s GDP, so they matter to you whether or not you know it, Weeks said. Jirinec thought the timing of his paper’s publication could not be more fitting. The study came out on the same day as the conclusion of the UN climate change conference in Glasgow. So those results really stressed the common consequences of the actions for the planet.
1. What was a cause of the birds becoming smaller in size?A.The decrease of birds’ number. | B.The sensitiveness of birds. |
C.A warming climate. | D.The development of birds. |
A.By example and comparison. | B.By analyzing the data. |
C.By giving enough evidence. | D.By observation and research. |
A.Dangerous. | B.Concerning. |
C.Demanding. | D.Fantastic. |
A.To introduce two studies. | B.To explain a natural phenomenon. |
C.To praise the conference in Glasgow. | D.To make people focus on climate change. |
5 . I first realized that plastic was a serious matter for our planet during my travel in Western Australia. One day about 12 years ago, I stopped at a supermarket along the Coral Bay coast ta buy some groceries. But the lady at the counter told me that the supermarket didn’t sell any shopping bags to prevent plastic in the ocean and help preserve the endangered turtles(海龟) living in that area. After a first reaction of surprise, I gathered all purchases in my arms and left, reflecting on what I had been told.
The experience in that trip made me more conscious about my impact and pushed me to adopt various habits to travel and live more sustainably. For example, I always carried a cotton bag when I went shopping.
My travel to Indonesia was another life-changing experience that strengthened my determination to turn to a zero-waste lifestyle. In Indonesia, finding safe drinkable water was always a challenge, so I traveled with my water bottle, managing to avoid almost entirely the use of plastic during my trip.
However, I was seriously struck by my stay on the Libaran Island, where a sustainable and turtle conservation project was launched 10 years ago. Despite the big efforts by the project staff and the community in cleaning up the beaches and creatively reusing plastic, the shore was washed daily with tons of plastic coming from the tides. Walking on a carpet of plastic that almost prevented me from seeing the beach underneath was quite shocking.
Facing this global issue in person, I felt a sense of sadness and anger that soon turned into determination: to do as much as possible to reduce plastic in my life. Sometimes we might feel helpless in front of big problems, but we should be aware that small changes could actually make a difference step by step!
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?A.By reflecting on the present life. |
B.By looking into the future environment. |
C.By introducing the previous achievements. |
D.By recalling the past shopping experience. |
A.Cut back on travel. | B.Shop less frequently. |
C.Lead a green life. | D.Rurify drinking water |
A.It had no clear goal. | B.It didn’t work out very well. |
C.It met the islanders’ needs. | D.It was aimed to prevent turtle attacks. |
A.It is demanding | B.It is manageable. |
C.It is easy to solve. | D.It’s lacking in attention. |
1.海洋的重要性;
2.保护海洋的倡议;
注意:1.写作词数应为100词左右;
2.短文题目和首句已为你写好。
Our Oceans, Our Responsibility
June 8th was officially named by the UN in 2009 as World Oceans Day.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,
Li Hua
7 . For sharks, the Mesoamerican Reef, which stretches over 600 miles, is a busy highway. Sharks use it to find their way and it provides them with food and habitat.
But as with on-land highways, this superhighway can be dangerous. Overfishing, commercial development and illegal practices are endangering the species. “We’re seeing a continued decline in shark populations. Our goal is to turn that round.” says Rachel Graham, founder of Mar Alliance, a non-profit organization focused on conserving sharks.
By monitoring sharks, Mar Alliance can collect important knowledge on the species to help inform conservation and push for political action. But rather than acting in opposition to the local fishing community, MarAlliance enlists their help.
“They are the ones who are on the sea every single day,” says Graham, “and they’re the ones who decide the species’ future.”
MarAlliance employs up to 60 fishermen across its range, mostly on a project basis, training them to collect data, record and release fish. Not only does this provide an alternative income to fishing communities, making them less dependent on natural resources, but it also teaches them about the benefits of a healthy ocean ecosystem and how to fish sustainably.
Among them, Ivan Torres, who used to catch sharks to sell locally as food, has learned how critical they’re to the whole ecosystem, saying he’d never fish sharks any more.
If this attitude change continues to spread throughout fishing communities, Graham has hope for the shark populations. “The primary threat to sharks is unquestionably overfishing,” she says, “By reforming the industry, populations can bounce back.”
In 2020, Belize outlawed the use of gillnets, large panels of netting of trapping large sealife. The ban’s impact is already noticeable with a recorded 10-fold increase in shark populations.
But such regulations need to be copied along the whole superhighway for long-lasting impact, and countries need to find a sustainable balance between fishers and the fished. “We need to find a win-win strategy between fisher livelihoods and shark survival,” Graham emphasizes. “I hope that through education and providing an economic alternative for fishing communities, MarAlliance will help ensure safe passage for sharks along the reef”.
1. Which of the following best describes the Mesoamerican Reef for sharks?A.Romantic but messy. | B.Vital but insecure. |
C.Adventurous but beautiful. | D.Unfamiliar but reliable. |
A.MarAlliance. | B.The fishers. |
C.Monitoring authorities. | D.The sharks. |
A.A stricter fishing ban. | B.The insurance payout he earned. |
C.An offer of extra work. | D.The fishing communities’ intervention. |
A.Solution to overfishing. | B.Difficulties facing MarAlliance. |
C.Impact of existing regulations. | D.Features of international cooperation. |
8 . It was a turtle that changed Victoria Cairns, a headteacher from Derbyshire. She was
She set up anti-litter social media account to
Cairns keeps a litter-picker in her car, and will frequently
“Some people don’t
When she collects plastic bottles and carrier bags, it feels like a small act of care: this bag will not end up
Cairns makes a
A.skiing | B.running | C.diving | D.jogging |
A.sharks | B.turtles | C.whales | D.dolphins |
A.delighted | B.frightened | C.embarrassed | D.disappointed |
A.mercy | B.impact | C.attack | D.dependence |
A.risk | B.learn | C.raise | D.lessen |
A.air | B.noise | C.water | D.plastic |
A.cheer up | B.give away | C.pull over | D.break down |
A.heavy | B.portable | C.comfortable | D.complex |
A.value | B.change | C.protect | D.store |
A.put | B.blow | C.take | D.throw |
A.working | B.thinking | C.noticing | D.wandering |
A.in | B.from | C.as | D.on |
A.frankly | B.extremely | C.anxiously | D.cautiously |
A.move | B.choice | C.decision | D.difference |
A.canal | B.mountain | C.bus | D.forest |
9 . Germany’s top court has ruled that parts of the country’s 2019 climate (气候) action law must be changed because they don’t do a good job of protecting young people. The result is a big victory for the nine young people who started the law suing (诉讼).
The court suing stresses an important part of the climate change: The change will impact greatly on young people far more than the adults. That’s because the effects of earth warming will become more serious over time. As young people become adults, they’ll be left to deal with many problems that today’s adults have ignored. The government’s failure to plan carefully was putting their future lives in danger.
In 2019, Germany passed a new law, promising that the country would be carbon neutral (碳中和) by 2050. The law made a detailed plan of action until 2030. But the law didn’t have any specific rules or plans for climate actions that would be taken between 2031 and 2050.
Last Thursday, the judges of Germany’s highest court agreed with the young people. They said that not taking climate action made the basic rights of young people to a good future in danger.
The young people had challenged the government’s law in four specific areas. The judges didn’t agree with all of the challenges. But having the court support even a part of their case is seen as a big victory. Neubauer is one of the young people who sued. She works with the climate action group Fridays For Future. Ms. Neubauer said, “Climate protection is our basic right. This is a huge win for the climate movement. It changes a lot.”
The court has given the German government until the end of 2022 to fix the law. The climate law will now need to have a much more detailed plan for the actions that will be taken after 2030 to cut Germany’s pollution, allowing it to become carbon neutral by 2050. Germany’s government has said that it will quickly begin working to make the needed changes.
1. Why did the nine young people sue the Germany government?A.They faced a higher rate of losing jobs. |
B.The government refused their law suing. |
C.The local court ruled against the climate law. |
D.They weren’t satisfied with the climate action law. |
A.The adults nowadays are put under pressure. |
B.The climate change will influence the young. |
C.Earth warming is becoming out of control. |
D.Humans feel uncertain about the future. |
A.Improve the present law. |
B.Win people’s wide support. |
C.Take strict punishment measures. |
D.Achieve carbon neutral in advance. |
A.Business. | B.Health. |
C.Education. | D.Environment. |
10 . Small eco-friendly(利于环保的) decisions can add up to make a huge difference to our planet. Being eco-friendly doesn’t need to empty your wallet when you travel.
Make flights a little greener if you need to take a flight for a trip. Do you know flying first class can be more than five times as heavy on carbon per person as flying economy class, according to studies? Why not fly economy class?
Eat and drink locally. Step away from Starbucks and McDonald’s and seek out the best in local produce. Jonathan Engels, from Green Global Travel, recommends seeking out traditional local dishes rather than imported stuff to recreate the same unhealthy food we try to avoid at home.
Do not disturb. One of the simplest ways you can help the environment is by hanging up a “Do not disturb” sign on your door.
A.Slow down your travels. |
B.Plan how to travel in advance. |
C.It means you can conserve energy. |
D.Have an enjoyable meal with friends or family. |
E.You can also help by packing as light as possible. |
F.Here are some easy tips to make a difference on holiday. |
G.Street food is always a cheap way to experience the best a region offers. |