1 . Are you worried about the planet and tired of waiting around for things to change? Go ahead and take a closer look at the various options available to volunteer for the environment!
 Sustainable Agriculture If you decide to volunteer for a sustainable agriculture project, you’ll definitely learn some interesting sustainable farming techniques. You will be learning these techniques from locals or teaching them to the local farmers so they can implement these techniques on their own. Best Places to Volunteer: Central or South Africa, India, Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines. |  Marine Conservation Volunteers for marine conservation should naturally be attracted to water. It’s important that you don’t fear diving and have a strong interest in learning to dive during your stay. While volunteering, your task as a volunteer will be to help research, maintain and grow the unique marine biology. Best Places to Volunteer: The Bahamas, Cuba, Peru, South Africa, Indonesia, Spain and Italy. |
 Nature Conservation Conservation projects are dedicated to protecting the natural environment of a specific location. Tasks here may vary greatly depending on the program but it will require volunteers to study the environment and learn about the local wildlife species. You’ll be monitoring the environment and retrieving data while taking action to preserve the local species of fauna and flora. Best Places to Volunteer: Madagascar, the Maldives, South Africa, New Zealand and Russia. |  Renewable Energy and Water Projects focused on energy and water create ways for communities to access sustainable energy and water sources. These programs are dedicated to designing system improvements and creating a sustainable supply of energy and water. It’s important for conservation volunteers to evaluate the needs of the community and implement actions to solve these issues. Best Places to Volunteer: Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India and Cameroon. |
Requirements: With so many subcategories and such a wide array of organizations, the required skill set will vary for each program. English is the main language on all projects so it’s important that conservation volunteers have a good understanding of English. For projects in South America, you will find it helpful to have a basic knowledge of Spanish.
1. If you want to volunteer for three projects in the same country, which country is the best choice?| A．Peru. | B．Indonesia. | C．South Africa. | D．India. |
| A．Volunteers can learn farming techniques by implementing these techniques on their own. |
| B．Volunteers need to study the environment and perform the same natural conservation tasks. |
| C．Volunteers should assess the requirements of the community before implementing actions. |
| D．Volunteers can sign up for marine conservation project even if they are afraid of the water. |
| A．Farming techniques. | B．Marine biology. |
| C．Data retrieving. | D．The English language. |
2 . A Swedish power plant is taking reuse and recycle to the next level by burning unusable clothing instead of coal, Bloomberg reports.
Retail giant Hennes & Mauritz, more commonly known as H & M, is helping the utility transition away from coal through its moldy or otherwise unsalable clothing.
The multi-fuel power and heating station in Vasteras, central Sweden, is planning to be completely fossil-fuel free by 2030. It’s the largest station of its kind and Sweden claims it's one of Europe's cleanest. To kick its coal habit, the station is turning to other burnable materials including recycled wood, rubbish and yes, clothes.
“Our goal is to use only renewable and recycled fuels,” Jens Neren, head of fuel supplies at the utility company which owns and operates the Vasteras plant, told Bloomberg.
Johanna Dahl, head of communications for H & M in Sweden, told Bloomberg that the company allows only the burning of clothes which are no longer safe to use.
“It is our legal obligation to make sure that clothes that contain mold or do not meet the requirements of our strict restriction on chemicals are destroyed," she said.
The Vasteras plant has burned around 15 tons of old H &M clothes so far this year, compared with about 400,000 tons of rubbish, Neren told Bloomberg.
Sweden has one of the world’s greenest energy generating systems, and has invested in bioenergy, solar power and electric buses. In 2020, the Scandinavian country announced an ambitious aim to become one of the first nations in the world to end its dependence on fossil fuels. According to the Swedish government, the country has already heavily reduced its dependence on oil, which accounted for 75% of the energy supply in 1970, and now makes up a 20% share.
1. Which of the following can serve as fuel in the Vasteras plant?| A．Fashionable boots in chain store. |
| B．Old TV sets deserted as rubbish. |
| C．Wooden furniture in second-hand shop. |
| D．H & M clothes unsuitable for sale. |
| A．It uses multiple fuels and generates heat. | B．It is larger than any other station of its kind. |
| C．It only burns recycled wood and rubbish. | D．It will use no more fossil fuels after 2030. |
| A．the Swedish government discourages the development of bioenergy |
| B．clothes only take up a small proportion of the burning material |
| C．Sweden’s fossil-fuel free plan is almost accomplished by now |
| D．Sweden has an ambition to be the cleanest country in the world |
| A．A Swedish power plant is burning unusable H & M clothes for fuel. |
| B．The Swedish government aims high and is taking effective action. |
| C．H & M is looking for a new way to strengthen its position in fashion. |
| D．Coal and oil are no longer regarded as the primary fuels in Sweden. |
3 . People start new businesses for different reasons. Sometimes they have a great ideal.
Reich was an engineer in Seattle. Because he cared about the environment, he biked to work every day. He carried his work and his laptop in a bike bag. When someone took his bag, he tried to buy a new one. But he couldn’t find one he liked. So he decided to make his own. Riding a bike every day leads to lots of tire punctures(轮胎刺破). As a result, he had plenty of used inner tubes in his apartment. Inner tubes are the inside part of a bike tire. They are soft, flexible, and feel like leather. They are also waterproof--all perfect qualities for a bag.
The design loved by friends and others, Reich quit his job, and started his own business--Alchemy Goods. At first, he depended on his friends for inner tubes. But business was good, and he quickly ran short of these tubes. He needed a new supply. So he asked local bike stores to send him used inner tubes instead of throwing them away. To date, he has used over 300,000 inner tubes. Having a good supply of these materials is a critical part of Reich’s business.
Each bag uses as many recycled products as possible. The straps, for example, are old care seat belts. Reich’s goal is to use 1000 percent recycled materials. This is not easy. “It’s hard to come up with a product that is endlessly recycled.
| A．There is a lot of trash available that businesses can recycle. |
| B．Other times, they decide to make a living by doing something they enjoy. |
| C．Like other entrepreneurs, Reich believes this makes sense for business and the environment. |
| D．We’re a step ahead, but we’re not perfect. |
| E．Eli Reich cuts a seat-belt from an old car to make bags for his company. |
| F．Reich emphasizes that he uses recycled materials, but he creates high quality products. |
4 . Climate change is caused by the extremely high levels of dangerous chemicals in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide. We all know the effects could be disastrous, but are we aware of the possible solutions?
Solution one:
Though it sounds crazy, a group of researchers from British universities is making a plan to build a 12-mile pipe, held up by a huge balloon, which would let a lot of chemicals, such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), go into the atmosphere. Surprisingly, there is good science behind the idea. The chemicals would form a protective layer around the earth that would reflect sunlight and so cool the earth, much like the effects of a volcanic eruption.
Cost: around $10 billion a year
Benefits: This plan would produce almost instant results.
Risks: Volcanoes have almost destroy human in the past through the chemicals released in the atmosphere, and the same thing could happen again with this plan.
Solution two: stir up (搅动) the oceans
Intellectual Ventures, which is a company, has planned to build a million plastic tubes, each about 100 meters long, and use them to stir up the ocean. Why, you might be wondering, would we want to do this? Again, the answer is scientifically effective. The bottom of the ocean is almost freezing and by stirring it up, cold water would come to the surface and absorb (吸收) heat and CO2, and so cool the planet.
Cost: tens of millions of dollars
Benefits: This plan is relatively cheap and technically possible new.
Risks: The tubes would possibly destroy sea life, and the plan may not work.
Solution three: stop burning fossil fuels
This is undoubtedly the best solution but is it really likely to happen in the near future?
Cost: unknown
Benefits: It’s a simple and effective plan.
Risks: It may already be too late. Without real action, this plan could just mean “do nothing”.
1. Solution one is most likely to________.| A．pump even more chemicals into the atmosphere |
| B．form a protective layer with volcanic eruptions |
| C．blow up a balloon to get rid of poisonous chemicals |
| D．draw as much sunlight as possible |
| A．It needs more valid scientific experiment. |
| B．It aims to cool the warm surface water in the ocean. |
| C．It may do harm to animals and plants living in the sea |
| D．It is much more expensive to carry out than solution one. |
| A．It is effective because it will benefit world economy. |
| B．Whether it will come true remains to be seen. |
| C．Putting it into practice may cost nothing. |
| D．Action has been taken to carry it out. |
5 . The lives of sea turtles begin on a beach when hatchlings crawl up out of their sandy nests and try to get to the sea as fast as they can. Those that aren’t eaten by killers on their way to the water swim out into the ocean until they find somewhere they can hide, eat and grow.
Ten to fifty years later, depending on the species, the sea turtles mate in shallow waters. Then the females return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs, and the cycle begins again.
SAVE ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES! Here’s how YOU can make a difference! 1. Only buy ethically harvested seafood. Seafood Watch. org's app will help you choose seafood providers who don't harm sea turtles. 2. Use reusable bags and water containers.Reduce your use of plastics and refuse to use plastic bags, disposable straws and water bottles. 3. Volunteer for beach clean-up activities. Help make our coastlines safer for sea turtles by removing harmful garbage like plastic bags and disposable straws. 4. Clear the beach of obstacles at night. Remove chairs and sandcastles and turn off any lights so sea turtles can more easily travel between their nests and the water. |
Turtles that successfully avoid the numerous threats to their existence can live up to 100 years. But predators, fishing nets and garbage are major problems, and only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings will reach adulthood. There are seven sea turtle species, and six of them are either threatened, endangered or critically endangered. Many organizations around the world are working hard to ensure that sea turtles will not disappear from our oceans.
1. After leaving their nests, how long will it be before the sea turtles are old enough to reproduce?| A．Ten to fifty months, depending on environmental factors |
| B．Six months, if they can survive that long in the open ocean |
| C．One to five weeks, depending on how much they find to eat |
| D．One to five decades, depending on the kind of sea turtle |
| A．Water pollution that harms sea turtles |
| B．Fishing industry practices that harm sea turtles |
| C．Other animals that eat sea turtles |
| D．Turtle overpopulation that makes food short |
| A．It gives the turtles a clear path from their nests to the ocean. |
| B．Tourists won’t trip on anything in the dark when they’re looking for turtles. |
| C．Waste on the beach ruins the view at night. |
| D．It makes it more difficult for killers to hunt the turtles. |
6 . Protecting our delicate environment seems to be on the agenda of politicians, government leaders, and citizens in many parts of the world to show support for mother-nature. The concept of green consumerism has gained momentum more and more over the last decade, and the public feels moved to pitch in and help.
Let's use paper as an example. The first step is to raise public awareness about the recycling process, to explain the kinds of materials that can be recycled, and provide ways on how to properly dispose of them. Local governments should educate the public on how to properly sort reusable materials from those, like waxed paper, carbon paper, plastic material such as fast food wrappers, that can't be recycled very easily.
Second, technological progress has been made on many fronts, but governmental agencies need to step up technological support for companies involved in recycling to upgrade equipment and to encourage further research. One breakthrough has been the development of a new manufacturing process that uses enzymes to help remove ink from paper in more energy efficient and environmentally safe methods.
The final key is to increase demand for the growing surplus of resources waiting to be recycled. This problem has appeared in various regions of the world where the technology to process the used materials lags far behind the amount being collected for recycling.
| A．Recycling paper materials can be expensive in both monetary and environmental terms. |
| B．However tough the challenge may be, supports of paper recycling never step back. |
| C．Give the public information they can grasp, and then you will increase your chances of gaining followers. |
| D．There may be a great outpouring of support. |
| E．So we are actually in a time when green has been a trend. |
| F．However, certain essential keys are needed to power this movement. |
7 . Environmentally Friendly Denmark
What Are They Doing and
How Is It Helping?
 THEY PREFER TO CYCLEOn average, Danes living in Copenhagen cycle almost 2 miles a day. Danes are far more likely to own a bike than they are a car, in fact 40% of Danes own a car and 90% a bike. Source: Cycling Embassy of Denmark |
 THEY DON’T WASTE FOODDanes are very good at avoiding wasting food. Supermarkets offer 80% reductions at the end of the day to try to minimize waste. An app called “TooGoodToGo” also allows restaurants to give away unwanted food at closing time. |
| THEY ARE AWARE Danes are mindful about knowing where their food has come from. It is not uncommon for children to be taken to witness killing and dissections of animals at zoos so they understand where the food on their plate began its life. Source: New Yorker |
 THEY EAT ORGANICDanes eat more organic food than any other country in the world. This is because organic food is not significantly more expensive than other options, making it a good choice for everyone. Source : The Local |
| THEY USE CLEAN ENERGY By 2050, Denmark wishes to become independent of fossil fuels. This is far from unreachable as earlier this year the country ran entirely on wind energy for a whole day.
|
Source: The Danish Ecological Council1. The article is written to _______.
| A．show the readers how Denmark stays environmentally-friendly |
| B．persuade the readers to adopt Danes’ environmental-protection methods |
| C．entertain the readers with creative environmental-protection methods taken by Danes |
| D．identify organizations providing information about the environmentally-friendly Denmark |
| A．Demark is able to function properly for long without the use of fossil fuels. |
| B．Danish supermarkets are trying to reduce its amount of food to cut waste. |
| C．Many Danes take their children to zoos to show them where food comes from. |
| D．Unlike other countries, organic food in Denmark is cheaper than non-organic food. |
8 . Countries are failing to take the action needed to stave off the worst effects of climate change, a UN climate report has found, and the commitments made in the 2015 Paris agreement will not be met unless governments introduce additional measures as a matter of urgency.
New taxes on fossil fuels, investment in clean technology and much stronger government policies to bring down emissions are likely to be necessary. Governments must also stop subsidizing (补贴) fossil fuels, directly and indirectly, the report said.
Greenhouse gas emissions continued their long-term rise last year, according to the report, but they could be brought under control. There are promising signs, such as investment from the private sector in renewable energy and other technologies to cut carbon, but these are currently insufficient to meet scientific advice.
Global emissions have reached what the UN has called "historic levels" of 53.5 gigatonnes(十亿吨) of carbon dioxide equivalent, and are showing no signs of peaking, despite a leveling off in the past decade.
Joyce Msuya, deputy executive director of UN Environment, said: "The science is clear: for all the ambitious climate action we've seen, governments need to move faster and with greater urgency. We're feeding this fire, while the means to extinguish it are within reach. "
Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) warned of the dire effects of allowing global warming to reach 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. The world has a little over a decade to bring down greenhouse gas emissions before such dangerous levels of warming become inevitable.
Only 57 countries, representing 60%of global greenhouse gas emissions, are on track to cause their emissions to peak before 2030.If emissions are allowed to rise beyond that, the IPCC has said countries are likely to breach the 1.5℃ limit, which will trigger sea-level rises, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events.
According to the Paris agreement, the first global pact to bind both developed and developing countries to a specific temperature goal, governments must do all they can to stop warming reaching 2℃ above pre-industrial levels, with an aspiration to limit warming to no more than 1.5℃.
Jian Liu, the chief scientist at UN Environment, said some of the necessary policies were clear and available, if there was political will to implement them. "When governments embrace fiscal(财政的) policy measures to subsidize low-carbon alternatives and tax fossil fuels, they can stimulate the right investments in the energy sector and significantly reduce carbon emissions. If all fossil fuel subsidies were phased out, global carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 10% by 2030."
1. Which of the following ideas is NOT included in the UN climate report?| A．Governments should stop their subsidy to the coal and petroleum industry. |
| B．The efforts made by the government showed some promising signs. |
| C．Man has been breaking the historical records of global emissions. |
| D．There is still hope for us to control Greenhouse gas emission. |
| A．The situation is dangerous and we need to do something to bring it under control. |
| B．Immediate fire-fighting measures should be taken to keep the fire under control. |
| C．We are making climate efforts but the achieved effects can be easily reversed. |
| D．To reduce emissions, we need to close down the fossil-fuel-powered plants. |
| A．It is desirable for humanity to limit the temperature rise within 1.5℃. |
| B．Countries need to control the temperature rise within 2℃ above prehistoric level. |
| C．Developed and developing countries are bound by their own temperature goals. |
| D．Disastrous climate change will be irrecoverable if we exceed the 1.5℃ limit. |
| A．upcoming | B．hazardous |
| C．crucial | D．convincing |
| A．To show a huge gap between words and deeds in fighting global warning. |
| B．To present a clear picture of how Paris agreement is implemented. |
| C．To appeal for further global commitment to avoid disastrous climate. |
| D．To warn of worsening climate caused by lack of combined human effort. |
9 . Each year, backed up by a growing anti-consumerist movement, people are using the holiday season to call on us all to shop less.
Driven by concerns about resource exhaustion, over recent years environmentalists have increasingly turned their sights on our “consumer culture”. Groups such as The Story of Stuff and Buy Nothing New Day are growing as a movement that increasingly blames all our ills on our desire to shop.
We clearly have a growing resource problem. The produces we make, buy, and use are often linked to the destruction of our waterways, biodiversity, climate and the land on which millions of people live. But to blame these issues on Christmas shoppers is misguided, and puts us in the old trap of blaming individuals for what is a systematic problem.
While we complain about environmental destruction over Christmas, environmentalists often forget what the holiday season actually means for many people. For most, Christmas isn’t an add-on to an already heavy shopping year. In fact, it is likely the only time of year many have the opportunity to spend on friends and family, or even just to buy the necessities needed for modern life.
This is particularly, true for Boxing Day, often the target of the strongest derision(嘲弄) by anti-consumerists. While we may laugh at the queues in front of the shops, for many, those sales provide the one chance to buy items they’ve needed all year. As Leigh Phillips argues, “this is one of the few times of the year that people can even hope to afford such ‘luxuries’, the Christmas presents their kids are asking for, or just an appliance that works.”
Indeed, the richest 7% of people are responsible for 50% of greenhouse gas emissions. This becomes particularly harmful when you take into account that those shopping on Boxing Day are only a small part of our consumption “problem” anyway. Why are environmentalists attacking these individuals, while ignoring such people as Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who has his own￡1.5bn yacht with a missile defence system?
Anyway, anti-consumerism has become a movement of wealthy people talking down to the working class about their life choices, while ignoring the real cause of our environmental problems. It is no wonder one is changing their behaviours—or that environmental destruction continues without any reduction in intensity.
1. It is indicated in the 1st paragraph that during the holiday season, many consumers .| A．ignore resource problems |
| B．are fascinated with presents |
| C．are encouraged to spend less |
| D．show great interest in the movement. |
| A．has targeted the wrong persons |
| B．has achieved its intended purposes |
| C．has taken environment-friendly measures |
| D．has benefited both consumers and producers |
| A．madness about life choices |
| B．discontent with rich lifestyle |
| C．ignorance about the real cause |
| D．disrespect for holiday shoppers |
| A．anything less than a responsibility | B．nothing more than a bias |
| C．indicative of environmental awareness | D．unacceptable to ordinary people |
Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.
Are Your Clothes Causing Pollution?
Very small pieces of plastic, called microfibers, are polluting rivers and oceans.
Studies on microfibers in the environment
Pollution caused by plastic is not new, but recent studies have shown the effect of microfibers in the environment. Studies show very small microfibers are ending up in our waters, which may come from waste water treatment factories. A 2015 study found them in fish from California.
Microfibers, effect on food supplies
Beyond the waterways, the researchers say microfibers may end up in soil and agricultural lands.
Steps to save or keep microfibers from the environment
Until more information becomes known, there are steps to take to reduce the amount of microfibers in the environment. People should use less of the artificial materials. If we already have those in our lives and we’re using them, an important step would be washing them less.
| A．New technology may a1so help. |
| B．So if these m icrofiber s have been found in fish and seafood, ar e they safe to eat? |
| C．They can al so move around the atmosphere. |
| D．Studies are conducted on how much of the microfibers is released |
| E．The source of these mi crofibers may surprise you: your clothes. |
| F．Washing machines keep microfibers from escaping with w ash water |
