1 . Directions: Fill in each blanks with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. alternatives   B. behavioural   C. completion   D. consideration   E. met F. modernizing   G. occupied   H. powering   I. schemes   J. specify   K. thorough

Carbon Impact

De-carboning existing housing will require households to stop burning fossil fuels and wood to power and heat their homes. If the UK’s current energy demand could be     1     by renewable, carbon-free energy, then there would be no problem. However, the infrastructure (基础建设) is not yet in place to do so and will not be by 2050.

The smart solution is to reduce the energy demand of homes. This energy demand includes the energy needed to heat (or cool) a home and that required for a home to run, such as     2     appliances.

Architects can have a big impact on energy demand through improving the performance of the building envelope by increasing insulation (绝缘) and airtightness. We can also work with building services engineers to     3     renewable energy generation (生成) technology and ensure that building services and appliances are running efficiently. Smart technologies can also help households control energy use. Gas boilers and cookers will need to be replaced with electric     4     such as heat pumps and conduction hobs. Some community renewable generation     5     will be needed. Household     6     changes will be useful too, for example not having windows open while the heating is on. Rebuilding houses will not be a one-size-fits-all approach. Strategies for individual homes or building types will be required and     7     analysis of a home’s performance and its occupant’s habits will be needed. This was the first step of our R20 project, a rebuilding of 9/10 Stock Orchard Street reducing the energy demand of the building, 20 years after its     8    

The rebuilding works took place while the building was     9    . For all existing housing, careful     10     will be needed regarding health and safety and people’s wellbeing. Furthermore, households will need to learn how their rebuilt home works to use it successfully.

2 . John F. Kennedy said, “We’re tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch — we’re going back from whence we came.” This quote is more poignant than you might think. We are inevitably linked to the ocean: All life on Earth originates from its depths — and it is crucial for our future, too.

Covering about 71 percent of Earth’s surface, the ocean is instrumental in the processes that keep us alive. Whilst the rainforests may be referred to as “the lungs of the planet,” it is actually the ocean that provides 50 to 80 percent of the oxygen we breathe. Through a “conveyor belt” action, it helps regulate Earth’s climate by transporting heat away from the equator (赤道), towards the poles to cool. The ocean also proves itself essential in the fight against climate change. It absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide (CO2) than our atmosphere — or rather, it is not the ocean itself…but what lives within it.

Many forms of aquatic life naturally absorb and hold carbon. From microscopic phytoplankton (浮游生物) to gigantic whales, life of all shapes and sizes play a part in feeding these carbon sinks (areas that absorb more CO2 than they release). Perhaps one of the most incredible forms is the humble seagrass.

Across the globe, there are more than 70 different species of seagrass. It grows in the vast underwater meadows of 159 countries on six continents, covering 300,000 square kilometers — barely occupying 0.2 percent of the seafloor. This is where the super seagrass comes into its own: It absorbs ten percent of the ocean’s carbon each year and captures carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.

Seagrass constructs its leaves and roots through the use of carbon, which it gains from water through the process of photosynthesis (光合作用) — and it holds on to this carbon even after its death. Dead plant material slowly decomposes on the ocean floor, which means that the carbon stored within it ends up getting buried under the seabed.

It is ironic that such an effective natural solution to climate change is itself under threat from climate change, as temperatures rise and more violent storms destroy seagrass beds. Pollution, the long-term development of coastlines, and unregulated fishing have all played additional roles in its decline.

Experts say that reversing the decline of seagrass will take an international effort. Fortunately, restoration missions are already underway. The Ocean Conservation Trust, for example, has opened a seagrass cultivation lab. Here, seagrass is grown in batches, using seed-bearing shoots that have been hand-picked by divers. In April 2021, 2,200 bags of these seedlings were planted on the seabed of Plymouth Sound, England. They are expected to flourish into a meadow the size of six football pitches.

Could seagrass be one of the Earth’s great survivors that will end up saving us all? As with most things, only time will tell.

1. What does the underlined word “instrumental” in the second paragraph mean?

A．important

B．alarming

C．consequential

D．mechanical

2. Which of the following statements shows the role seagrass plays in absorbing carbon after its death?

A．The carbon is taken in through photosynthesis by seagrass’s roots and leaves.

B．The carbon gets buried together with the decomposed plant material.

C．The carbon is eaten by various forms of aquatic life that feed on the dead plants.

D．The remaining carbon is cultivated in an artificial lab to convert to seagrass.

3. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Paradise for Aquatic Life	B．Ocean is Under Threat
C．the Irreversible Climate Change	D．Kelp (海藻) Can Help

3 . U.N. Report Warns Nature Crisis

A new U.N. report focuses on the negative effects of human activity on nature. It says one million plant and animal species on land, in the seas and in the sky are now in danger of extinction.

    1     It draws on the work of 450 scientists from dozens of countries. The Earth has always suffered from human activity, it says. However, these scratches (划伤) have become deep scars (伤疤) over the past 50 years. Species are going extinct several hundred times faster than the average rate during the past ten million years. It’s something that has never happened before in human history.

    2     Since 1970, the human population has doubled. The global economy has grown by four times. To feed, clothe and give energy to this fast-changing world, lots of forests have been cut down. Between 1980 and 2000, one million square kilometers of tropical (热带的) forest were lost. Furthermore, hunting, overfishing and pollution have also been killing species in great numbers.

The problem can be fixed, the report says.     3     The amount of land and sea that is under protection needs to increase rapidly. The report suggests governments move away from using GDP as a key measure of development. Long-term effects must be considered, too.

Professor Eduardo Brondizio of Indiana University is an author of the report. He says, “We all know what needs to be done. The knowledge is there.     4    ”

A．However, this requires considerable changes.

B．Over 120 wildlife species are facing extinction.

C．The 1,800-page report took three years to finish.

D．The report listed several causes for the situation.

E．There just needs to be a greater will to take action.

F．The report also finds that global goals for protecting nature cannot be met.

4 . Are you worried about the planet and tired of waiting around for things to change? Go ahead and take a closer look at the various options available to volunteer for the environment!

Sustainable Agriculture If you decide to volunteer for a sustainable agriculture project, you’ll definitely learn some interesting sustainable farming techniques. You will be learning these techniques from locals or teaching them to the local farmers so they can implement these techniques on their own. Best Places to Volunteer: Central or South Africa, India, Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Marine Conservation Volunteers for marine conservation should naturally be attracted to water. It’s important that you don’t fear diving and have a strong interest in learning to dive during your stay. While volunteering, your task as a volunteer will be to help research, maintain and grow the unique marine biology. Best Places to Volunteer: The Bahamas, Cuba, Peru, South Africa, Indonesia, Spain and Italy.

Nature Conservation Conservation projects are dedicated to protecting the natural environment of a specific location. Tasks here may vary greatly depending on the program but it will require volunteers to study the environment and learn about the local wildlife species. You’ll be monitoring the environment and retrieving data while taking action to preserve the local species of fauna and flora. Best Places to Volunteer: Madagascar, the Maldives, South Africa, New Zealand and Russia.

Renewable Energy and Water Projects focused on energy and water create ways for communities to access sustainable energy and water sources. These programs are dedicated to designing system improvements and creating a sustainable supply of energy and water. It’s important for conservation volunteers to evaluate the needs of the community and implement actions to solve these issues. Best Places to Volunteer: Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India and Cameroon.

Requirements: With so many subcategories and such a wide array of organizations, the required skill set will vary for each program. English is the main language on all projects so it’s important that conservation volunteers have a good understanding of English. For projects in South America, you will find it helpful to have a basic knowledge of Spanish.

1. If you want to volunteer for three projects in the same country, which country is the best choice?

A．Peru.

B．Indonesia.

C．South Africa.

D．India.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Volunteers can learn farming techniques by implementing these techniques on their own.

B．Volunteers need to study the environment and perform the same natural conservation tasks.

C．Volunteers should assess the requirements of the community before implementing actions.

D．Volunteers can sign up for marine conservation project even if they are afraid of the water.

3. What is required in common to be a volunteer in any of the above programs?

A．Farming techniques.	B．Marine biology.
C．Data retrieving.	D．The English language.

5 . Brazil’s election offers hope for the rainforest

A presidential election in 2022 will offer a chance for Brazil’s government to reverse policies that have________to global climate change. The country is home to 60% of the Amazon rainforest, which has historically been an important carbon________. But a worrying study published in 2021 in Nature found that over the past decade it has________become a carbon source. The culprits: forest fires and deforestation, which has soared by more than 40% since President Jair Bolsonaro________in 2019.

On his watch, environmental enforcement and fines dropped to record lows. Activists say this has encouraged________logging, mining, and land-grabbing. In June the environment minister, Ricardo Salles, resigned after federal police began investigating him for alleged________in timber trafficking.

A greener president would try to crack down on such crimes. Polls________that Mr Bolsonaro is likely to lose the election. His successor could convince Germany and Norway to unfreeze the Amazon Fund, a pot of money for enforcement and________development that was withdrawn in 2019 amid concerns about Mr Bolsonaro’s policies. A new president could also revive talks with President Joe Biden, who has offered to________a $20bn fund for the rainforest once Brazil starts showing results.

But even an enlightened president will have to battle a________Congress, which is considering a number of laws that threaten the rainforest and its inhabitants. These include a land-regularisation bill nicknamed the “land-grabbing law” and a bill that would________wildcat mining on indigenous territories. In August thousands of indigenous people camped out in the capital as the supreme court debated a case that would restrict their territories to land that was________when a new constitution was passed in 1988. The court postponed its________, but Congress is considering a law that would have the________effect.

Better leadership in Brazil could jump-start regional efforts to boost enforcement and find sustainable________to deforestation for the rainforest’s inhabitants. But if Mr Bolsonaro wins again, his determination to fill the forest with roads, dams and mines could cause destruction far beyond the borders of Brazil.

1.

A．referred

B．contributed

C．amounted

D．related

2.

A．footprint

B．sink

C．source

D．emission

3.

A．indeed

B．instead

C．accidentally

D．otherwise

4.

A．stepped down

B．took office

C．claimed precedence

D．kept watch

5.

A．seasonal

B．selective

C．illegal

D．professional

6.

A．involvement

B．attachment

C．limitation

D．existence

7.

A．advise

B．advocate

C．suggest

D．represent

8.

A．sustainable

B．economic

C．rapid

D．rural

9.

A．claim

B．manage

C．create

D．borrow

10.

A．farmer-friendly

B．warm-blooded

C．pressure-free

D．profit-making

11.

A．realise

B．normalize

C．publicise

D．legalise

12.

A．sold

B．explored

C．cleared

D．occupied

13.

A．election

B．argument

C．appeal

D．decision

14.

A．main

B．varied

C．final

D．same

15.

A．replacements

B．transitions

C．alternatives

D．references

6 . People start new businesses for different reasons. Sometimes they have a great ideal.    1    For Eli Reich, his business began when someone stole his bike bag.

Reich was an engineer in Seattle. Because he cared about the environment, he biked to work every day. He carried his work and his laptop in a bike bag. When someone took his bag, he tried to buy a new one. But he couldn’t find one he liked. So he decided to make his own. Riding a bike every day leads to lots of tire punctures(轮胎刺破). As a result, he had plenty of used inner tubes in his apartment. Inner tubes are the inside part of a bike tire. They are soft, flexible, and feel like leather. They are also waterproof--all perfect qualities for a bag.

The design loved by friends and others, Reich quit his job, and started his own business--Alchemy Goods. At first, he depended on his friends for inner tubes. But business was good, and he quickly ran short of these tubes. He needed a new supply. So he asked local bike stores to send him used inner tubes instead of throwing them away. To date, he has used over 300,000 inner tubes. Having a good supply of these materials is a critical part of Reich’s business.

Each bag uses as many recycled products as possible. The straps, for example, are old care seat belts. Reich’s goal is to use 1000 percent recycled materials. This is not easy. “It’s hard to come up with a product that is endlessly recycled.     2    ” He wants to let his customers know about his goal, so each bag has a number above the company logo. The number gives the percentage of recycled materials in that particular bag.

    3    Recycling turns waste into reusable things that are often cheaper than the original product. Companies turn newspapers into paper cups, for example. Up-cycling transforms water into a better quality--and more expensive --product than the original product. Alchemy Goods bags are not cheap. Each bag is handmade. Using recycled materials keeps the cost down, but the labor is expensive.Creating a business out of other people’s trash is a growing trend. Up-cycling is becoming popular. Reich joins thousands of small business owners who are taking advantage of the 250 million tons of trash that Americans throw away every year.     4    

A．There is a lot of trash available that businesses can recycle.

B．Other times, they decide to make a living by doing something they enjoy.

C．Like other entrepreneurs, Reich believes this makes sense for business and the environment.

D．We’re a step ahead, but we’re not perfect.

E．Eli Reich cuts a seat-belt from an old car to make bags for his company.

F．Reich emphasizes that he uses recycled materials, but he creates high quality products.

7 . For the longest time, the predominant description about renewable energy featured awkward technologies, high costs, and burdensome allowance. In the _______ of strict and far-reaching policy changes, the chances for mass adoption seemed slim. Electric vehicles (EVs) simply couldn’t go the distance, and LED lights were unattractive and _______.

But now that these technologies have come of age, a new story is being written. Around the world, businesses, governments, and households are taking advantage of more cost-effective low-carbon technologies.

_______ advances in information technologies (IT), green solutions can be introduced into business operations successfully. And as public support for these technologies has grown, so have the _______ for scaling up to a fully sustainable energy system.

As in any rapid transition, a full understanding of what is happening has _______ events. Many present energy producers find it hard to believe that their world is undergoing a revolutionary change, so they insist that their heavily polluting technologies will remain _______ and necessary for some time to come. Journalists, too, describe the transition with a degree of _______, because it is their job to be suspicious. And politicians and regulators are cautious to adopt a new perspective, _______ they are already struggling to keep up with the pace of change in the energy industry.

To be sure, _______ doesn’t come without setbacks, as the recent growth in energy-related greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions shows. Yet there is no doubt that the future of energy will be __________ different from the recent past. In fact, the __________ is happening even faster than we think, for example, coal-fired power plants are shutting down faster than ever, and plans for new natural-gas plants are being replaced with more cost-effective wind and solar options. And as the shift toward renewables gains good trends, it will be easier for elected officials to pursue more climate-friendly policies and regulations, thereby creating a(n) __________ circle of change.

As the green transition comes of age, it will offer solutions to all of humanity’s energy needs, placing a clean, prosperous and secure low-carbon future well within reach. Yet even as we hug __________, we must not lose sight of the fact that climate change is speeding up. With GHG emissions __________ to rise, the future of humanity hangs in the balance. One hopes that the shift to __________ energy will tip the scale in our favor.

1.

A．license

B．absence

C．application

D．promotion

2.

A．invisible

B．unbelievable

C．inevitable

D．unaffordable

3.

A．Instead of

B．Owing to

C．In case of

D．According to

4.

A．resources

B．revolutions

C．prospects

D．priorities

5.

A．caught up with

B．compared with

C．taken place of

D．fallen behind

6.

A．relevant

B．inferior

C．synthetic

D．experimental

7.

A．mixture

B．caution

C．conflict

D．approval

8.

A．in case

B．so that

C．even though

D．the moment

9.

A．significance

B．invention

C．happiness

D．progress

10.

A．dramatically

B．economically

C．independently

D．equivalently

11.

A．interaction

B．modernization

C．motivation

D．transformation

12.

A．natural

B．potential

C．positive

D．original

13.

A．influence

B．optimism

C．estimation

D．extension

14.

A．starting

B．failing

C．emerging

D．continuing

15.

A．sustainable

B．traditional

C．available

D．industrial

8 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. directly	B. conventional	C. sorted	D. sustainable	E. landfilling	F. supply
G. dating	H. undoubtedly	I. viewed	J. packaging	K. cardboard

Recycling can be defined as the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. It can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of recycling is to avoid     1     waste disposal. It contributes to the prevention of the waste of potentially useful materials and reduces the consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby reducing: energy usage, air pollution, and water pollution from     2    . This practice has been around throughout the history of mankind,     3     from the fourth century BC.

Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, and     4     metal, plastic, tires, and electronics. The composting(堆肥) or other reuse of biodegradable waste- such as food or garden waste- is also     5     as recycling.

Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the roadside, then     6     cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials for manufacturing.

In the strictest sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh     7     of the same material- -for example, used office paper would be changed into new office paper. However, this is often     8     difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so “recycling” of many products or materials involves their reuse in producing different materials instead. Another form of recycling is the rescue of certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic（内在的） value or due to their dangerous nature.

Much of the difficulty in recycling comes from the fact that most products are not designed with recycling in mind. The concept of     9     design aims to solve this problem. Now scientists suggest that every product and all     10     they require should have a complete “closed-loop” cycle mapped out for each component- a way in which every component will either return to the natural ecosystem through biodegradation or be recycled indefinitely.

9 . The lives of sea turtles begin on a beach when hatchlings crawl up out of their sandy nests and try to get to the sea as fast as they can. Those that aren’t eaten by killers on their way to the water swim out into the ocean until they find somewhere they can hide, eat and grow.

Ten to fifty years later, depending on the species, the sea turtles mate in shallow waters. Then the females return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs, and the cycle begins again.

SAVE ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES! Here’s how YOU can make a difference! 1. Only buy ethically harvested seafood. Seafood Watch. org's app will help you choose seafood providers who don't harm sea turtles. 2. Use reusable bags and water containers.Reduce your use of plastics and refuse to use plastic bags, disposable straws and water bottles. 3. Volunteer for beach clean-up activities. Help make our coastlines safer for sea turtles by removing harmful garbage like plastic bags and disposable straws. 4. Clear the beach of obstacles at night. Remove chairs and sandcastles and turn off any lights so sea turtles can more easily travel between their nests and the water.

Turtles that successfully avoid the numerous threats to their existence can live up to 100 years. But predators, fishing nets and garbage are major problems, and only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings will reach adulthood. There are seven sea turtle species, and six of them are either threatened, endangered or critically endangered. Many organizations around the world are working hard to ensure that sea turtles will not disappear from our oceans.

1. After leaving their nests, how long will it be before the sea turtles are old enough to reproduce?

A．Ten to fifty months, depending on environmental factors

B．Six months, if they can survive that long in the open ocean

C．One to five weeks, depending on how much they find to eat

D．One to five decades, depending on the kind of sea turtle

2. Which danger to sea turtles is mentioned in the article but not addressed in the poster?

A．Water pollution that harms sea turtles

B．Fishing industry practices that harm sea turtles

C．Other animals that eat sea turtles

D．Turtle overpopulation that makes food short

3. According to the poster, why is it important to keep the beach clear at night?

A．It gives the turtles a clear path from their nests to the ocean.

B．Tourists won’t trip on anything in the dark when they’re looking for turtles.

C．Waste on the beach ruins the view at night.

D．It makes it more difficult for killers to hunt the turtles.