1 . Walking or running outdoors, people usually see rubbish all over the ground. Well, some people are doing something about it.
A Swedish man named Erik Ahlström, started the movement in 2016. He moved to Stockholm from a small community(社区) in northern Sweden. Each day he would ride his bike to work. He became worried about the amount of rubbish and litter he saw each day on his way to work. So, he took matters into his own hands. He began picking up the rubbish.
Today, plogging is an official activity, which is becoming more and more popular. People of all ages are welcome to plog. Exercise while helping your community.
Along with cleaning up the environment, there may be another reason to choose plogging instead of just jogging. You may get a better workout. One fitness app, Lifesum, records one hour of plogging as burning 288 calories.
As can be seen, cities around the world now hold plogging events. The goal is to spread the idea that littering is not acceptable. People would think twice before dropping a garbage on the ground.
| A．And that is how plogging was born! |
| B．In other words, plogging is equal parts of exercise and community service. |
| C．There are people all around the world doing this. |
| D．They are plogging! |
| E．You get to know your neighbors. |
| F．And plogging does good to your mental health. |
| G．Usual jogging burns about 235 calories. |
2 . The newly-elected president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro says that his country should withdraw (退出) from the 2015 Paris Agreement, and that Brazil’s rainforest protections are standing in the way of economic success. During the election campaign, he promised to ease protections for areas of the Brazilian Amazon set aside for native people and wildlife. Are Brazil’s rainforests in danger?
The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, is called “the lungs of the planet.” Each tree takes in and stores carbon dioxide from the air around it. Billions of trees pull up water through their roots and release water vapor into the air, forming tiny drops of water. The Amazon creates 30 to 50 percent of its own rainfall. Carlos Nobre, a climate scientist, says that it is almost impossible to say Just how important the rainforest is to the planet’s living systems.
Some of Bolsonaro’s support comes from business and farming groups. One supporter, Luiz Carlos, noted that farmers “are not invaders, they are producers.” He blamed the past government for supporting rainforest protections at the cost of farmers. “Brazil,” he said, “will be the biggest farming nation on Earth during Bolsonaro’s years.”
Paulo Artaxo, a professor of environmental physics at the University of Sao Paulo, says that if Bolsonaro keeps his campaign promises, then “deforestation of the Amazon will probably increase quickly — and the effects will be felt everywhere on the planet.”
Other scientists warn that if the Amazon and other tropical rainforests lose too many trees, this could affect rainfall in other areas. Without enough trees to support the rainfall, the longer and bigger dry season could turn more than half of the rainforest into a tropical grassland.
1. The first paragraph is intended to ________.| A．draw people’s attention to the disappearing rainforests |
| B．ask people to ease the protection of rainforests |
| C．attract the public to the newly-elected president |
| D．to complain about the new government's withdrawing |
| A．produce much farmland |
| B．examine people’s lungs |
| C．change the earth’s living system |
| D．destroy farmers’ crops |
| A．The new president’s supporters care less about farmers. |
| B．Scientists are concerned about the protection of rainforests. |
| C．The rainforests will stop the economic development in Brazil. |
| D．The past government is to blame for the destruction of rainforests |
| A．a newspaper |
| B．a magazine |
| C．a guidebook |
| D．a textbook |
3 . Among the world’s waste-recycling pioneers, Germany is the leader. The country has quite a detailed way of sorting their waste-down to the color of glass waste, the type of paper, the separate bin for metals, etc.
Here below are what you should know about Germany’s waste sorting system：
◇You are expected to gather your waste in your apartment/housing area’s local public garbage bins.
◇There are commonly several types of public garbage bins available in the German’s apartment/housing areas：
Blue bin — for paper and cardboard
Green and white bin — for glass, different bins for differently colored glass, not available for holiday decorations and lights
Yellow/orange bin — for plastic and metals
Brown bin — for goods that can be changed naturally by bacteria into substances that don’t harm the environment, like leftovers, fruit and vegetables
Gray/black bin — for everything else that can’t be recycled such as used cat litter and animal waste
◇Some items don’t belong in these public garbage bins. Items like used batteries, electronics, unused paints, and lights must be returned to the special agent/locations so they can be properly recycled. Other items such as clothes, shoes, and oversized rubbish and furniture are advised to be donated or sold.
◇There’s this thing called Pfand in Germany, a certain part of the price for a bottled drink that you get back if you send back the bottle to certified (有资历的) shops. German law requires shops over a certain size selling bottled drinks have a Pfandruckgabestelle, or place for bottles with deposits (押金). These bottles usually made of glass or plastic will be refilled. Of course, there’re strict health regulations.
1. Which bin should the fallen leaves be classified into？| A．The blue bin. | B．The brown bin. |
| C．The grey/black bin. | D．The green and white bin. |
| A．By returning it to special agents. | B．By placing it in a specific location. |
| C．By giving it away to those in need. | D．By donating it to a Pfandruckgabestelle. |
| A．To collect money for some shops. | B．To help shops reuse plastic or glass. |
| C．To reduce the broken bottles. | D．To encourage bottles to be returned. |
4 . Jane Goodall, the well-known scientist, is starting Trees for Jane on Tuesday, joining a global campaign to fight climate change by planting a trillion trees by 2030.
Goodall made it clear that planting is just one part of Trees for Jane. “The key is protecting existing forest because those big trees have already stored CO2,” she said in a National Geographic interview. Donations to Trees for Jane will support local groups working to stop destroying trees. And those who plant are asked to agree to care for the trees and monitor them until they’re mature(成熟的).
Of course, tree planting is not a substitute for reducing emissions (排放), said Susan Cook-Patton, senior forest restoration scientist for The Nature Conservancy. “The most important action is to reduce fossil fuel emissions. However, even if we rapidly reduce emissions, we’re still going to need to remove carbon from the atmosphere to prevent catastrophic warming. That’s why carbon removal approaches like re-growing trees remain important.”
Some tree-planting efforts have come under fire from some scientists as being ineffective since many programs don’t plant native species, essentially creating tree farms, not helping forests. And Cook-Patton’s message is clear, “Plant the right trees, in the right places, in the right way.” This means planting native trees where they historically lived.
Goodall said this agrees with the goal of Trees for Jane. She, noting that Trees for Jane encourages people to plant trees themselves or donate to support global efforts, said her love for trees dates back to her childhood. Nearly eight decades later, she is working tirelessly and selflessly to share the gift of trees with the entire world, for the good of the planet.
1. What is the most vital measure to reduce emissions?| A．Stop cutting down trees. | B．cut down on fossil fuel emissions. |
| C．Remove carbon from the atmosphere. | D．Plant more trees. |
| A．Be criticized for. | B．Be burned under a tree. |
| C．Win the support of. | D．Argue violently. |
| A．Determined | B．Optimistic | C．Humorous | D．Considerate |
5 . The founder of Earth Day was Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin. During the late 1960s, Americans witnessed the uninvited side effects of high productivity. Factories and power plants were sending out smoke and industrial waste while Americans were using petrol for their massive(大量的) cars, making air pollution almost synonymous with the nation’s development.
What moved Senator Nelson to action was the 1969 massive oil spill in California, the largest in the United States at that time. The spill proved to be an environmental nightmare as it had a significant effect on marine life, killing about 3,500 sea birds, as well as marine animals such as dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions, fueling public anger. Inspired by the student antiwar movement at that period of time, Nelson found it an appropriate time to direct the energy of the students towards a fight for environmental protection. He decided that it was time to educate the Americans on the need to protect the environment. Thus Earth Day was born in 1970, and public environmental awareness took centre stage.
On 22nd April 1970, millions of Americans took to the street and thousands of students marched to appeal for a healthy, sustainable environment. There was now a new synergy(协同作用) among different groups which had previously been fighting their causes related to the environment. Their fight for environmental conservation became so overwhelming that affected businesses were forced to follow environmental standards if they wanted to continue their operations.
As it became more apparent that environmental issues were not just localized ones but a global concern, the year 1990 saw Earth Day reach out to many more around the world. Earth Day 1990 helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together many nations for a united effort towards protecting the environment.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “synonymous with” in paragraph 1?| A．familiar with | B．opposite to |
| C．different from | D．equal to |
| A．To support students’ antiwar movement. |
| B．To draw people’s attention to the seriousness of the oil spill. |
| C．To arouse American’s awareness of environmental conservation. |
| D．To educate Americans to protect marine life threatened by oil spill events. |
| A．Businesses would like to follow environmental standards. |
| B．Earth Day united people to fight for environmental protection. |
| C．It was the side effects of high productivity that led Nelson to take action. |
| D．The 1992 United Nations Earth Summit made Earth Day known to more countries. |
| A．how Earth Day came into being |
| B．why Earth Day was so significant |
| C．who the founder of Earth Day was |
| D．what Earth Day meant to the world |
6 . Keeping curious kids from disrupting wildlife
Interacting with the wild, naturally curious kids tend to collect seashells at the beach or keep small wildlife as pets.
Take an interest, not things. Kids show interest in picking flowers, rocks, or shells outdoors. They’re part of wildlife's habitat and play an important role.
Admire animal afar, not disrupt nearby. The urge to take a photo with a squirrel, bird, or slow-moving turtle can be strong for kids.
Take well-worn paths, not off-road romps (嬉戏). Kicking piles of leaves, stepping on bushes, and walking through forested areas can unintentionally scare wildlife. If surprised animals defend their homes, everyone could get hurt. Nobody likes having a guest come in and destroy their home and act rudely.
| A．Keep snacks away from animals. |
| B．Share food if animals are hungry. |
| C．Exposure to them develops kids’ love and curiosity. |
| D．The same rule applies to visiting wildlife in their homes. |
| E．Animals rely on plants for hiding; rocks and shells, for homes. |
| F．Approaching animals disrupts what they do for survival, such as eating. |
| G．Despite innocent purposes, kids’ curiosity accidentally damages the wild. |
7 . About 12 million tons of plastic wastes are entering the oceans every year. This garbage pollutes the water, kills wildlife and breaks down into small pieces that fish and other creatures eat.
Now a group of Spanish fishermen will receive economic support to catch plastics. It is part of a new project. Carlos Martin is one of the fishermen taking part in the project. He and his partners collect the plastic in the ocean and bring it back to land every week. Martin thinks rivers carry a lot of plastics to the sea. He says his most concern is no more than that the plastics often get caught in the nets, which makes nets not work properly. They take on mud（泥）, causing the nets to break because they weigh so much.
Under the new programs, one million pounds will support ocean cleanup efforts for fishermen like Martin. The money is coming from the European Union and the Catalan government. Sergi Tudela, the General Director of Catalonia Fisheries, is responsible for the cleanup project. He said, "We are hopeful that if we are successful in this project, we can apply it to other areas in the Mediterranean（地中海）."
Government reports show that the amount of plastic wastes washing up along the Spanish coastline has grown by 65 percent in just six years. Fishing equipment makes up a large part of the about 8 to 12 million tons of plastics left in the world's oceans every year.
Martin says the fishing community now understands how big the problem is. He says, "In the past we didn't see it that way. We took the plastic garbage and threw it back into the water. I think that after a few year here we have realized the problem. Nothing is thrown into the water; we collect everything and bring it to shore.
1. What worries Martin most about plastic wastes at the beginning?| A．They pollute the sea environment. |
| B．They affect the quality and taste of fish. |
| C．They prevent the fishing nets from working well. |
| D．They kill wildlife and reduce his fishing amount. |
| A．Getting more money to support the project. |
| B．Getting help from other European countries. |
| C．Spreading the cleanup project to more places. |
| D．Praising the European Union for their helping to the oceans. |
| A．Its members do a lot of work for free. |
| B．It has stopped using plastic fishing equipment. |
| C．It has made positive changes to fight plastic wastes. |
| D．Its members find people sill throw the garbage carelessly. |
| A．New programs are changing fishermen's life |
| B．Money is given to Spanish fishermen to clean up oceans |
| C．Traditional fishing equipment causes a lot of plastic wastes |
| D．Spanish fishermen are encouraging people to clean up oceans |
8 . The demand for proper waste disposal has become increasingly urgent. While powerful organizations and giant companies are to be held responsible for the majority of carbon emissions（排放）, we can still do our part in reducing our carbon footprints. And it can be done by simple segregation（分类） and proper garbage disposal. In the small city of Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, an app called Hakoot is looking to solve this problem.
Hakoot was created by brothers Efren Jamolod Jr. and Jesrome Jamolod, both lovers of nature. They were first inspired to create the app because of a debate in a Facebook group in Dapitan city about garbage collection problems.
Efren states, "When we looked at it, we thought we can do something about this. So we started to put forward some solutions. We tried to validate（证实） this problem based on our research. It does not exist only in Dapitan. It is everywhere in the country, mostly in third world countries.
Efren explains, "We developed two applications. One for the garbage collectors, and one for the residents（居民）, where they can do real-time monitoring. The garbage collectors will do the garbage collection and they will be able to see the location and the type of garbage the residents will be disposing of. At the same time, the end-user will be able to monitor the garbage collectors' location, when it will arrive, and the distance from his location."
It is noted that it is still up to the individual to segregate. With the pressing issue of climate change, proper garbage disposal can greatly reduce our carbon footprints. Efren says, "It's a huge part of it. Garbage collection is a daily activity. Every day we consume. Therefore, more or less, we produce waste. If that's not handled properly, then there's no recycling, then we need to reproduce more products."
1. What caused the brothers to develop the app?| A．Their concern about garbage issues. | B．Their enthusiasm about inventions. |
| C．Their dislike of defeat in the debate. | D．Their confidence in their research. |
| A．Hakoot has proved to be quite efficient. | B．Efforts individuals make matter a lot. |
| C．People dispose of rubbish improperly. | D．Waste segregation is hard to accomplish. |
| A．The proper ways to collect and deal with garbage. |
| B．What we can do to contribute to waste disposal. |
| C．A scientific approach to recycling industry waste. |
| D．An app developed to help the disposal of garbage. |
9 . Plastic bottles by the side of a road are a common sight, an unseemly reminder of how often consumer products are thrown away carelessly. Now some of those bottles may become part of the road. A California company has put recycled plastic into road repaving (重铺)，which could revolutionize the industry with environmental benefits.
Sean Weaver, president of TechniSoil Industrial in the northern California city of Redding, said, “With this new technique, the repaved roads are stronger, flatter, safer and last longer than those made with regular asphalt (沥青).”
More appealing to environmentalists, the repaved roads incorporate 100% of the old asphalt - sparing the air from dozens of trips by trucks pulling away and bringing in building materials - and provide a new market for plastic products that could otherwise wind up in a landfill.
“Everybody that's looked at it said this will be one of the most transformative road construction technologies ever,” Weaver said. “We're recycling what's there, and we're delivering a road that's better than the original, at no higher cost than it would cost you to repave that road the traditional way.”
The process involves four large construction vehicles linked together in what's called a recycling train which scoops up the top 3 inches of asphalt on a lane, grinds (磨碎)them on a mill and mixes them with TechniSoil's G5 binder (粘合剂),containing from 2% to 20% of liquefied plastic. The mixed product is deposited back on the road, paved and rolled over. There’s no heat involved in the operation, which essentially replaces the traditional binder - bitumen, a leftover from refining oil - with a stronger plastic composite. The other elements of asphalt, such as crushed rock, gravel, sand and filler, remain in place.
1. What’s the new move of the California company?| A．To put asphalt into road construction. |
| B．To revolutionize the recycling industry. |
| C．To use recycled plastic in road repaving. |
| D．To add plastic bottles to house-building. |
| A．The technique they use is cost-saving. |
| B．His company enjoys a high reputation. |
| C．The road-construction process is complex. |
| D．Environmentalists think highly of the new roads. |
| A．How roads are repaved in the new way. |
| B．Where the new building materials are mixed. |
| C．Why there is no heat in the road construction. |
| D．What materials are used in the road repaving. |
10 . Starbucks is promising to get rid of straws （吸管）by 2020 and it’s all for a very good reason. This move is an answer to our own partners about what we can do to reduce the need for straws. Not using a straw is the best thing we can do for the environment.
In place of plastic straws, Starbucks plans to offer recyclable lids（盖子）for all iced drinks and paper straws for coffee. The transition is already taking place in Starbucks’ hometown of Seattle, where a ban on plastic straws went into place on July 1. By carrying this out in all 28,000 of their stores by 2020, the company says every year they are removing more than one billion straws from going into the ocean.
Starbucks’ decision to gradually stop using single-use plastic straws is a shining example of the important role that companies can play in stopping the tide of ocean plastic. With eight million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year, we cannot afford to let industry sit on the sidelines. Marine（海洋的）life has a 50% death rate when it swallows plastic—yet researchers believe there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by the year 2050 if this rate of litter continues. That means there can be an immediate positive impact if we change plastic straws for environmentally friendly choices.
The smart design on the cup for cold drinks comes from Starbucks' in-house team of designers and has been in development for two years. However, the announcement comes as outcry （强烈的抗议）increases over the dangers that plastic straws can cause to marine life. Other companies making the eco-friendly change also announced plans last month to test possible choices to plastic straws last month.
1. Why does Starbucks decide to get rid of plastic straws?| A．To reduce its cost. | B．To meet the customers ' needs |
| C．To create a greener planet. | D．To develop its business worldwide. |
| A．Condition. | B．Change. | C．Reply. | D．Disagreement. |
| A．Humorous | B．Positive | C．Doubtful | D．Worried |
| A．Starbucks is throwing away plastic straws for a worthy cause. |
| B．Environmentally friendly materials will replace plastic straws. |
| C．Scientists are making efforts to solve ocean plastic pollution. |
| D．A sales promotion of a new brand by Starbucks is being done. |
