A awareness B. clear C. encourage D. ignore E. immediate F. limiting G. redesigning H. significantly I. team J. theme K. unlikely |
Go Recycling
No one looking at the state of Earth in 2023 can be in any doubt that we are facing three serious environmental problems: climate problem, loss of biodiversity (生物多样性) and pollution of air, soil and water. To solve the problems, we increase the use of electric cars,
We should realize that a key
A shocking figure lies at the heart of our special report on our world — of the more than 100 billion tons of things that humans use each year, hardly 10% is recycled. That makes it obvious a full-range war on waste should be paid
Solving the three problems calls for a huge transition with joint efforts. Governments must take the lead by introducing laws with the purpose of rewarding green practices, such as the
2 . Each one of us shares this planet with seven billion other individuals. And we all need transportation. The majority of cars, motorcycles, boats and planes cause pollution. They are also noisy. This is a serious problem in many cities. So inventors are coming up with innovative ideas to try to reduce the pollution and noise.
By Land
In many cities around the world, motorcycles are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, Vietnam has around 33 million motorcycles. China has almost 120 million. The convenience of these motorcycles comes at a cost. Air pollution is a growing problem. In large cities, people often complain it is difficult to breathe. They also complain about the noise.
To solve these problems, a U.S. company designed an environmentally friendly motorcycle. It uses electricity as fuel. You can drive it for 40 miles (64 kilometers) before recharging the battery.
It is also quiet and fast-60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour. This makes it a good choice for getting around a city.
By Water
The Italian city of Venice is a city with only a few roads. There are no cars in the city center. Instead of cars, water taxis and buses carry people along the city’s canals. The engines of these boats are simple and cheap. However, they cause pollution, particularly to the water. This causes damage to the city’s buildings.
English mechanics Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stans designed a solar-powered water taxi. The solar panels charge three electric batteries. These, in turn, provide power to the engine. The water taxi can carry six passengers. It can run for a day. In the future, solar taxis could be an alternative to Venice’s current taxis.
By Air
Designing an environmentally friendly airplane is a real challenge. Planes use an enormous amount of jet fuel. This means they cause significant air pollution, and they are very noisy. Some major airplane manufacturers have started to address the problems. They are using cleaner fuels, for example. However, Swiss engineers have gone one step further. They developed a solar airplane — the Solar Impulse. Solar panels cover its wings. These panels provide power to four electric motors and batteries. The batteries allow the plane to fly at night. This plane holds the world record for the longest solar-powered flight — 985 miles (1541 kilometers) from Arizona to Texas in the United States.
1. What do the three innovative ideas proposed have in common?A.They aim to solve traffic problems in big cities. |
B.They use cleaner energy and cause less pollution. |
C.They aim to change traditional way of transporting goods. |
D.They are good will of developed countries to help developing countries. |
A.China owns the largest number of motorcycles. |
B.There are no cars in the center of Venice city. |
C.Solar-powered water taxi can run for a day with one battery at work. |
D.The newly designed motorcycle can drive 60 miles after being charged. |
A.lighter wings | B.less noise |
C.powerful batteries | D.longest solar panels |
A. alarming B. carbon-intensive C. durability D. glued E. labels F. man-made G. manufacturing H. recycle I. redefine J. samples K. share |
How sustainable are your sneakers?
Over the last five years the sneaker industry has grown rapidly and shows no sign of slowing down. The global athletic footwear market is expected to exceed 95 billion (USD) by 2025. According to the World Footwear Yearbook, over 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually. Among them sneakers account for the largest
Sneaker production is very
These emissions mainly come from
Then why don’t we move away from the use of plastic? Since sneakers have to endure much more than a regular pair of shoes, the aspect of their
The footwear industry is at least 10 years behind the rest of fashion in terms of environmental standards. Seven out of ten brands are having discussions on sustainability, yet only 40% of companies have a sustainability program in place. Big industry players (such as Adidas and Nike) and some smaller
Considering that close to 25 billion pairs of shoes were produced worldwide in the last year, it is clear that immediate action is very important. It is my hope that we consumers will
4 . A simple piece of rope hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors. On one side stand those who have begun to see clothes dryers as a wasteful consumers of energy (up to 6% of total electricity) and powerful emitters of carbon dioxide (up to a ton of CO2 per household every year). As an alternative, they are turning to clotheslines as part of what Alexander Lee, an environmentalist, calls “what-I-can-do environmentalism.”
But the other side are people who oppose air-drying laundry outside on visual grounds. Increasingly, they have persuaded community and homeowners associations (HOAs) access the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, which they say not only look unattractive but also lower surrounding property values. Those actions, in turn, have led to a right-to-dry movement that is pressing for making laws to protect the choice to use clotheslines. Only three states — Florida, Hawaii and Utah — have laws written broadly enough to protect clotheslines. Right-to-dry advocates argue that there should be more.
Matt Reck is the kind of eco-conscious guy who feeds his trees with bathwater and recycles condensation drops (冷凝水) from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But Otto Hagen, president of Reck’s HOA in Wake Forest, N.C., notified him that a neighbor had complained about his line. The Recks ignored the warning and still dry their clothes on a rope in the yard. “Many people claim to be environmentally friendly but don’t take matters into their own hands,” says Reck. HOAs Hagen has decided to hold off taking action. “I’m not going to go crazy,” he says. “But if Matt keeps his line and more neighbors complains, I’ll have to address it again.”
North Carolina lawmakers tried and failed earlier this year to insert language into an energy bill that would expressly prevent HOAs from regulating clotheslines. But the issue remains a touchy one with HOAs and real estate agents. “Most visual restrictions are rooted. to a degree, in the belief that homogenous (统一协调的) external appearance are supportive of property value,” says Sara Stubbins, executive director of the Community Association Institute’s North Carolina chapter. In other words, associations worry that housing prices will fall if prospective buyers think their would-be neighbors are too poor to afford dryers.
Alexander Lee dismisses the notion that clotheslines devalue property advocating that the idea “needs to change in light of global warming.” “We all have to do at least something to decrease our carbon footprint,” Alexander Lee says.
1. What is NOT mentioned as a disadvantage of using clothes dryers?A.Electricity consumption. | B.Air pollution. |
C.Waste of energy. | D.Ugly looking. |
A.Opposers think air-drying laundry would devalue surrounding property. |
B.Opposers consider the outdoor clothesline as an eyesore to the scenery. |
C.Right-to-dry movements led to the pass of written laws to protect clotheslines. |
D.Most of states in the US have no written laws to protect clotheslines. |
A.clotheslines should be banned in the community |
B.clotheslines wouldn’t lessen the property values |
C.the globe would become warmer and warmer |
D.we should protect the environment in the community |
A.Opinions on Environmental Protection | B.Opinions on Air-drying Laundry |
C.What-I-Can-Do Environmentalism | D.Restrictions on Clotheslines |
Saving the Planet is Kids’ Task Environmental problems plague every country, but where there’s energy and enthusiasm, there’s hope. Nowhere is energy and enthusiasm more boundless than amongst school-age children. Now thousands of Australian children can have fun while learning to develop a real passion for protecting the environment. Sponsored by Australia Post, the ‘Ollie Saves the Planet’ interactive CD-ROM and associated website (www.olliesworld.com) introduce children to the concept of conservation and encourage them to consider their actions in the areas of waste, water, energy, air, and bio-diversity. It is a great resource for classroom activities and school projects, with lots of games for hours of entertainment. A complimentary(免费赠送的) copy of the CD-ROM, which retails for $24.95, has been sent to every school throughout Australia to show young environmentalists how they can ‘reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink’. Order your CD-ROM today! Hours of easy-to-use edu-tainment Suitable for PC and Mac Project resource information Extensive teachers’ notes & lesson plans A range of interactive games and puzzles Real-life case studies Hurry, the environment needs your help! Call 1800 804 078 NOW! AUSTRALIA POST |
A.trouble | B.arouse | C.target | D.motivate |
A.to draw the readers’ attention to bio-diversity |
B.because they’re easy for students to remember the projects |
C.to show the writer’s skill of using similar words |
D.because they are the technical terms for environment protection |
A.The CD-ROM product is fun for children to use. |
B.Children must have certain skills to use this product. |
C.It is important to act quickly to obtain this product. |
D.The CD-ROM will help children become environmentally aware. |
A.To command school to introduce the CD-ROM to students. |
B.To provide a discount for the schools to buy the products. |
C.To encourage Australian children to contribute to protecting environment. |
D.To collect education resources for classroom activities and school projects. |
A.45% | B.54% | C.70% | D.74% |
A.To make supportive policies to call on people to use water wisely. |
B.To get more people to use water in environmental-friendly ways. |
C.To develop more water recycling systems in poor countries. |
D.To encourage people to save energy actively as much as possible. |
A.Estimates about water use. | B.Importance of fresh water. |
C.Concerns about water issues. | D.Lack of safe drinking water. |
Wood Houses
In the fairy tale Three Little Pigs, the second little pig built his house from sticks. Unluckily, it
In 2015 world leaders
The production of coffee beans is huge, profitable business, but unfortunately, full-sun production is taking over the industry and bringing about a lot of damage. The change in how coffee is grown from shade-grown production to full-sun production endangers the very existence of certain animals, and even disturbs the world’s ecological balance.
On a local level, the damage to the forests required by full-sun fields affects the area’s animals. The shade of the forest tree provides a home for birds and other species that depend on the trees’ flowers and fruits. Full-sun coffee growers destroy this forest home. As a result, many species are quickly dying out.
On a more global level, the destruction of the rainforest for full-sun coffee fields also threatens human life. Medical research often makes use of the forests’ plants and animal life, and the destruction of such species could prevent researchers from finding cures for certain diseases. In addition, new coffee-growing techniques are poisoning the water locally, and eventually the world’s groundwater.
Both locally and globally, the continued spread of full-sun coffee plantations could mean the destruction of the rainforest ecology. The loss of shade trees is already causing a slight change in the world’s climate, and studies show that the loss of oxygen-giving trees also leads to air pollution and global warming.
It is obvious that the way much coffee is grown affects many aspects of life, from the local environment to the global ecology. But consumers do have a choice. They can purchase shade-grown coffee whenever possible, although at a higher cost.
Outline:
I. Introduction
Full-sun production of coffee beans is taking over the industry and
II. Body part
1. On a local level
- It destroys the habitats of local species, and many of them
2. On a more global level
- It threatens human life, because researchers
- It poisons local water, and therefore the world’s groundwater is affected.
3. Both locally and globally
- It destroys the rainforest ecology, for the loss of trees causes a change in climate and
III. Conclusion
Consumers are advised to buy shade-grown coffee.
9 . Goodish News of Climate Change
Emissions of carbon dioxide (related to energy production) have stabilized, for now.
Is it a peak, a stutter or just a brief pause? Time will tell. But whatever it is, on February 11th the International Energy Agency (IEA), an intergovernmental
Energy-related emissions, which include those (produced by electricity generation), heating and transport,
As a result of this the CO₂-intensity of electricity generation—a(n)
This is not the first time energy related emissions have plateaued (保持稳定). Between 2013 and 2016 they hovered around 32.2bn tonnes a year, before rising again in 2017 as the use of coal to
A.circumstance | B.environment | C.contribution | D.organization |
A.available | B.similar | C.related | D.referred |
A.call for | B.account for | C.stand for | D.allow for |
A.decline | B.increase | C.promotion | D.recovery |
A.product | B.idea | C.measure | D.result |
A.floating | B.falling | C.disappearing | D.remaining |
A.outcome | B.change | C.effect | D.achievement |
A.fuel | B.regulate | C.handle | D.expand |
A.frequent | B.previous | C.natural | D.disastrous |
A.tips | B.plans | C.warnings | D.comments |
A.booming | B.dynamic | C.strong | D.depressed |
A.In addition | B.By contrast | C.In consequence | D.In fact |
A.accidentally | B.absolutely | C.historically | D.correctly |
A.prospect | B.ability | C.need | D.decision |
A.anger | B.hope | C.devotion | D.surprise |
A. banned F. regularly | B. imperfect G. reusing | C. delivered H. throw | D. growing I. victim | E. embrace J. relatively | K. keep |
Tips for More Sustainable Living
Making some small changes to your routine can pay off big in various ways:helping the planet while saving your time, money, or both. You will be surprised by how big a difference you can make with
Give up throwing certain items. Your coffee grounds, and used tea leaves can be fertilizer (肥料) instead of being thrown in the trash. If you don’t have access to a fertilizer factory, you can hire a company to
Try to
Forget fast fashion. The average American throws away 82 pounds of fast fashion clothing each year. Thankfully, there’s a(n)
Don’t get cheated. Because of the consumer trend toward more eco-friendly products, many companies make exaggerated (夸张的) claims about their own efforts. For instance, a brand might boast that its products are free of a certain chemical, even though that chemical has been