1 . During the COP27 climate conference (会议) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, an important deal on “loss and damage” was reached. This was a big step forward because at COP26 conference in Glasgow, Scotland, there were no talks on loss and damage at all. The plan is that richer countries will pay money into a special fund that will be used to help poor countries.
Loss and damage means the damaging impact of climate change on developing countries. For nearly 30 years, poorer countries have been asking richer countries for money to help to protect communities from the effects of climate change. Richer countries have produced the most greenhouse gases, but poorer countries are often the worst affected by extreme weather conditions because they are less well equipped to face extreme climate events.
Brazil’s newly elected President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made a speech about preserving the largest rainforest on Earth, the Amazon. During the last 50 years, more than 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed to make way for farms and towns. However, in his speech, Lula promised that there would be zero deforestation (伐树) in the Amazon by 2030. The conference didn’t just focus on world leaders. It brought together more than 45,000 people to discuss how climate change is affecting their lives. Climate refugees (难民) also had their voices heard. Tshilombo from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya said, “Refugees don’t only flee because of war or conflict. It’s also about drought, the effects of climate change.”
Some countries weren’t happy with the overall outcome of COP27 because decisions weren’t made on cutting the use of fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil, etc. The UK Government’s Alok Sharma said, “I’m incredibly disappointed.”
However, this deal was a great achievement for developing countries. Sherry Rehman, the climate minister for Pakistan, said, “I am confident we have tuned a comer in how we work together to achieve climate goals.”
1. What is a successful outcome of the COP27 climate conference?| A．The deal on loss and damage. |
| B．The deal on using fossil fuels. |
| C．The deal on rainforest preservation. |
| D．The deal on helping climate refugees. |
| A．More greenhouse gases. |
| B．Massive deforestation. |
| C．Shortage of money and supplies. |
| D．Terrible weather conditions. |
| A．Climate change is influencing people’s lives. |
| B．17% of the Amazon rainforest was destroyed. |
| C．Many factors lead to the appearance of refugees. |
| D．There will be less deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. |
| A．Never put off till tomorrow. |
| B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Knowledge starts with practice. |
| D．No way is impossible to courage. |
2 . A rare wild flower is being re-established in Devon fields thanks to some four-legged helpers. A conservation charity called Planflife has employed donkeys as “ecosystem engineers”to encourage the return of the endangered small-flowered catchfly.
The catchfly was once found all across Britain but now it only grows in small areas of Wales and the south and west of England. Experts blame its decline on modern farming practices. The flower flourished around the edges of sandy fields where farmers grew their crops, but because of weedkillers that were used to remove “unwanted” plants, and fertilisers to boost crop yields, its habitat has largely disappeared.
Plantlife teamed up with the Donkey Sanctuary, a charity that looks after donkeys in the UK and around the world. It owns several farms across Devon and the UK, where it takes care of hundreds of rescued donkeys, as well as maintaining habitats for other wildlife. More than 20, 000 seeds have been scattered on fields at the sanctuary’s main Devon farm, and it is hoped that many will grow into plants this summer. They will provide food for threatened bird species such as linnets, yellowhammers and skylarks. Plantlife then aims to get the donkeys themselves involved, testing whether catchfly seeds benefit from being trampled into the ground as the donkeys take their exercise. Many plants have seeds that must be pressed into the soil in order to germinate.
“We’re incredibly grateful to partners like the Donkey Sanctuary who are helping these fantastically rare wild flowers come back from the edge of extinction,” Cath Shellswell of Plantlife told The Guardian newspaper. “We look forward to seeing small-flowered catchfly return and we are working with the sanctuary to ensure that this tiny plant has a thriving future. ”
1. Why are donkeys employed in Devon fields?| A．To work in the fields. | B．To restore the catchfly. |
| C．To avoid extinction. | D．To raise crop yields. |
| A．Soil loss. | B．Water pollution. |
| C．Climate change. | D．Modern agriculture. |
| A．By pressing its seeds into the soil. | B．By working the land. |
| C．By providing nutrition for it. | D．By spreading its seeds. |
| A．Donkeys help fields flower again. | B．Farmland becomes a natural habitat. |
| C．The biodiversity forms on Devon farms. | D．The catchfly has a thriving future. |
3 . Working at a bank in New York City in the mid-2010s, Anna Sacks was living the life-just not the life she wanted. Sure, she was happy. But she wanted to do something that felt important.
Some people seeking meaning might read a self-help book or perhaps volunteer a few hours a week. Sacks packed up her life and moved to Connecticut to participate in Adamah, a farming program that focuses on sustainable living and growing sustainable food. When she returned to New York, her life was with a new purpose and a variety of new skills to make her dreams a reality.
“One of the things that really stuck with me from Adamah was how little waste they produced and how they handled the waste they did have, primarily through composting (堆肥),” she says. “And I just thought, ‘Why aren’t we doing that here?’”“The Adamah program opened Sacks’ eyes to the damage consumer culture is doing on a local, national, and global level, and the need to find solutions. So in 2017, she began what she calls “trash walking”.
During tours around her community, Sacks picks through garbage to look for reusable items. Soon, her “trash walking” expanded to include corporate trash along with residential trash. Surprisingly, she discovered a wide range of really great stuff-like clothing, decorations, and food-all of which she documents on TikTok.
Under the name The Trash Walker, Sacks quickly gained popularity for her videos that highlight the problems with consumerism. “The root issue is overproduction, which leads to overconsumption, which leads to a large amount of waste,” she says.
The fact is, companies often choose to trash items rather than give them away to people who might need them. A big reason for this waste is the way our current tax laws are structured, Sacks says. Sellers who destroy goods can claim the cost as a loss on their taxes and be refunded. If they give away goods, they can claim only a small amount as a charitable reduction on their taxes.
Sacks’ main focus is simply getting people to pay attention to how many unnecessary things they buy and then throw away. “Once you become aware of the way you consume, you can see ways you improve,” she says.
1. Anna Sacks packed up her life and left New York to________.| A．lead a healthy lifestyle |
| B．observe how to grow food |
| C．pursue a meaningful life |
| D．volunteer to work in a bank |
| A．The importance of trash walking. |
| B．The sustainable food people produced. |
| C．The hard truth about consumer culture. |
| D．The way people there dealt with the waste. |
| A．The tax reduction. |
| B．The quality of goods. |
| C．The tax refund. |
| D．The overproduction. |
| A．Consumer culture accounts for wasting. |
| B．Corporate trash outweighs residential trash. |
| C．Trash walking is the key to becoming wealthy. |
| D．Turning to farming leads to sustainable living. |
4 . The idea that having narrow local focus leaves little room for anything but a selfish mindset is a misconception, according to a new study that found that concern for local affairs could help with global environmental conservation.
You might have heard of NIMBY which means “not in my back yard” and describes an individual or group opposed to a new addition to the neighborhood, typically a factory, roadway or power station. Nimbyism and parochialism(眼界狭小), which is a focus on a local area, can go hand in hand, and there are concerns that parochialism paves the way for prejudice, narrowmindedness, and selfishness.
But researchers found the exact opposite to be true in a new study published. The researchers argue that positive parochialism can inspire a larger awareness of global environmental problems and encourage people to action.
“We did not find evidence that parochialism was necessarily negative and inward -looking,” said Patrick, a researcher for the study. “It can be those things, but there's no necessary conflict between feeling connected to your local area and feeling connected to the wider world. ”
For the study, the researchers reviewed documents from the 1987 Parish Maps project. The researchers showed how the Parish Maps project also demonstrated a passion for the environment and conservation. The researchers say that the Parish Maps project is a strong example of “positive parochialism”, and shows that thinking locally can influence a global mindset.
“For a long time, it has been generally agreed that if we want people to think about global affairs they need an international worldview-but this may not be the case,” said Patrick. “Given where we are now in terms of trying to encourage people to make changes to help the environment, positive parochialism offers something that has been overlooked.”
1. Which behavior can best illustrate NIMBY?| A．Criticizing a friend for his selfish action. |
| B．Accepting a proposal beneficial to locals. |
| C．Supporting a neighborhood construction plan. |
| D．Objecting to building an airport in the neighborhood. |
| A．To explain how to protect the environment. |
| B．To offer an example of positive parochialism. |
| C．To encourage people to take part in the project. |
| D．To stress the importance of global mindset. |
| A．Appreciative. | B．Cautious. | C．Negative. | D．Puzzled. |
| A．Parochialism, a better practice? |
| B．International view, more popular? |
| C．Thinking locally, acting globally |
| D．Bigger thinking, better environment |
5 . Oceans are an appealing target for renewable energy production. Waves produce 32,000 terawatt-hours of natural energy per year — for reference, the entire world uses around 23,000 terawatt-hours every year.
The advantages of wave power are clear.
But the disadvantages of wave energy are serious too. Building factories or electrical wires directly on the beach might prove challenging.
| A．Wave energy still need to be explored. |
| B．They are not affordable to many countries. |
| C．Despite the challenges, there is a future of wave energy. |
| D．Wave energy does not give off greenhouse gasses when produced. |
| E．They can cause damage to sea life and the surrounding ecosystems. |
| F．Maintenance for the factories in moving saltwater is very expensive. |
| G．This makes electricity from wave energy a more reliable energy source. |
6 . Professor Veena Sahajwalla, 2022 Australian of the year, has created a solution to our massive trash problem: waste microfactories. These little trash processors (处理器)—some as small as 500 square feet— house a series of machines that recycle waste and transform it into new materials with thermal technology. The new all-in -one approach could leave our current recycling processes in the dust.
In 2018 she launched the first microfactory, establishing a model of recycling that enables businesses and communities to develop commercial opportunities while addressing local waste problems. A second one began recycling plastics in 2019. Now, her lab group is working with university and industry partners to commercialize their patented Microfactory technology. “The small scale of the machines will make it easier for them to one day operate on renewable energy, unlike most large manufacturing plants. The approach will also allow cities to recycle waste into new products on location, avoiding the long, often international, high-emission journeys between recycling processors and manufacturing plants. With a microfactory, gone are the days of needing separate facilities to collect and store materials, extract (提取) elements and produce new products,” says Sahajwalla.
Traditionally, recycling plants break down materials for reuse in similar products-like melting down plastic to make more plastic things. Sahajwalla’s invention advances this idea by taking materials from an old product and creating something different. “The kids don’t look like the parents,” she says. Sahajwalla refers to this process as “the fourth R,” adding “re -form” to the common phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
Professor Veena Sahajwalla’s programs help to develop innovation and promote cooperation with industry, ensuring that sustainable materials and processes become commercially practical solutions for dealing with waste.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce a new type of trash processor. |
| B．To introduce the process of recycling waste. |
| C．To prove the seriousness of the trash problem. |
| D．To show the current situation of trash recycling. |
| A．The founding of waste microfactories. |
| B．The influences of waste microfactories. |
| C．The advantages of waste microfactories. |
| D．The shocking scale of waste microfactories. |
| A．Extracting materials from the waste. |
| B．Generating new materials with waste. |
| C．Updating the whole recycling process. |
| D．Transforming waste into similar products. |
| A．A fiction novel. | B．A business report. |
| C．A science magazine. | D．A chemical textbook. |
7 . If you’re a real fitness addict, you certainly know the ultimate running challenge is to take part in a marathon. It seems every major city and town around the world hosts an annual marathon, with thousands of athletes running an exhausting 42.1 kilometres. While many runners’ motivation is to beat their personal best and cross the finishing line without collapsing, they’re also doing it for a good cause — to generate funds for charity.
But like other major events, the marathon also generates a massive carbon footprint. Thousands travel – some by plane — to the location, and waste from food packaging and goody bags gets left behind by viewers and runners.
This is becoming a big issue for cities — how to host a worthwhile event, encouraging people to exercise and help charities, while protecting the environment? Several cities have developed formal plans to reduce their environmental impact and promote sustainable ideas. One event in Wales, for example, introduced recycling for old running kit. It’s something that this year’s London Marathon tried to tackle by reducing the number of drink stations on the running route, giving out water in paper cups and offering some drinks in eatable seaweed capsules. They also trialled new bottle belts made from recycled plastic, so 700 runners could carry water bottles with them during their run.
Meanwhile, some people still think running a marathon could be our best foot forward in helping the planet. Dr Andrea Collins from Cardiff University told the BBC: “Training for a marathon makes you more sustainable in day-to-day activities. I started walking or running to work every day. Being environmentally friendly while training kind of sticks with you and becomes a way of life.”
So while you may not be the top runner in a marathon, let’s hope the event, in terms of sustainability, certainly is!
1. What can we know about a marathon from paragraph 1?| A．Everyone desires to join in it. | B．Athletes can finish it with ease. |
| C．Local governments disapprove of it. | D．It can contribute to charitable causes. |
| A．Holding a sustainable event. | B．Raising funds for charities. |
| C．Encouraging people to exercise. | D．Recycling old running facilities. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Intolerant. | C．Doubtful. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Make Marathons Greener | B．How to Run Marathons Properly |
| C．Participate in Marathons Actively | D．What Is Left Behind after Marathons |
8 . Scientists today are concerned about the growing number of species in the world that may soon become extinct. The United Nations, along with many governments, are trying to save these endangered species. To help resolve this issue, scientists have been trying to learn why species become endangered.
In the United States, loss of habitats is the main reason for species becoming endangered. As populations grow and cities or towns expand, nature is destroyed and the ecosystem is affected. Even small changes in one part of an ecosystem can have a big impact on another part of it. For example, deforestation may result in a change in ground temperature, which may kill off a certain kind of plant in the forest. Animals that eat this plant may suddenly find that there is no available food so they starve to death.
Another possible cause of endangered or extinct species is climate change and rising sea levels. As the Earth gets warmer, this has profound effects on animal and plant life everywhere. For example, rising sea levels make coastal areas unfit for birds to live in. Warmer temperatures melt the ice where polar bears live, wrecking their habitat and making it harder for them to find food. The rising seas also make it harder for polar bears to swim from the cold waters to frozen packs of ice so many of them drown.
There are several ways that people are trying to help endangered species recover. Ecologists study different species and try to find out more information about them to try and help. In Finland, for example, scientists found that a a decrease in the number of bogs(沼泽) was responsible for the falling butterfly population. Once they understood this, they could manage the butterfly population and help it recover. Governments are also passing laws to protect endangered animals. One example of this is an area near Hawaii with a seriously low fish population. The United States’ government has made it illegal for fishing boats to enter this area.
1. What can we infer from paragraph 2?| A．Most endangered species are located in the United States. |
| B．Cities and towns in the United States are growing too fast. |
| C．Ecosystem changes can result in habitat loss and animal death. |
| D．More trees need to be planted to prevent animals from dying out. |
| A．Conserving. | B．Damaging. | C．Providing. | D．Dominating. |
| A．Saving Endangered Species | B．A List of Endangered Species |
| C．The Causes of Global Warming | D．How Polar Bears Became Extinct |
| A．Some other ways to help endangered species recover. |
| B．A brief discussion of polar bears and their diet habits. |
| C．The impact of fishing laws on the development of Hawaii. |
| D．Various opinions and debates concerning the cause of global warming. |
9 . For most of human history, people raised crops and livestock to feed their households rather than to sell them for profit. This began to shift after the Industrial Revolution, which saw the rise of plantation farming.
Industrial farming not only increased the crop-growing areas, but changed the techniques used by farmers. Instead of switching the crops that were grown on a field each year, entire plantations would be devoted to a single crop. This approach and intensive modes of farming led to destruction of local biodiversity and land worsening — within years, fields would cease to produce crops.
Plantations of the 18th and 19th centuries were a “get rich quick plan” rather than a long-term investment. Once a field became unusable, plantation owners would simply move on to new land. Up to the end of the 19th century, wide areas of our planet were still not claimed by global modernity. But today, while we are quickly running out of vegetative (覆盖植被的) land, this mindset continues. “Farmers still hold the view that land is cheap and limitless,” said Crystal Davis from the World Resources Institute. “Most of them just cut down more trees, when new land is needed.”
“To meet our ecological goals, we need to stop turning natural ecosystems to farmland,” Davis said. “We can achieve this in part by bringing back the land’s ecological wholeness and productivity.”
Davis points to the 20×20 initiative (倡议), which has seen 18 South American and Caribbean countries commit to recovering 50m hectares of land by 2030. It includes a number of projects aimed at introducing agroforestry (混农林业) practices to cocoa and coffee farms in Colombia and Nicaragua. There farmers are encouraged to grow crops while introducing more trees to their land.
1. What can we learn about industrial farming?| A．It existed for most of human history. |
| B．It changed farming methods. |
| C．It increased crop production steadily. |
| D．It reduced crop-planting areas. |
| A．Abuse the land for quick profit. |
| B．Desert wide areas of plantations. |
| C．Adopt modern technology to farm. |
| D．Plant more trees to satisfy global need. |
| A．It advocates eco-friendly farming. |
| B．It involves countries around the world. |
| C．It encourages farmers to develop more land. |
| D．It focuses on increasing cocoa and coffee output. |
| A．How Can We Take up Farming? | B．How Can We Feed the World? |
| C．Meeting Our Ecological Goals | D．Shifting to Regenerative Agriculture |
10 . Sri Nihal Tammana, age 13, of Edison, New Jersey, was named a winner of the 2022 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, and the environment.
Nihal founded Recycle My Battery to promote and facilitate the recycling of used batteries. His nonprofit places free battery recycling bins(箱子)and educates young people and adults about battery recycling. In just three years he has built a team of more than 250 student volunteers across the globe who have recycled nearly 200,000 batteries and educated millions of people. Nihal learned at age 10 that 15 billion batteries are thrown away each year and that most end up in landfills(垃圾填埋地)where they pollute groundwater, harm the ecosystem, and can cause catastrophic fires. Inspired to tackle the problem, he began collecting used batteries from his community. He put them in free recycling bins at stores like Staples until he was told he was bringing too many and had to stop.
Undeterred, he reached out for help from Call2Recycle, the largest battery recycling nonprofit in North America. Call2Recycle agreed to assist and provided recycling bins for free, which were placed in schools, libraries, and other public places. Nihal’s organization now operates across the U.S. and is expanding to other countries including Canada, Switzerland, and India. “Earth gives us so much — oxygen, food, water — everything! So it’s important that we give something back when we can,” says Nihal.
The Barron Prize was founded in 2001 by author T. A. Barron. “Nothing is more inspiring than stories about heroic people who have truly made a difference to the world,” says T. A. Barron. “And we need our heroes today more than ever. Not celebrities, but heroes — people whose character can inspire us all. That is the purpose of the Barron Prize: to shine the spotlight on these amazing young people so that their stories will inspire others.”
1. What does Recycle My Battery intend to do?| A．Protect the earth from used batteries. | B．Promote used batteries across the globe. |
| C．Make money by collecting used batteries. | D．Stop people throwing used batteries away. |
| A．Undiscouraged. | B．Unprepared. | C．Unsurprised. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．By making it go global. | B．By offering free recycling bins. |
| C．By providing financial support. | D．By buying more used batteries. |
| A．The importance of recycling batteries. |
| B．The impact of batteries on the environment. |
| C．The achievements of the Barron Prize winners. |
| D．The inspiring story of a young environmentalist. |
