1 . Think of the many different ways you enjoy fish or other seafood: steaming fish ball soup, grilled salmon, boiled shrimp and more. Now think about not having this delicious food because of no more fish and seafood. You would likely miss them a lot, and not just you. Nearly half of the world’s population relies on seafood as a major source of protein.
Harvesting fish and other sea life isn’t bad for the ocean, but harvesting it faster than it can recover is. This is called overfishing, and the number of overfished wild stocks has tripled in the past 50 years. Overfishing affects not only a food source but many economies. Many businesses and jobs depend on fishing for their livelihoods. When fish stocks shrink, people lose their means of supporting themselves and their families. Worldwide, fishing is US $362 billion business. Over 4 million fishing boats sail the waters of the world. Many boats are becoming increasingly efficient, which increases overfishing.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, one third of the world’s fisheries are being pushed beyond their natural limits. Overfishing goes hand in hand with bycatch (误捕的鱼). This means unwanted sea life is captured along with the desired catch and is thrown away. Thus, billions of fish along with seabirds, sea turtles and millions of sharks are lost.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has been working with scientists, fisheries and seafood producers for over 20 years. They have developed standards promoting sustainable fishing. When fisheries meet MSC’s standards, the oceans and those who make a living from them are protected. Around 15 percent of wild-capture fisheries are now MSC certified. And Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPS) in many countries are working to increase that percentage.
What can you do? Look for MSC’s blue fish label, which appears on over 30,000 products and menus in almost 100 countries. Buying a product with this label means you’re supporting a fishery that is contributing to healthier oceans.
1. Which of the following opinions will the author favor?| A．We need to develop more fish recipes. |
| B．Many people consider seafood as nutritious. |
| C．You can never eat fish and other seafood too much. |
| D．It’s great to treat your friends to tasty seafood. |
| A．Many people live by fishing. |
| B．Overfishing isn’t always bad for the ocean. |
| C．Fishing economies are picking up soon. |
| D．Many boats have no fish to catch. |
| A．Bycatch is thrown back. |
| B．More investment is put in fisheries. |
| C．All the countries are called on to conserve the ocean. |
| D．Some requirements for green fishing are made. |
| A．Buying the seafood with MSC’s certification. |
| B．Looking for MSC’s blue fish label worldwide. |
| C．Making contributions to fishing in eco-friendly environment. |
| D．Predicting about the oceans and the fish for years to come. |
2 . In 2018, I wanted to do something to bring change for people in my community. I carried out research to understand the problems affecting them and found that climate change was the greatest threat. When I realised many people in the rural areas faced fatal impacts such as landslides, floods and droughts, I decided to stand up. Seeing climate change threaten the availability of food and water in my country was a wake-up call.
We are focused and very clear with our demands. We are not afraid of holding governments and corporations accountable for the climate crisis because the science is clear. We will not give up because our future is at stake. We need to demand for climate action as our lives depend on it too, because we do. Farmers in Ontario stood up against a proposed mega quarry (采石场) in their land. They held festivals to draw attention, they spoke up against corporate mining which threatened their groundwater and soil, they mobilised many people to stop it and in 2012, Highland Company withdrew their plans.
I hope to see the end of the fossil fuel industry, and we need renewable energy. We need sustainability in every sector through green building and clean transportation. I hope to see recovery of our ecosystems through planting more trees, having urban forests and protecting wildlife. Our existence depends on that of our ecosystems. I hope to see more recovery projects built in the most affected communities.
There are many climate movements all over the world and most have social media accounts. Find a local group that you can work with to demand climate action. When people are united, they cannot be defeated. Earth is our home to protect. Everyone is needed.
1. Why did the author take immediate action?| A．He wanted to change people in his community. |
| B．He reminded people of valuing food and water. |
| C．He was aware of the danger of the climate change. |
| D．He was interested in the problems in the rural areas. |
| A．Forced. | B．Forbade. | C．Warned. | D．Organized. |
| A．Renewable energy has replaced the fossil fuel. |
| B．More recovery projects have been built in many communities. |
| C．The fossil fuel industry does harm to our ecosystems. |
| D．The fossil fuel industry doesn’t account for our existence. |
| A．To appeal to people to unite to protect environment. |
| B．To clarify the author’s contribution for the community. |
| C．To recommend us a new kind of renewable energy. |
| D．To show the importance of banning the fossil fuel industry. |
3 . Too much light at night can cut the number of seeds a plant makes, a new study finds. Researchers put up street lights in Swiss meadows, far from any real streets. The setup was built similarly to urban light pollution. In these now-light-polluted fields, flowers had 62 percent fewer night visitors — insect pollinators — than did the flowers in dark meadows.
The researchers reported a cabbage thistle bloom hosts a guest insect after dark. Cabbage thistles are the most common flowers in these meadows. Fewer insect visitors at night could mean less pollen pollinated from plant to plant (the first step in making seeds). For the thistles, daytime pollinator visits didn’t make up for this loss at night, says Eva Knop, an ecologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Overall, night-lit plants produced one-eighth fewer seeds than did plants that got full nights of darkness.
Light pollution might affect a whole network of plants and their pollinators, Knop and her colleagues now suggest. Indeed, night pollination was not just a lonely business for a few special plants. There were lots of links between pollen hauls by night and by day. Plants with a lot of night visits were often very busy by day, too. Light at night that decreases seed numbers could over time mean fewer new plants. And fewer plants could mean less food and shelter for daytime insects. So a lot of pollinators working the day and night shifts could be affected, Knop worries.
The new study is the first to show how artificial light affects plants’ ability to make seeds. The test is also unusual because it considers all kinds of insect pollinators instead of focusing only on night-flying insects. The researchers paid special attention to the cabbage thistle, but they also mapped which kinds of insects visited other plants by day or night.
1. Why were street lights put up in the meadows?| A．For scientific research. | B．For urban development. |
| C．To reduce light pollution. | D．To attract insect pollinators. |
| A．They are the most common Swiss flowers. | B．They rely on insects to help make seeds. |
| C．They grow slowly during the night. | D．They attract only night visitors. |
| A．By releasing harmful rays. | B．By damaging their sight. |
| C．By cutting seed numbers. | D．By destroying their shelter. |
| A．Night- flying insects matter more than daytime ones. |
| B．Light pollution may affect plants more than expected. |
| C．Researchers found ways to protect the environment. |
| D．Plants attract more insects due to light pollution. |
4 . More than one million single-use straws (吸管), most of them plastic, are used in the United States each day. They end up in waterways, harm sea animals, and break down into micro-plastics. Quantities of places have passed plastic-straw bans as a way to start handling the global plastic waste problem.
Straw materials: advantages and disadvantages
1. Metal
Made of stainless steel, aluminum, or even titanium, metal straws have become popular. They draw some criticism for having a metallic taste and conducting heat from a hot drink, but they’re strong and can be reused.
2. Paper
Paper drinking straws, which date from the late 1800s, often absorb liquid over time and can leave a taste or fibers in drinks. They’re the most popular throwaway choice in places with plastic-straw bans.
3. Glass
Though glass straws may be more breakable and thus less portable than reusable straws of other materials, they hold up well to washing and reuse. Some straws are made to look artistic, with colors and blown-glass designs.
4. Bamboo
This natural material can be sustainably produced and is a plant-based replacement of plastic straws. Bamboo straws are easily disposed of and turned into fertilizer. They are reusable but can be hard to clean completely and may absorb flavors.
1. What is the major problem with plastic straws?| A．Function. | B．Flavor. |
| C．Weight. | D．Pollution. |
| A．Metal straw. | B．Paper straw. |
| C．Glass straw. | D．Bamboo straw. |
| A．It can become fertilizer. | B．It is easy to clean. |
| C．It is portable and bendable. | D．It has different designs. |
5 . Carbon sequestration (碳封存) is a method that has recently gained a great interest among many researchers. It is associated with the capture of its compounds (化合物) from the environment, which reduces the progress of the greenhouse effect.
There are two basic methods of carbon sequestration: direct and indirect. The direct method is binding (结合) carbon compounds at the source of its formation—before it enters the atmosphere. The bounded carbon is stored for a long period of time in special landfills that are properly protected. The second method of sequestration—indirect—involves the use of plants that bind CO2 by photosynthesis (光合作用) or when carbon compounds are bound in a soil environment.
One common method of direct carbon sequestration is the mineral carbonation, which is based on the formation of carbonate compounds as a result of the reaction of CO2 with minerals or mineral waste.
Forest areas are examples of indirect carbon sequestration from the atmosphere. Sequestration with the participation of trees takes place in their aboveground and underground parts. Forest crops absorb CO2 reducing the share of the compound in the greenhouse effect.
Oceans also play an important role in indirect carbon sequestration. It involves the introduction of such compounds as iron (Fe), phosphorus (P), or nitrogen (N) into the oceans, which results in the sudden development of small plant micro-organisms. The introduced compounds consist of valuable food for their development in the form of CO2, which they absorb in huge amounts. The heavier ones fall to the bottom of the ocean, where the collected CO2 is deposited for a long time.
There are many methods of carbon sequestration. The described methods, despite numerous improvements, still do not provide 100% effectivity for complete carbon binding. Even a small amount of carbon escaping over time can cause its sudden release, and thus the lack of the expected effect of the sequestration process.
1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?| A．Bounded carbon is environmentally friendly. |
| B．Carbon compounds will be stored in the soil permanently. |
| C．Photosynthesis plays an important role in binding carbon in plants. |
| D．The indirect method of carbon sequestration is better than the direct one. |
| A．They involve complete carbon binding. |
| B．They are not perfect and need improving. |
| C．They are underestimated and should be valued. |
| D．They provide an ideal solution to global warming. |
| A．Carbon Sequestration—A Restoration Tool |
| B．Environmental Protection—An Urgent Issue |
| C．Bounded Carbon—A Threat to the Environment |
| D．Carbon Compounds—Ideal Food for Marine Life |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
6 . If all goes well, a balloon will soon rise from Space Center in Sweden. It will float high into the upper atmosphere, where nothing will happen, and then return to Earth. Nevertheless, a collection of environmental groups is trying to stop it.
The campaigners are against the flight because of what comes next. The balloon is a test flight for a research being run by the University of Harvard. The research aims to test an idea called SAI, in which fine dust is added into the upper atmosphere to boost the amount of sunlight reflected back into space. A future flight will release a small amount of calcium carbonate dust into the upper atmosphere, in order to help researchers learn more about solar geoengineering — an excellent but theoretical idea of deliberately adjusting the Earth's systems to prevent the bad effects of climate change.
Opponents worry about two things. The first is the moral issue. If solar geoengineering works, it could reduce pressure to deal with climate change at its source by cutting greenhouse-gas emissions. Furthermore, in order to keep temperatures low, the reflective particles (颗粒) would have to be topped up continuously. A sudden stop could result in very rapid wanning. Raymond Pierrehumbert, a physicist at the University of Oxford, says solar geoengineering is too risky even to research outside of computer simulations (模拟).
Not all environmentalists are opposed. The world is likely to miss the target, set in the Paris agreement, of keeping warming to 1.5℃."We're not well-served by not understanding what these technologies represent," says Steven Hamburg. Mr Hamburg favours small-scale geoengineering research. Other green organisations have also hesitantly approved of exploring the idea.
Exploration is likely to carry on in any case. Once a taboo, geoengineering is being taken increasingly seriously. A recent report on climate change suggested that SAI could help keep warming below 1.5℃ America has developed a research plan for solar geoengineering. Both China and India have launched research programmes of their own. Activists will continue to oppose experiments. But balloons will likely fly anyway.
1. How does solar geoengineering work?| A．Dust is put into the upper atmosphere to trap more heat. |
| B．Measures are taken intentionally to tackle the climate change. |
| C．Steps are taken deliberately to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. |
| D．Dust is emptied into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight into Earth. |
| A．It is to be implemented on a large scale. |
| B．It has led to global warming against the original intention. |
| C．It is probably to miss the target of keeping warming to 1.5℃. |
| D．It may cause people to care little about greenhouse-gas emissions. |
| A．Should balloons, flight be banned? |
| B．Should solar geoengineering exploration go ahead? |
| C．How do balloons threaten the earth's climate? |
| D．How has solar geoengineering changed Earth? |
| A．Critical. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Frightened. |
7 . How Can We Make Singles Day Greener?
After the Singles Day, nearly 490 million packages were delivered every day. As more people prefer online shopping, the amount of waste generated has become a matter of concern.
Improve packaging of goods
Regulations can be put in place but self-awareness would be better. Recycled material should be used as much as possible, which can break down easily.
As consumers, we can make a difference by acting responsibly toward the environment. Buy naked groceries or keep the grocery packaging for other purpose before they’re thrown away. Always keep in mind that it is the consciousness of reusing the packaging that counts.
Enclose package instructions
Environmental stress caused by packaging and rolls of tape for express delivery goods is severe. It’s necessary to deliver the goods with package instructions.
Establish a regulatory system
Policies and regulations should be introduced to ensure that packaging will be recycled and reused. Meanwhile, a recycling system needs to be established where the e-commerce platforms, delivery companies and consumers can engage in the green packaging campaign.
| A．Reuse the packaging |
| B．Buy goods without packaging |
| C．In this case, the damage to the environment can be reduced. |
| D．Those who fail to observe regulations will lead to punishment. |
| E．How should we solve the massive packaging waste problem? |
| F．We can’t avoid the packaging that supermarkets use and it is difficult to recycle. |
| G．They can guide consumers to deal with the packages in an environmentally friendly way. |
If you spend some time wandering through the Prairie wilderness, chances are that you’ll hear the snort of wild pigs, one of Canada’s most invasive species,
To make matters
Environmentally, the rapid spread of the wild pigs pose numerous problems such as diversity
Hunting may seem like a quick solution, but
9 . One of the problems damaging our planet is the number of things we throw away. Rubbish of all kinds is piling up in landfills and polluting our rivers and oceans. A more recent addition to the list of things we chuck away is e-waste--electronic items that are broken and not recycled. Now solutions are being found to give this stuff a new life.
Many millions of tons of televisions, phones, and other electronic equipment are discarded each year, partly because it's cheaper to replace them than fix them, but also because we lack the skills to repair them. A UN report claims the 50 million tons of e-waste generated every year will more than double to 110 million tons by 2050, making it the fastest growing waste stream in the world.
However, there's a growing trend for repair events and clubs which could be part of a solution to the growing amount of electrical and electronic junk. The BBC visited a Restart Project in London, which is one of many found around the world. One of its volunteers, Francesco Calo, said, “This project allows you to reduce waste, extend the life of objects, and it helps people who cannot afford to get rid of items that have developed a fault. ”
As many electrical items contain valuable metals, another idea is e-waste mining. An experiment at the University of New South Wales involves extracting these materials from electronic gadgets. It's thought that doing this could be more profitable than traditional mining. With phones typically containing as many as 60 elements, this could be part of the solution to our appetite for new technology.
At present, in countries where there is no legislation, much of it just gets dumped. However, the European Union, for example, is trying to tackle the problem by insisting manufacturers make appliances longer-lasting and supply spare parts for machines for up 10 years.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The Restart Project founded to get rid of e-waste. |
| B．The phenomenon of the sharp rise of electronic junk. |
| C．The damage caused by quantities of things we throw away. |
| D．Possible solutions to the growing amount of electronic waste. |
| A．Produced. | B．Promoted. | C．Recycled. | D．Abandoned. |
| A．It aims to reduce e-waste by providing repair service. |
| B．It offers poor people new devices to replace old ones. |
| C．It is a project recycling electrical and electronic junk. |
| D．It intends to make great profits by e-waste mining. |
| A．A science textbook. | B．An environmental magazine. |
| C．A research paper. | D．An economic journal. |
10 . Before the Second World War, everyone everywhere rode their bicycles—and then with the dawn of the 1950s the automobile killed the cycling culture. In the 1960s Copenhagen was very polluted and crowded with cars. It took the city planners and politicians a long time to reclaim (恢复) the streets of Copenhagen.
Rush hour in Copenhagen is when 45% of the population travel by bicycle to their places of work or study each day.
The environmental concern is a minor part of what encourages people to cycle in Copenhagen.
The Danish don’t have big monuments, they have Hans Christian Andersen’s “Little Mermaid (美人鱼),” which is life-size. This captures the spirit of the city; laid back, practical and responsible. Their monuments are big wind turbines (发电机).
Trees bring rain. When they sway in the wind, they purify the air.
| A．Now bikes outnumber cars. |
| B．We have energy available from the wind. |
| C．For them, it’s simply a better quality of life. |
| D．They remove the carbon dioxide from our oxygen. |
| E．It takes more than geography to get people cycling. |
| F．This is the coolest bike project in the world right now. |
| G．Cycling in Copenhagen is an important means of travel. |
