1. 发出倡议的缘由;
2. 如何保护地球;
3. 号召大家一起行动。
注意:1. 词数80词左右;
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯;
3. 参考词汇:世界地球日:World Earth Day
Dear fellows,
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2 . Among thousands of emperor penguins in Atka Bay, a yellow robot named ECHO quickly moves over the Antarctic environment and patiently observes the birds. The autonomous, remote-controlled robot is about three feet long and stands at eye level with the adult penguins. It monitors Southern Ocean ecosystems in real-time, year-round with small impact on wildlife.
ECHO was designed by the Marine Animal Remote Sensing Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Scientists hope to use the robot as part of a 30-year project looking at the impact of climate change on the region. Since emperor penguins are among the top predators (捕食性动物) in the region, studying their populations can show the health of the Antarctic environment.
Scientists must physically catch penguins and put chips on their hacks to track them. But to gather data on the chips, scientists have to get close enough to the devices to scan (扫描) them, and sometimes, penguins are hard to locate, or the weather may be too terrible for humans to go out in the field.
ECHO removes these issues by acting as a mobile observatory that can monitor thousands of penguins each year. The robot can easily approach the penguins and scan the chips without introducing a harmful human footprint or affecting the birds. The robot is equipped with LIDAR, or light detection and ranging, and a 360-degree camera that can monitor penguins on large areas and uses an antenna (天线) to read each penguin’s chip.
While ECHO has only been tested for a year, researchers say the penguins do not seem to be afraid of it and don’t mind it when it comes near. When penguins gather in large groups during the wintertime, ECHO can steal in and scan penguins as they brave the elements. By tracking their behaviors over time, researchers can observe how penguins adapt and follow where they go to search for food. In turn, these data points can also determine the true size of protected areas of the sea.
1. Why do researchers monitor the penguins?A.To further understand the food chain. |
B.To protect the birds from being hunted. |
C.To find out how the birds survive winters. |
D.To learn about the Antarctic environment. |
A.By keeping a few of them. | B.By visiting them often in person. |
C.By attaching chips to them. | D.By referring to previous findings. |
A.The advantages of the robot. | B.The challenges of the project. |
C.The population of the penguins. | D.The environment of the region. |
A.It will be joined by more robots. | B.Its work is going on smoothly. |
C.It will be brought back before long. | D.Its equipment requires updating. |
3 . A student-led push to get solar panels installed at a middle school in Tacoma is receiving national recognition from a clean energy nonprofit organization called Generation 180. The girls involved are advocating and fundraising for the project.
Sammy Firkins, Gwen Newport and Annie Son will talk about their idea to generate solar electricity at Jason Lee Middle School in a panel discussion organized by Generation 180. In 2019, the three of them teamed up with their science teacher, Kathy Hall, to push for solar panels to be installed. Hall, who uses solar power at her own house, said it’s long been a dream of hers. The school would be the first in the Tacoma district to use solar energy.
The girls presented their idea to Gov. Jay Inslee’s STEM Education Innovation Alliance meeting in early 2019 and received enthusiastic support. They then spoke to the Tacoma school board and obtained buy-in from the district, though they were told the district did not have the roughly $ 200,000 for the 277 solar panels and that they would have to fundraise. They’ve since raised more than half that amount through grants and individual donations.
Gwen Newport said she’s always cared a lot about environmental issues and that she’s troubled that climate change does not get the attention it deserves. “At this point, I feel like it’s kind of been given to my generation almost as our responsibility now and so being able to be a part of this project and take action is really important to me,” she said.
The solar panels have not been installed at the school yet. But Hall said she estimates that the project will reduce the school’s power costs by about $ 14,000 a year, and that it also will serve an educational purpose. “We will have live data always streaming available so that people can see how the panels are working and how they relate to the amount of electricity we’re using, and it will be an incredible learning tool,” she said.
1. What is Generation 180?A.It is the name of the girls’ team. |
B.It is a project to use solar power. |
C.It is a nonprofit environmental group. |
D.It is a student-led push to install solar panels. |
A.The girls raised enough money for the project. |
B.The Tacoma school board rejected the project. |
C.The girls made great efforts to fulfill the project. |
D.The district covered the expenses of solar panels. |
A.Confident. | B.Concerned. | C.Relieved. | D.Content. |
A.To advocate for donations. |
B.To serve as a learning tool. |
C.To protect the environment. |
D.To cut down the school’s expenses. |
4 . Help Hermit Crabs
Hermit crabs are nature’s recyclers. They eat waste and help keep oceans and shores clean. Unlike other crabs, the hermit crab has a thin outer shell over its soft tail. This makes the hermit crab easy prey for hungry predators. Hermit crabs stay safe by living in old seashells. A hermit crab is picky; it tries on many shells until it finds one that fits just right. In recent years, however, many hermit crabs have had trouble finding their perfect homes. What is the problems There are not enough shells to go around!
One reason for the seashell shortage is that ocean water is not as clean as it once was. This has caused chemical changes to sea water. Some sea animals, like snails, are affected by these changes. Now there are fewer snails making shells. People visiting the beach often take shells home as souvenirs. This is another problem. Other people even take shells for their own pet hermit crabs! They do not realize that hermit crabs in the wild need those shells too.
Now people are working to solve this hermit crab housing shortage. They are teaching beach-Boers to leave seashells where they belong — at the seashore! Some people even make fake seashells that they hope the hermit crabs will like. For example, a group called Project Shelter invited people who visited their website to create different designs for hermit crab shells.
These designers had a lot to consider. What kind of material should be used to build a seashells. The material must be light enough for the hermit crab to carry, but strong enough to protect the crab from predators. The man-made shells could not contain glue or any other substance that might harm a hermit crab. Another challenge with building a hermit crab home was the opening to the shell. Too big would mean the crab would not feel safe. Too small would be uncomfortable, and the crab would not want to move in.
The Project Shelter shells are placed in the wild for hermit crabs to find. Lucky hermit crabs can move into these new dream homes.
1. Where can hermit crabs stay safe?A.In different old seashells. | B.Behind the waste they’ll eat. |
C.In their own thin outer shells. | D.Under the stones at the seashore. |
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2019/1/24/2125424840818688/2126242828337152/STEM/85f8e70ceb9b4b61bda3b3d51c3ea379.png?resizew=420)
A.The methods to recycle the wastes. | B.The ways to help the hermit crabs. |
C.The materials of seashells. | D.The designs of websites. |
A.man-made | B.perfect | C.hard | D.comfortable |
A.The Project Shelter Group. | B.The shortage of the seashell. |
C.New homes for hermit crabs. | D.The recyclers of the nature. |
5 . Off the coast of Formentera, an island, lives seagrass that stretches 15 km. The seagrass, covering several kilometers, is made up of a single organism. The grasses are also long-lived, for tens or hundreds of thousands of years. Along with two other kinds of coastal ecosystem—mangrove swamps and tidal marshes—seagrass fields are particularly good at taking carbon dioxide from the air.
This role was highlighted in a report published on March 2nd by UNESCO, on “blue carbon” —the carbon stored by Earth’s oceanic and coastal ecosystems. In total around 3,300 million tons of carbon dioxide (about three-quarters of the world’s emissions in 2019) are locked away in the planet’s blue-carbon sinks. Research by Carlos Duarte, the report’s author and an ecologist, has shown that one hectare of seagrass can suck as much carbon dioxide each year as 15 hectares of rainforest.
One reason that blue-carbon ecosystems make such effective sinks is that underwater forests are thicker than the land-based woods. They can also trap floating pieces and organic matter, which settles on the sea floor and can double the amount of carbon stored away. They possess another advantage, too. Climate change is leading to more wildfires around the world. As forests burn, their carbon stocks are sent back into the atmosphere. Unlike forests on land, blue-carbon ecosystems do not burn.
Blue-carbon ecosystems may not be fired, but they remain affected by other sorts of disasters. In May 2020 cyclone Amphan destroyed 1,200 square kilometers of mangrove forests. A marine heatwave in Australian waters in 2010 and 2011 damaged around one third of the world’s largest seagrass field in Shark Bay. Mangrove forests can weaken or control waves and provide natural barriers to storm surges. Protecting and expanding them, then, appears to be a must.
1. What do the blue-carbon ecosystems consist of?A.The carbon stored in coastal ecosystems. |
B.Seagrass living off the coast of Formentera. |
C.A single organism, seagrass fields and forests on land. |
D.Seagrass fields, mangrove swamps and tidal marshes. |
A.The concrete role of “blue carbon”. | B.The special features of the seagrass. |
C.The storage ability of the blue-carbon sinks. | D.The findings about the blue-carbon ecosystems. |
A.Because they aren’t influenced by disasters. | B.Because there is more carbon in water than on land. |
C.Because their carbon stocks are released back. | D.Because they have greater absorbing ability. |
A.To add background information. | B.To give suggestions. |
C.To list influential examples. | D.To offer scientific data. |
6 . Thanks to Earth, we have fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink and warm sunshine to enjoy. But it seems that we may have taken these things for granted and not realized that our planet is getting “sick”.
Among those environmental challenges, global warming sits at the top. Global average temperatures have risen by more than 0.5℃since 1992.
Scientists say that we are experiencing the sixth mass extinction in history. More than two-thirds of the world’s wildlife could be gone by the end of the decade if action isn’t taken soon.
However, we have made some progress. That’s because we gradually stopped using chemicals that can break down ozone, a gas that protects Earth.
A.The change is a big deal |
B.Now, scientists have given us a warning |
C.But this is not the only problem people are facing |
D.We can make a big difference when we act right now, the letter says |
E.Scientists also conclude that global warming will continue for centuries |
F.Some rare animals, like black rhinos, might just appear in the pictures soon |
G.All the countries in the world should take action on behalf off future generations |
There is strong and comprehensive evidence that the rise in temperature
1. 活动情况;
2. 活动反响。
注意:
1. 词数80左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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9 . It will soon be possible to reduce common indoor air pollution using just a curtain. A mineral-based surface treatment enables this new curtain from IKEA to break down air pollutants when exposed to light. Air pollution is a global problem. According to WHO, around 90% of people worldwide breathe polluted air. It causes eight million deaths per year.
The Swedish furniture company hopes to reduce this number by producing an air-purifying (净化空气) curtain. It can increase people’s awareness of indoor air pollution. It can also change some people's bad habits and bring clean air to the world. The technology will be applied to other textiles (纺织品).
The curtain uses a technology that has been developed by IKEA suppliers over the last few years. The process, similarly to photosynthesis (光合作用), is activated by both outdoor and indoor light. It's important to work on products that solve actual problems. Textiles are used across homes. By enabling a curtain to purify the air, they are creating an affordable and space-saving air purifying solution. Meanwhile, the home will become more beautiful.
For many years, IKEA has been reducing air pollution. They avoid using chemicals that release air. Last year, IKEA launched a campaign, aiming to turn rice straw—a rice harvesting remains that is traditionally burned and contributes heavily to air pollution—into a new renewable material source.
IKEA has also promised to become climate positive by 2030, reducing our overall climate footprint by 70% on average per product. The company has recently been praised for making their products made from renewable or recycled materials. In fact, IKEA has been working on positive change. It is their dream to enable people to live healthier lives.
1. What's special about the new curtain from IKEA?A.It can purify air. | B.It can beautify the home. |
C.It can block polluted air out. | D.It can carry on the photosynthesis. |
A.It is a high-tech textile company. | B.It is a high-tech costume company. |
C.It focuses on environmental protection. | D.It is an international environmental group. |
A.Because of its economical materials. | B.Because of its environmental production. |
C.Because it has made people live healthier. | D.Because it has developed a high-tech product. |
A.A global problem. | B.A new explanation of photosynthesis. |
C.An environmental company. | D.An air-purifying curtain. |
10 . Margaret is a famous climate activist (气候活动家). When she was thirty- two years old, she created an Egyptian charity organization called the Green Generation Initiative (倡议), which has been planting trees and countering the acts of cutting down the forests at will and climate change in the North African nation since 2013.
GGI’s primary focus is on developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools and addressing food unsafety in the area through planting fruit trees.
Over 120, 000 trees have been planted in Egypt since GGI’s start and they have recorded a survival rate of over 90 percent, while thousands of schoolchildren have chosen to plant trees to make sure that they learn the importance of acting as a guardian over the health of the environment.
Speaking to world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Margaret issued a warning on the harm of climate change, “Over 1 million of my fellow Egyptians are facing climate related hunger. In 2024, half of the world’s population will be short of water. By 2030, the climate problem will make about 50 million people in Sub- Saharan Africa homeless.”
Margaret added, “I have been doing what I can. I was inspired by the great Maathai, who called on thousands of women and men to plant tens of millions of trees throughout Kenya. Her approach was practical and deeply ecological (生态的). She was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I started a tree growing initiative that raised the awareness of food safety for young Egyptians. So far, we have grown 30, 000 fruit trees, providing badly needed food for thousands of children. We are the adults on the Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water.”
1. What does the underlined word “countering” in paragraph l mean?A.Trying out. | B.Worrying about. |
C.Passing on. | D.Fighting against. |
A.To plant useful fruit trees at school. | B.To increase the survival rate of trees. |
C.To deal with food unsafety in Egypt. | D.To raise enough money for a charity. |
A.The great waste of water resources. |
B.The serious impact of climate change. |
C.The bad results of people’s going hungry. |
D.The rapid growth of the world population. |
A.Working for the Nobel Prize. | B.Expressing thanks to Maathai. |
C.Being responsible for the future. | D.Making more children educated. |