1 . The winter migration (迁徙) season has arrived. With the cold wave heading down south, migratory birds from faraway places such as Siberia have begun to arrive at Dongting Lake, central China for the winter.
Dongting Lake in central China’s Hunan Province is the country’s second-largest freshwater lake. When the temperature rises after a short cold time, locals call the 10th lunar month “Indian summer.” During this time, the lake’s water level drops and sedges (莎草) grow, allowing wintering birds to plentiful food.
Song Yucheng, deputy chief engineer of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, is proud of their protection work. According to him, the Eurasian spoonbills are the first to arrive at the heart of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve. They line up and use sideways sweeps of their beaks to filter (过滤) out tiny fish and shrimp. When they fly to another spot looking for food, people can only see the vast expanse of a white sky.
“Now the weather is also very good, the sky is very clear, with green grass, clear water and white spoonbills wandering for hunting. It’s a beautiful picture of nature,” said Song.
For the villagers living in the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, their farm fields are still full of busy and active fellows after harvest because there are about 100 swans settled down there. To provide these birds with an quiet and safe environment, the local government has stopped the vehicles and visitors from entering the area.
“Firecrackers are not allowed, and loud noises are also not allowed in the surrounding area,” said Long Yong, a villager from the Hehua Village, citing the local government.
1. The birds migrate to Dongting Lake not because _____.| A．Siberia is cold at winter. |
| B．It is the nearest to Siberia. |
| C．The protection work there goes great. |
| D．The warm temperature and plentiful food. |
| A．an engineer | B．a kind of bird |
| C．migration destination | D．birds food |
| A．Weather is always good here. |
| B．More birds are coming here. |
| C．The environment is beautiful here. |
| D．It’s good to draw pictures here. |
| A．government measures |
| B．fields harvest |
| C．village life |
| D．how to observe birds in nature |
2 . Wildfire season has begun in many places around the world. The dangerous smoke wildfires produce can spread far and wide. It blocks sunlight, poisons the air and damages the health of people and other living things.
Some of those living things could be the plants in gardens, says gardening expert Jessica Damiano, who writes gardening stories for the Associated Press. Damiano lives in New York City and recently experienced several days of very smoky air. Wildfires in eastern Canada were the source.
Damiano, like other people, limited the time she spent outdoors when the air quality was poor. She also wore a face covering when she had to go outside.
But the plants in her garden had no such escape. They had to breathe the poisoned air through the extremely small holes in their leaves.
Pollutants in smoke landing on plants can block sunlight, which is essential for photosynthesis (光合作用). Reduced photosynthesis results in reduced energy. That means slower growth. Additionally, smoke can also affect a plant’s ability to take in nutrients(营养物质).
Brooke Edmunds, a plant scientist and community horticulturalist with Oregon State University Extension, said plants that are affected by smoke for a short amount of time will usually recover quickly. “It depends on how close they are,” she said. “There could also be a localized effect, where one garden is covered in ash(灰烬), and a half-mile away, there’s nothing because that’s the way the wind was moving things around.”
The best thing home gardeners can do is keep an eye on plants. Edmunds suggests giving plants some extra love and care. “Wash the plants gently to remove pollutants left by smoke. Then give them a long, slow drink of water. Most will pull through,” Edmunds said. However, people should not use leaf blower machines to remove ashes from plants because they will risk breathing in what is blowing around.
1. What happened to Jessica Damiano?| A．She had her house burned in a fire. |
| B．She couldn’t afford face coverings. |
| C．She suffered from health problems. |
| D．She had to deal with poor air quality. |
| A．The bad effects of smoke on plants. |
| B．The benefits of growing plants. |
| C．The role of plants in the environment. |
| D．The importance of water to plants. |
| A．Wind has little effect on plants. |
| B．Plants can sometimes make a quick recovery. |
| C．Ashes can spread more than half a mile. |
| D．Plants close to smoke usually grow well. |
| A．By pulling them out of the ground. |
| B．By using leaf blower machines. |
| C．By washing them with great care. |
| D．By giving them a fast drink of water. |
3 . In the blue-green depths of the sea off the coast of Tuscany, Italy, an unusual seafloor sculpture park is defending its watery setting.
Since fisherman Paolo Fanciulli’s teens, he has been heading out daily to fish in these coastal waters along the Maremma coastline. It was in the 1980s that he began to notice the clear signs: a seabed that was becoming barren (贫瘠的), with exhausted fish stocks. Until recently, he has been forced to share catches with a threatening part: illegal “bottom trawlers (拖网捕鱼的人)”, who randomly spoil a large quantity of ocean life as they fish, dragging a weighted net along the seafloor behind their boats.
Fanciulli’s style of artisanal fishing (手工捕鱼), in contrast, needs to be friendly to nature as damaging the ecosystem could reduce fishermen’s income. Fanciulli understood that the success of his fishing activity was linked to the good state of the environment. The underwater “House of Fish” sculpture park, which was started in 2015 was encouraged by this fisherman. “One of the most effective solutions is to physically prevent trawling through artificial reefs…so I started working on this project, trying to combine the protection of the seabed with something that could also give an added value to our environment, something as beautiful as a sculpture,” he said.
Rocks or sculptures can break weighted trawler nets. They can also play a role as artificial reefs, giving corals and other sea life a place to live. Thanks to the underwater sculptures, some species not seen in a long while such as groupers and lobsters have returned. The sculpture park represents both an artistic statement and a physical barrier to seafloor trawling.
Today, 39 huge stone sculptures dot the seabed along an area of Tuscan coastline near the town of Talamone. In the immediate future, Fanciulli hopes to continue his great solution in coastal waters. “Man is still destroying the seas,” he says, “and my task continues.”
1. What poses a threat to Fanciulli’s work of artisanal fishing?| A．Rocks on the seafloor. | B．Frequent terrible weather. |
| C．A growing number of fishermen. | D．Illegal trawling industry. |
| A．To show artists’ creativity. |
| B．To develop the local green tourism. |
| C．To protect the ecosystem of the sea. |
| D．To warn against fishing in coastal waters. |
| A．The results of banning seafloor trawling. |
| B．The process of building the sculpture park. |
| C．The damaging effects of trawling on sea life. |
| D．The roles of the sculpture park under the sea. |
| A．The first underwater park in the world |
| B．Fanciulli’s innovation in cleaning the ocean |
| C．A seafloor park: Artworks for sea protection |
| D．Waters with sculptures: Better habitats for fish |
4 . In a country where over 80% of residents live in public housing, a government commitment to sustainable urban design could have huge influence. And when it’s a tropical country like Singapore where convenience and air conditioning are a way of life, the impact could be greater still.
Promising 42,000 new homes across five residential districts, the eco-town of Tengah will be the 24th new settlement built by Singapore’s government since World War II. It is, however, the first with centralized cooling, automated trash collection and a car-free town center, with which environment lovers hope to offer a roadmap for reducing carbon emissions in the Southeast Asian city-state.
The development is named as “Forest Town” by officials, due to its abundant greenery and public gardens. Once home to brickmaking factories, and later used for military training, the 2.7-square-mile site has been reclaimed by a forest in recent years. A 328-foot-wide ecological “corridor” will be maintained through its center, providing safe passage to wildlife and connecting a water catchment area on one side to a nature reserve on the other.
The project has proven a new plan for urban planners supporting green design principles and “smart” technology, according to Chong Fook Loong, group director for research and planning at Singapore’s Housing and Development Board, the agency overseeing the country’s public housing. “Tengah is a new start,” he said in a video interview, explaining that roads and parking are being pushed beneath the town center. “We’re going for the ideal concept of separated traffic, with everything underground and then the ground level totally freed up for pedestrians — for people. So, it’s a very safe environment for all.”
“We want a town that allows walking and cycling in a very user-friendly manner,” he added, saying that cycling has “taken off” in Singapore in the “last three to five years especially”. The master plan will see the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
1. What is special about the 24th new settlement?| A．It can house 42,000 people. | B．It will be well equipped. |
| C．It will be built by the government. | D．It will be environmentally friendly. |
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
| A．A parking lot will put in the town center. |
| B．Passers-by and traffic will be in different levels. |
| C．Bikes will be able to fly in the near future. |
| D．All masters will install charging stations. |
| A．Ways to reduce carbon emissions | B．A green roadmap for Singapore |
| C．An eco “smart” city planning | D．A smart electric vehicle technology |
5 . In a county of Britain, a pair of pig farmers has managed to feed one million bees by turning over half of their land to wildflowers. Four years ago, brothers Mark and Paul Hayward decided to fill 81 acres of their farm land with wildflowers. This week, a study found they were feeding one million bees at any time.
“This was our target when we started, to, grow enough flowers to feed a million bees on a single day.” Mark said. “We are acutely aware that bees are under threat from modern farming methods and that East England is one of the worst places where bees are seriously suffering from lack of wildflower diversity,” he continued.
“Every third bite of food you eat can come from bees and we wanted to create an operation on our farm that did not push nature out but rather hugged it-as a central part of our ecology system and our food cycle,” he said.
The farm uses all kinds of seeds which can produce many different wild plants and of course, the bees can get food from different wildflowers.
“We are taking a very small role in helping society restore a balance and this starts with plant diversity to encourage insects, bees, small mammals(哺乳动物), and birds,” said Paul. “At the end of the day, we see ourselves as caretakers of this land. Between us we have six children and we owe it to them to farm sustainability(持续性)and set an example for the generations to come,” added Paul.
According to the Bee Conservation Trust, many types of bees have seen their populations decline by 70%, and two species have become extinct in the last century.
Gill Perkins, CEO of the Bee Conservation Trust said, “Thanks to Mark and Paul, at least here, a million bees can keep living, which is of great significance for ourselves now and future.”
1. What can we know about the brothers from the first two paragraphs?| A．They have about 160 acres of land. |
| B．They grow wild flowers for pigs. |
| C．They are not good at growing wild flowers. |
| D．They have to support 1, 000, 000 bees in their land. |
| A．There is a shortage of water for bees. |
| B．Bees are not used to the modern society. |
| C．There are too many animals eating bees. |
| D．Bees can not find different wild flowers. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．The Bees are in Danger Now |
| B．Two Brothers Feed a Million Bees |
| C．Only one Million Bees are Surviving in East England |
| D．Two Brothers Love Wild Flowers in East England |
6 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?| A．Cycling around a lake. |
| B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Playing basketball in a gym. |
| D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
| A．it is an outdoor sport |
| B．it improves our health |
| C．it uses fewer resources |
| D．it is recommended by experts |
| A．show us the function of major sports |
| B．encourage us to go in for green sports |
| C．discuss the major influence of popular sports |
| D．introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
7 . Carbon dioxide emissions from transportation are now thought as the top source of green-house gases. One of the most effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to reconsider how much, and how often, you travel.
Going car free for a year could save about 2. 6 tons of carbon dioxide, according to a study from the University of British Columbia. How can you stop using a car? Try taking a train, bus or better yet, riding a bike.
But let’s be realistic. You will likely need to use a car this year. So, when you do, here are some tips to make your trip more climate-friendly. Driving efficiently can help to reduce emissions. Go easy on the gas and brakes and drive like you have an egg under your foot. Regularly service your car to keep it more efficient. Keeping your tires pumped correctly can re-duce emissions. Low tire pressure will hurt your fuel economy. Air conditioning and frequent city driving can make emissions go up. So cut down on these as often as possible. Use cruise control (定速巡航) on long drives-in most cases, this can help to save gas. Don’t weigh your car down with extra things that you don’t need on your trip.
Fly often? Taking one fewer long round-trip flight could reduce your personal carbon footprint significantly. If you use public transportation often and fly less, your carbon foot-print might still be relatively sustainable, but if you drive and fly a lot, your emissions will be sigher. If you can’t avoid flying, you can offset them by donating money to sustainable proacts, such as supplying efficient stoves to rural homes, or projects which help farmers deal with crop waste environmentally.
1. What does the author think of going car free?| A．Efficient. | B．Costly. | C．Impractical. | D．Reliable. |
| A．Maintaining your car properly. | B．Using cruise control in the city. |
| C．Stepping hard on the gas and brakes. | D．Geiting rid of all the necessary loads. |
| A．Make up for. | B．Team up with. | C．Set foot in. | D．Put up with. |
| A．How to save fuel when driving cars | B．How to reduce your carbon footprint |
| C．Reduce carbon footprint by all means | D．Lower carbon footprint in transportation |
8 . Fashion designers are always looking for new materials to work with. Lately, it’s all about environment-friendly materials -- recycled tires, mushrooms, even pineapple fibers! What if you want such a pair of shoes? Thaely is here to help.
This sneaker brand out of Dubai wants to fight the growing problem of plastic pollution. Led by 23-year-old Indian businessman Ashay Bhave, they may have found a winning approach: making shoes out of plastic grocery bags. “Thaely” means “plastic bag” in the Hindi language.
“I was looking to create footwear that is cost-effective and safe for the environment,” Bhave said in an interview with a newspaper. “I needed to come up with something that uses recycled plastic without creating any more plastic waste. ”Plastic bags were the perfect solution. He said five trillion plastic bags are used around the world each year. “I was motivated to find a solution to this problem,” Bhave said.
That solution was the fiber called ThaelyTex. Made entirely from plastic bags, the material looks and feels like leather. That sounds promising. Better yet, the production process requires no additional chemicals and produces no poisonous by-products. The result is a smart-looking pair of white low-top sneakers.
Bhave wouldn’t expose the full process for making ThaelyTex, but he said that each pair of shoes was made from up to 15 plastic bags and 22 plastic bottles. Where do they get the materials? Bhave told Elle that was the hardest part. “The biggest challenge we faced was right at the first step of acquiring the plastic bags. ”
Finally, they got help from TrioTap Technologies, a waste management plant. Bhave said they offered to collect the bags and also process them into ThaelyTex.
So far, it seems like things are falling into place. There are already hundreds of pre-orders in place. It sounds like they have some plans for the future. “We have a few more colors coming up,” said Bhave. They also plan to put out a high-top model and bring in a line of clothing. Let’s hope their growth is also friendly to the environment.
1. Why did Bhave choose to make shoes out of plastic bags?| A．To set a new footwear trend. |
| B．To test new materials for footwear. |
| C．To reduce the use of plastic bags in his home country. |
| D．To use recycled plastic in an environment-friendly way. |
| A．Having a few more colors for Thaely. | B．Processing plastic bags into ThaelyTex. |
| C．Collecting enough production materials | D．Dealing with many poisonous by-products |
| A．produce | B．conserve |
| C．provide | D．broadcast |
| A．Bhave: a promising young man |
| B．Thaely: killer of waste plastic bags |
| C．ThaelyTex: material out of plastic bags |
| D．TrioTap Technologies: a waste management plant |
9 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution to two of our country’s persistent problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than toss your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip caters drop off their empty bags from Doritos, Lay’s, and other favorites at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they sanitize (消毒) the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use padding and liners from old coats to line the insides.
It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof, lightweight, and easy to carry around,” Oleita told the Detroit News. Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and, as of last December, created 110 sleeping bags.
Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita — whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago with the hope of attaining a better life — and her fellow volunteers. “We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she said.
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of recycling bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental injustice and poverty often go hand in hand. As Oleita said, “I think it’s time to show connections between all of these issues.”
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?| A．How they make the sleeping bags. | B．Why they sanitize the chip bags. |
| C．Where they collect the chip bags. | D．What they use to line the insides. |
| A．The new sleeping bags have many benefits. |
| B．A lot of effort is put into making the sleeping bags. |
| C．People consume a large quantity of chips every day. |
| D．People are aware of the importance of environmental protection. |
| A．They wish they could earn better life. |
| B．They think it is difficult to raise a lot of money. |
| C．They aim to help the homeless by recycling waste. |
| D．They want to find a simpler way to help the homeless. |
| A．Recycling chip bags can remove poverty. |
| B．The new sleeping bags have been put into wide use. |
| C．Few chip bags will end up in the trash in the country. |
| D．Environmental injustice and poverty are usually closely connected. |
10 . After weeks of hard work, a cafe built by a group of young people from recycled solid waste has opened recently. The group recycled about 270 tons of solid waste, including wooden poles, boxes, refrigerators and washing machines. Located on the Gaza City beach, it’s the first of such shops in Gaza.
Gaza is suffering from severe garbage pollution. According to a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the average amount of household waste in the Gaza Strip stands at 716 tonnes. About 80 percent of the garbage there is organic waste, while 20 percent of it is solid waste.
Called “The Sea Is Ours”, the project falls under the responsibility of the Abdul Muhsin al-Qattan Foundation and the Gaza Municipality. The organizers say the cafe is not intended to earn money. It’s a way to tell the masses about the environment. “Some people go to the sea to relax and leave plastic waste on the beach, damaging the area. Our initiative (新方案) encourages people to keep our environment clean and healthy,” said Hanaa al-Ghoul, one initiative organizer.
To fire people with enthusiasm for it, organizers decided to run workshops to teach people how they can benefit from their own waste. Furthermore, they arranged theatrical performances that spread the message of environmental conservation. Many Gazan families praised the initiative as they took their waste to the cafe and learned how to recycle it into useful things.
Mariam Ibrahim, who had spent a whole day with her family there, said her children succeeded in producing flower vases from plastic waste, as well as bags from old clothes. “The green methods can be used not only on the beach but at home,” the 35-year-old mother said. She expressed her hope that others will follow this example. “Gaza is the most beautiful area, but it needs more people who take care of it.”
1. What does paragraph 2 serve as?| A．A summary. | B．An explanation. |
| C．An example. | D．A background. |
| A．To recycle wasted objects. |
| B．To better serve visitors in Gaza. |
| C．To raise people’s environmental awareness. |
| D．To introduce eco-friendly products. |
| A．By spreading the useful message. |
| B．By holding some activities. |
| C．By using special building materials. |
| D．By cooperating with other organizations. |
| A．More initiatives like the cafe are needed. |
| B．Gaza’s environment is getting better. |
| C．She wants to spend more time in the cafe. |
| D．The cafe is popular with both adults and kids. |
