1 . The endangered pandas in the Qinling Mountains might face a new threat: the loss of their food — bamboo, which makes up 99% of their meals.
Adult pandas spend most of the day eating bamboo and have to take in at least 40 pounds a day to stay healthy. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change warned that they may soon find their food gone because most of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains might disappear by the end of the century as a result of the rising temperature worldwide.
A team made up of researchers from Michigan State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has studied the effects of climate change on the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. They have found that bamboo is very sensitive to climate change. “80% to 100% of the bamboo would be gone if the average temperature increases 3.5 degrees worldwide by the end of the century,” said Liu Jianguo, one of the report's authors.
He added, “This is how much the temperature would rise by 2100 even if all countries will keep their promises in The Paris Agreement. But you know what is happening around the world.”
In recent years, China has been trying its best to protect the endangered pandas by setting up more and bigger nature reserves.
“But it is far from being enough and the endangered pandas need cooperation from the rest of the world, because their future is not just in the hands of the Chinese,”said Shirley Martin from the WWF but not a member of the team.
There are 345 wild pandas in the Qinling Mountains. That is about 18.5% of the population of China's wild pandas. In addition, about 375 pandas are living in research centers and zoos in China.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．The Qinling Mountains can provide enough bamboo for the pandas. |
| B．Pandas in the Qinling Mountains are only threatened by the loss of food. |
| C．Lots of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains will probably disappear. |
| D．Pandas have already eaten 99% of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. |
| A．China needs more help from the WWF. |
| B．It is difficult to control the temperature rise within 3.5 degrees. |
| C．Bamboo is sensitive to changes in temperature. |
| D．China is making great efforts to protect the pandas. |
| A．About 345. | B．About 408. | C．About 2,272. | D．About 1,864. |
| A．The Disappearance of Bamboo |
| B．Necessity to Change Pandas' Food |
| C．A New Threat Faced by the Pandas |
| D．Efforts Made to Save Pandas |
Give Ugly a Chance!
When it comes to wildlife protection, all species—the good, the bad, and the ugly—should be treated equally. Pandas, dolphins, and other cute wildlife are important, but we must pay attention to less cute animals, too. The world needs all kinds—without variety, our planet cannot survive. So if you want the future to be beautiful, you have to give ugly a chance.
Don’t Make Paper with My Home!
Billions of trees are being cut down every year to make paper for humans. Every tree that is cut down is a part of the habitat of animals such as these koalas. In this way a lot of animal homes are being destroyed! Is it right to make animals homeless so that humans can have more paper?
1. Read the posters and write a one-sentence summary for each.2. Complete the structure of the posters.
| image |
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| title | Give Ugly a Chance! | ||
| content | situation | “Ugly” animals are not treated equally as cute ones. | |
| reason | People don’t like them because of their appearance. | ||
| hope | Treat “ugly” animals equally. | ||
3 . My kitchen may be the best kitchen on the planet. That is because when I look out of its window can see the west side of Grandeur Peak. Grandeur Peak is one of the most attractive mountains in central Wasatch, with its animals, trees, morning clouds, evening sunset, and the mountain’s paragliders (滑翔伞运动员).
The number of paragliders flying above Grandeur Peak has grown over the past 15 years, so much so that they have become part of the mountain. But during the past year they have largely disappeared. Some paragliders told me that the wind became too strong to fly in. The wind is too strong! Is this another character of our changing climate (气候)? Will paragliding be a sport affected by a warming planet? Utah has been much windier in the past few years. For me, a scientist who studies living things, it is easy to believe that our future will be windier. This year it’s getting super-hot, and the planet is warming faster than scientists expected. I can’t help but worry that the future of paragliding in Utah is not bright.
I’m writing to the brave people who fly from Grandeur Peak with beautiful wings. I want you to join Clean The Dam Air, a group that’ s working hard to fight climate change and air pollution — I’m part of it too. We are introducing a measure, which aims to remove the state sales tax (税) on grocery store food and put a carbon tax on fossil fuels (化石燃料) in its place: gas, electricity produced from fossil fuels, and natural gas. The goal isn’t to make taxes higher. The idea is to encourage everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels. So, paragliders, join us. Now is the time to take care of our planet. If we succeed, then Utah can be an example to others in fighting climate change.
1. Why does the author mention his kitchen?| A．To share his love of cooking dishes. |
| B．To bring back his memories of paragliding. |
| C．To introduce Grandeur Peak’s paragliding. |
| D．To describe his adventures around Grandeur Peak. |
| A．The author saw less paragliding. | B．Few people visited Grandeur Peak. |
| C．Air pollution became serious in Utah. | D．Strong winds stopped people going outside. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Supportive. | C．Positive. | D．Worried. |
| A．Buy those foods that are taxed less. |
| B．Reduce flying with wings in Grandeur Peak. |
| C．Join him to support a program about taxing. |
| D．Join a group to improve their paragliding skills. |
4 . Macquarie Island is a tiny island that’s part of Australia. It’s about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. The island’s been made a world heritage area because it’s so untouched, but this unique environment is under threat from some unwanted visitors.
It all started when seal hunters came to the island in the early 1800s. They brought rabbits with them as a source of food for the journey, and also on board the ships were rats and mice, which made their way onto the island too. They’re being blamed for destroying the homes of marine birds, causing soil loss and ripping up plant cover, as these before-and-after photos show.
So what’s being done about the problem? It starts with a team of helicopters that fly across the island carrying these giant containers. Inside them are poisoned pellets (有毒饲料) which are dropped and spread across the island. For any rabbits that survived the baiting (诱饵) , there’s a plan B. This special team of dogs is being put through a final training. It’ll be their job to track down any remaining rabbits. They have to also learn to behave around the island’s native wildlife. The dogs could be here for years or until the task is complete. The dogs don’t actually kill the rabbits. They find them, then the hunters decide to either catch the rabbits or shoot them.
But the program has received a bit of criticism. Some people argue 25 million dollars is a lot of money to be spending on wiping out rabbits and rodents (啮齿目动物), and in the process, some native birds will be killed because of the baiting.
The reality is the problem isn’t going to be solved overnight. The people running the program say that even if one pair of rabbits is left alive, the whole task will be seen as a failure, which means these guys could be here for a long time, trying to ensure that this precious island remains protected from pests.
1. Who are these unwanted visitors?| A．Seal hunters. | B．Marine wildlife. | C．Native birds. | D．Foreign species. |
| A．Advancing. | B．Destroying. | C．Dividing | D．Balancing |
| A．Poisoned pellets are being dropped on the island from helicopters. |
| B．A team of hunters is being trained to catch or shoot rabbits. |
| C．Native birds are being protected from the unwanted visitors. |
| D．A special team of dogs is being sent to kill the rabbits. |
| A．To spend as little money as possible. |
| B．To protect native birds from the unwanted visitors. |
| C．To ensure that no pair of rabbits survive on the island. |
| D．To train dogs to track down the rabbits on the island. |
5 . In the northernmost edge of Colombia sits the coastal town of Acandí. Access to the town is only by water or air; there is no road that leads there. The residents there are faced with the struggles of balancing livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.
In the past, traditional community fishing methods, passed down by the elders, focused on the reasonable fishing and management of resources. However, the introduction of large-scale trawling vessels(拖网渔船) decades ago gradually depleted the area’s fishing resources, leading to damage to marine(海洋的) life seriously.
Jesús Antonio Julio Cuestas, who serves in the region’s conservation and management of marine resources, stresses the bad impact of these developments and calls for new fishing techniques. “Fishing and conservation co-exist as long as we have good management practices and reasonable use of our fishing resources,” says Cuestas. He and other officials actively monitor fishing activities in Acandí. Each morning, they visit the fish markets to gather data on fishery resources—including prices and sizes—to monitor the state of the local fishing industry.
Along with Cuestas, the fishers work to reduce their impact on the marine ecosystem. By changing fishing methods and adopting new practices, they aim for a more balanced approach to fishing. “This year the local fishermen have not used the trawl net s that were causing the death of the leatherback sea turtles,” explains Cuestas proudly. Changes include the efforts of boats to protect the seagrass that serves as feeding grounds for marine life and an end to fishers throwing net s where turtles lay their eggs.
This marine reserve in Acandí, Cuestas believes, is their greatest treasure. He attaches great importance to working together with local residents to improve the quality of life while preserving the marine ecosystem. By doing so, he imagines a picture where individuals from the fishing community can pursue various careers, such as engineers or lawyers, proudly stating that they are the products of the fishing tradition in Acandí.
1. What does the underlined word “depleted” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Reused. | B．Restored. |
| C．Explored. | D．Reduced. |
| A．To cut down on the costs of fishing. |
| B．To improve the income of local residents. |
| C．To promote the well-being of marine wildlife. |
| D．To spread traditional community fishing methods. |
| A．The aim of the changes to fishing methods. |
| B．The efforts to preserve marine ecosystem. |
| C．The results the trawl net s have brought about. |
| D．The impact of fishers on the local environment. |
| A．Confident. | B．Uncaring. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Doubtful. |
6 . Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Men have been polluting the earth. Many years ago, the pollution was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, men moved to another place.
Air pollution is now the most serious. Air makes people sick. And lots of people now are trying to use something to clear the air. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us become angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight air pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air.
Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. It is true that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
Although most of the pollution is caused by us, we are the ones who can change the situation. The earth is our home. We must take care of it. And we must pay more attention to the information in pollution at the same time.
1. Why was the pollution in the past less serious?| A．Because life in the past was easier. | B．Because there were not so many people. |
| C．Because men stayed in one place. | D．Because people used less coal to make fire. |
| A．Air pollution. | B．Noise pollution. |
| C．Light pollution. | D．Water pollution. |
| A．Try to use something to clear the air. | B．Ask people to use public transport more. |
| C．Stop putting dirty smoke into the air. | D．Encourage people to move to another place. |
| A．To prove life is much easier today. | B．To call on us to take care of our earth. |
| C．To show the danger of pollution. | D．To introduce how to fight air pollution. |
7 . One of Australia’s most famous natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the world’s largest coral reef. The reef contains a large variety of life and over 3,000 reef systems and hundreds of islands with some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Because of its natural beauty, the Great Barrier Reef has become one of the world's most sought-after tourist attractions.
However, for the past few years, the news about corals has been discouraging. Currently, the reef is threatened by climate change, tourism, water pollution, and overfishing. Agricultural fertilizer (肥料) run-off from Australian farms also has caused the widespread growth of sea-plants, which absorb most of the nutrients (养分) and leave little remaining for the living coral reef and the animals that live in it. “What has changed is the increasing importance of climate change as a greater threat than the others,” says David Wachenfeld, a scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Coral reefs are extremely sensitive (敏感的) to warming ocean temperatures.
In a report on April 28, the Australian government said it set aside $ 500 million to help protect corals. The money will be spent on reducing water pollution from agriculture, reef monitoring and research on climate influence.
Though the Australian investment is welcome, it will at best only delay coral deaths. It’s too little, too late, as a leading coral-scientist Terry Hughes of James Cook University put it. The only way to save corals over the long term is to slow down climate change. That process will require all countries to work together to find the most effective way of cutting emissions (排放) of greenhouse gases.
The most recent emissions figures, however, show that the world is failing at that task. The year 2019 has seen an increase in global emissions. This week in Bonn, Germany, countries are meeting to discuss how to keep their word in the Paris climate agreement. Let’s hope they hear about the silent death of the world’s corals.
1. Why does the author write the text?| A．To introduce the Great Barrier Reef. |
| B．To show the result of climate change. |
| C．To offer ways of protecting the Great Barrier Reef. |
| D．To tell us the serious situation of the Great Barrier Reef. |
| A．timely | B．unsatisfying | C．effective | D．useless |
| A．By reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. |
| B．By cutting down the number of tourists. |
| C．By setting more strict rules on overfishing. |
| D．By investing more in climate research. |
8 . Overlooking the Davis—Gant Varsity Soccer Field, a bed of overturned soil waits for further development. In a few years, this area will become a natural habitat and a playground for animals and residents. This peaceful area didn’t appear naturally, but through planning and action taken by Catlin Gabel’s Tiny Forest project launched by teacher Patrick Walsh.
Forests typically take hundreds of years to mature, with four stages of growth. “Tiny forests flatten out time through the planting of all four layers (层),” Walsh explained. The end result is a fast-growing, native forest in about 20 years. Over 600 plants from 43 species will be planted in the tiny forest, the first one in Oregon.
Walsh was inspired to build a tiny forest after hearing about this idea, which emerged in Japan and has taken hold in North America. He shared his vision with seniors in his class. The seniors researched tiny forests and made a proposal resulting in Clean Water Services donating 60 trees and $5,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Armed with these resources, Walsh and the students started working. “Something I didn’t really expect was the outpouring of students’ enthusiasm. Seeing students from all grades volunteered to contribute to the ‘dirty work’ really blew me away,” Walsh said.
Senior Megan Cover has been at the school since the first grade. “I’ll graduate after working on this project, which is surely sad, but it’s really rewarding and great to be a part of this project and to do my bit. We’re creating this educational space for many young kids,” Cover said.
Walsh summed up his goal of the project, which is to build a place where students can enjoy and learn about nature. “The forest will obviously not solve climate change, but it will deserve the efforts if the kids think about climate change and remember the importance of reforestation and trees when they look outside at the forest.”
1. What is special about tiny forests?| A．They originated in North America. | B．They are usually planted in schools. |
| C．They contain various types of trees. | D．They become mature in a shorter time. |
| A．The abundance of native tree species. | B．Public concern about the environment. |
| C．The active participation of students. | D．Support from local organizations. |
| A．Proud. | B．Regretful. | C．Grateful. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．A model. | B．A reminder. | C．A resource. | D．A witness. |
9 . Soil is one of the most important materials of daily life. It’s necessary for growing the food and resources we depend on, protecting against drought (干旱) and flooding and storing carbon dioxide for years to come. But the dirt under our feet is constantly in danger because of rising temperatures and loss of biodiversity caused by climate change. Although we may think soil is simple, it’s pretty hard to know what’s really going on deep in the ground from the surface.
Scientists in Italy, however, think they may have a robotic solution—a seed-inspired (受种子启发的) robot. Scientists at the Bioinspired Soft Robotics (BSR) Lab have developed the first 4D-printed seed-inspired soft robot, which can act as sensors for monitoring pollutants, CO2 levels, temperature and humidity (湿度) in soil.
They were inspired by a South African geranium (a garden plant). The seeds of the plant have the ability to change shape in response to how humid their environment is. When the time comes for the seeds to leave the plant, they can separate themselves from the plant and move independently to find their way through soil. The curly seeds can find a home for themselves simply by becoming bigger or smaller depending on the water content in the air. The team imitated the seeds and developed robots that use materials that also change shape when exposed (暴露) to humidity.
When tested in a soil sample, the robot was able to rock from side to side, adapt its shape to the space, and get into holes in the ground like a natural seed. Not to mention, it was capable of lifting things about 100 times its own weight. First author Luca Cecchini said that the robot is easy to break down and causes no harm to the soil. It could be used as a wireless, battery-free tool for surface soil exploration and monitoring.
1. What can be learned about soil from paragraph 1?| A．It is at risk. | B．It can be easily polluted. |
| C．It is seldom studied by scientists. | D．It is partly responsible for climate problems. |
| A．To deal with climate change. | B．To improve farming efficiency. |
| C．To monitor the condition of soil. | D．To test the 4D-printing technology. |
| A．Controlling the soil temperature. | B．Changing the shape of plant seeds. |
| C．Carrying the seeds to the right place. | D．Adapting to humidity changes in soil. |
| A．It is highly affordable. | B．It is environment-friendly. |
| C．It doesn’t perform well in the field. | D．It works well under extreme conditions. |
10 . Be a Green Child
What does it mean to be green? “Green” is more than just a colour.
Reduce It!
Reuse It!
Sometimes people call ours a “throwaway society”. That means that we re a little too willing to throw away old things and buy new ones.
Recycle It!
Recycling has never been easier. Many communities will pick it up right in front of your house and some towns even require it. Recycled goods go to a recycling centre, where they can be turned into new cans, bottles, and paper.
Enjoy It
It’s true that rubbish and pollution are problems, but the Earth remains a huge and beautiful place that’s ready for you to explore.
| A．If so, get out there and get your hands dirty. |
| B．Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth |
| C．You can watch with pride as your garden plants grow. |
| D．It also means taking special steps to protect the environment. |
| E．When you use less of something, you do a good thing for the Earth. |
| F．You can start locally by visiting the naturally beautiful places in your cities. |
| G．Many times, even if you no longer need something, someone else just might. |
