1 . This summer, many areas of the US have been suffering historic droughts (干旱). Climate change has brought very high temperatures and less-than-normal rain and snow to the country.
Although the region is a tropical rainforest, Tikal was built in a place that got little rain for half the year. Additionally, it had no year round lakes or river—although it did have an important spring. The Maya also did not have a system to reach groundwater.
“As Tikal grew, people there would have had to cut down parts of the surrounding rainforest to raise food.
The Maya would have used cut-and-burn techniques and let the forest grow back after a few years.
Although the Maya changed the environment with their farming and other practices, they had much less impact on the climate than we do now. The Maya understood that they have to have balance.
| A．If you abuse the world, it's going to come back |
| B．At the same time, they left enough of it in place |
| C．So they built tanks to collect and store rainwater |
| D．They would have served different, important purposes |
| E．That means there is less water to drink and less water for crops |
| F．Tikal was home to tens of thousands of people during the years 600 to 800 |
| G．Thousands of years ago, the Maya people suffered from the same problems |
2 . Italy's fashion capital is gray — not only because of the blocks of stone buildings，but also due to its often-gray sky, which traps pollution. But Milan now wants to change it.
The city has an ambitious plan to plant 3 million new trees by 2030 - a move that experts say could offer relief from the city's hot weather. Some projects have already contributed to environmental improvements. Architect Stefano Boeri’s Vertical Forest residential (居民的) tower, completed in 2014, aims to improve not only air quality but the quality of life for Milan residents. Boeri created a small island of greenery in the heart of Milan, filling every balcony with plants that absorb carbon dioxide.
“I think forestation is one of the best chances that we have today. It is one of the most effective ways we have to fight climate change, because everyone can plant trees, Boeri said.
Damiano Di Simine, a member of the environmental group Legambiente , said the green Milan project will lower temperatures in a city where the nighttime temperature can be 6 degrees Celsius higher than in the surrounding area. City show that Milan experiences 35 hot nights a year. Because the city lies close to the Alps, Milin gets very little wind to lower the city's temperatures. "Planting trees will help this," Di said.
The Vertical Forest has attracted more than 20 species of birds. And the shade provided by the 800 trees and 15,000 plants means that residents rarely have to put on air conditioning, even in hot summers. The Vertical Forest's total greenery- can absorb 30 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. The presence of green trees has a very important effect on people's health and psychological state, as has already been proved.
1. What change does Milan plan to make?| A．Planting more trees. |
| B．Creating a new fashion style. |
| C．Pulling down more gray stone buildings. |
| D．Doing more surveys to study global wanning. |
| A．It costs a lot. |
| B．It is unpractical. |
| C．It fails to attract people's attention. |
| D．It is helpful to fight against climate change. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Specifics of the city's plan. |
| B．Challenges faced by the city. |
| C．The aim of the Vertical Forest project. |
| D．The positive effect of the Vertical Forest project. |
3 . Masks that helped save lives are proving a deadly danger for wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in the shocking number of thrown-away facial coverings. Single-use masks have been found around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose. “Face masks aren't going away any time soon—but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals,” Ashley Fruno of animal rights group PETA said.
In Britain, a gull was rescued by the RSPCA after its legs became tangled in the straps of a mask for up to a week. The animal welfare charity took it to a wildlife hospital for treatment before its release.
The biggest impact may be in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6,200 extra tonnes of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group Oceans Asia.
Conservationists in Brazil found one mask inside the stomach of a penguin after its body was washed up on a beach, while a dead pufferfish was discovered caught inside another off the coast of Miami. French campaigners found a dead crab trapped in a mask near the Mediterranean. Masks and gloves are “particularly problematic” for sea creatures, says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO Ocean Conservancy. “When those plastics break down in the environment, they then enter the food chain and impact entire ecosystems.” he added.
There has been a shift towards greater use of reusable cloth masks as the pandemic has worn on, but many are still using the lighter single-use varieties. Campaigners have urged people to bin them properly and cut the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming trapped. Oceans Asia has also called on governments to increase fines for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.
1. What's Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The problem of littering masks. | B．The long time to break down masks. |
| C．The threat of masks to wildlife. | D．The protective use of masks to people. |
| A．They gave first aid to the bird. | B．They released the bird at once. |
| C．They kept the bird for about a week. | D．They sent the bird to hospital. |
| A．By providing examples. | B．By giving explanations. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Forbidding the use of single-use masks. | B．Wearing reusable cloth masks. |
| C．Cutting the masks up before throwing. | D．Increasing fines for binning masks. |
4 . Jet airplanes are one of the largest causes of human pollution. About 3% of the world’s carbon emissions(碳排放）are believed to come from airline travel. Thai number is likely to go up—the number of people traveling by plane has been growing for years, and is expected to keep increasing.
To help fight climate change, Dutch airline KLM has started a program asking people to “ Fly Responsibly”. The company is asking its customers to think about their choices before they buy a plane ticket. In a video, the airline suggests that travelers ask themselves questions, such as whether they could lake a train instead.
However, some people have suggested that instead of asking the public to think carefully about their actions, KLM, and other airlines, need to be considering solutions that lie with the industry itself . “ Voluntary (主动的）actions by customers are not enough; the cost of flying must increase." said Justin Francis, founder of Responsible Travel.
Anna Hughes, who runs Flight Free UK, Sees much of the “greening" in aviation(航空) as problematic. She said, “The simple fact is that climate change, worsened by our use of (fossil fuels(化石燃料），will make it difficult for our children to live on this planet. While we welcome action，to make aviation friendlier to the environment, airlines must be honest about their influence on climate change."
But the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is backing the KLM program. Rafael Schwartzman, IATA's vice-president for Europe, said, “We support it in the sense that you do have a choice. In certain cases you could have another choice. " But, he added, “the UK is an island. If you want to trade internationally, you will have to count on aviation.”
1. What does KLM suggest travelers do?| A．Spend less on traveling. | B．Think twice before they fly. |
| C．Act responsibly on a plane. | D．Travel by train whenever possible. |
| A．To turn to cleaner fuels. |
| B．To raise the price of tickets. |
| C．To encourage customers to volunteer. |
| D．To tell the public how to cut air pollution. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uninterested. | D．Unclear. |
| A．To introduce a Dutch airline. |
| B．To list the harms of airline travel. |
| C．To discuss a program of an airline. |
| D．To call on people to fight climate change. |
