1 . Last Friday, Britain’s Prince William announced the winners of this year’s Earthshot Prize. The prize is meant to encourage new ideas and rapid action to help protect the planet. Below are parts of this year’s prize-winning projects in each category.
Protect and Restore Nature
Kheyti won the prize for protecting and restoring nature with its “Greenhouse-in-a-box” idea. Kheyti is already working with 1, 000 farmers across India, which is one of the most climate-affected countries in the world. The company says the greenhouses allow farmers to use 90% less water and produce seven times as much food. Kheyti hopes to get its greenhouses to 50,000 farmers by 2027.
Clean Our Air
Charlot Magayi won the prize for cleaning the air. Ms. Magayi developed a stove (炉子) that uses a fuel that’s cheaper and pollutes far less than charcoal stoves. Currently, over 200,000 of her Clean Stoves are being used in Kenya.
Build a Waste-Free World
A London-based company called Notpla(for “Not Plastic”)won the prize for building a waste-free world. They’ve created a plastic substitute(替代品)from plants found in the ocean. Unlike most plastic, their products break down naturally with no microplastics. Notpla believes their products can help end the plastic pollution that’s filling landfills and polluting oceans.
Fix Our Climate
The Earthshot Prize for working toward fixing our climate went to a company called 44.01 from Oman. 44.01 has come up with a way to turn polluting carbon dioxide(CO2)into a rock called peridotite. Once the CO2 has been turned into rock, it can no longer be released into the atmosphere again. The method that 44.01 uses is fast, cheap and permanent.
1. What is the aim of the Earthshot Prize?| A．To offer practical advice on global warming. |
| B．To find solutions to the environmental problems. |
| C．To develop a strategic partnership with all parties. |
| D．To encourage literary creations of the British people. |
| A．In India. | B．In Kenya. | C．In the UK. | D．In Oman. |
| A．They want to build a waste-free world. |
| B．Their projects are directly good for farmers. |
| C．Their achievements benefit the air cleaning. |
| D．They use plants from the ocean in their products. |
2 . Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama have agreed to create a huge joint marine reserve around the coasts of their countries. The reserve will cover 200,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean in an area that is an important route for long-distance wildlife migrations. These are annual journeys made by many sea creatures, including sharks, stingrays. Turtles and whales, to move between feeding grounds or to breed. The leaders of the four countries announced their plan to create the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (通道) at the COP26 environmental summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
There will be a ban on commercial fishing within the zone, as well as moves to stop illegal fishing by local communities. The presidents of Colombia and Ecuador also announced that they would expand existing areas of protected water around their countries. This includes the seas around the Galápagos Islands, a group of islands that is home to a huge number of species found nowhere else on Earth. “Just as all the world leaders here have called for action not words, I believe this is a concrete action,” said Ecuador s president, Guillermo Lasso.
Alex Hearn, a marine biologist working in the Galapagos, told The Guardian newspaper that the numbers of migratory creatures—including sharks and stingrays—have fallen in recent years. The eastern Pacific attracts fishing ships from all over the world and over fishing has affected several species. Hammerhead sharks are in particular danger because their fins are a highly prized food in China. Just last year, one Ecuadorian company illegally exported 26 tons of shark fins to Hong Kong. Hearn says that the announcement is “a moment to enjoy but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.”
1. What is the purpose of creating a huge joint marine reserve around the coasts?| A．To stop over fishing. | B．To prevent sea pollution. |
| C．To feed sharks and stingrays. | D．To protect sea creature migrations. |
| A．More areas of water will be protected. |
| B．Fishing is not allowed in this protected area. |
| C．Food will be prepared to feed the wildlife in this area. . |
| D．Species around the Galápagos Islands will be specially protected. |
| A．The action is very practical. |
| B．The marine reserve is a very good plan. |
| C．Ecuador will respond to the world leaders’ call. |
| D．Few countries pay attention to marine life protection. |
| A．The announcement will solve the over-fishing problem. |
| B．Marine situation is still not optimistic and we should do more. |
| C．The numbers of sharks and stingrays have fallen in recent years. |
| D．Chinese eating fins is the main reason of the extinction of Hammerhead sharks. |
3 . Scientists visiting Henderson Island in the South Pacific recently made an alarming discovery. Despite being one of the most remote and previously untouched places on Earth, the island was covered in plastic waste. Shockingly, they estimated there were 38 million pieces of plastic, weighing nearly 18 tons, with thousands of new pieces washing up daily.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, meaning that actually all the plastic ever produced still exists in some form. Unfortunately, approximately 95% of plastics are not recycled, and substantial amounts end up in the ocean. Currents collect this waste in large circular systems called “gyres (环流)”. The problem gets worse as plastic breaks down into very small pieces, or “micro plastic”. This is eaten by fish and leads to massive species loss. Humans also eat these fish, and micro plastic has even been found in tap water around the world. The plastic on Henderson Island accounts for just 2 seconds’ worth of global annual plastic production.
However, there are some young minds working to clean up and protect the sea for future generations. Young Boyan Slat decided to dedicate his life to solving this problem. Previously the problem was considered too big to solve; collecting the plastic with boats and nets would be expensive, would harm sea life, and would take thousands of years! But, Boyan thought, why move through the sea when the sea can move through you? To work with the currents and gyres would help collect the waste. So he started The Ocean Cleanup project, which places very long floating barriers in the Pacific. Currents then concentrate the waste naturally so it can be collected and recycled.
Boyan reflects on the broader issue, stating, “Many problems today are side effects of things people didn’t think about in the past. Sea plastic is a symbol of the negative effects of our lifestyle and technology. Our aim should be to create a new lifestyle for this century. Protecting the sea from plastic is a good place to start.”
1. How is the plastic issue on Henderson Island characterized?| A．As a renewable energy source. |
| B．As a severe environmental crisis. |
| C．As a problem belonging to remote islands. |
| D．As a manageable issue with past methods. |
| A．Activities of marine animals. |
| B．Human littering within gyres and inadequate recycling. |
| C．Accumulation of plastic on the seafloor. |
| D．Excessive plastic production near the sea. |
| A．Significant loss of species. |
| B．Increase in fish population. |
| C．Increased accessibility to ocean gyres. |
| D．Reduction in overall plastic accumulation. |
| A．Narrative storytelling. |
| B．Emotional and subjective. |
| C．Expository and informative. |
| D．Persuasive argumentation. |
4 . Reducing food waste is easy — just ask the students at a school in Wood bridge, America, who have become experts at sorting their lunchtime trash (垃圾). Since the fall of 2019, they have actively participated in a successful food-waste diversion program that not only saves money but also contributes to reducing the amount of trash that heads to landfills.
Actually, this program plays a crucial role in facing up to the challenges of climate change. By reducing food waste,the school minimizes the amount of trash sent to landfills, thereby reducing harmful methane emissions (沼气排放). The school’s program is making a significant impact. Each month, it moves over 1,300 pounds of food waste, resulting in an estimated reduction of 772 pounds in CO, emissions and the production of 180 kilowatt-hours of energy, according to Blue Earth Compost in America.
At school, when students are done eating lunch, they head to an appointed section — a row of desks, garbage cans and containers — where they sort their trash. Leftover liquids, such as juice or milk,are emptied into a big basin on the floor. The juice containers and plastic water bottles are placed into another container to recycle. Additionally, prepackaged, unopened snacks such as bags of carrots as well as produce such as apples and bananas are “rescued” and placed into a big basket with a handwritten “Donations” sign taped to it to send to the town’s senior center.
The benefits extend beyond environmental awareness. The program reduces trash-carrying costs as less weight goes into the trash bins,making it easier for cleaners to manage. The students also find this planet-friendly practice enjoyable and meaningful, considering it a small game that contributes to a bigger cause. This initiative proves that collective efforts, even on a smaller scale, can lead to significant changes, not only in waste reduction but also in educating a generation committed to preserving our planet.
1. What does the food-waste reduction program focus on at the school in Wood bridge?| A．Saving school food. |
| B．Donating unopened snacks. |
| C．Fertilizing the school’s garden. |
| D．Minimizing harmful gases emissions. |
| A．It leads to food cost reducing. |
| B．It helps with energy production. |
| C．It improves waste management. |
| D．It addresses climate change effectively. |
| A．Saved. | B．Frozen. | C．Abandoned. | D．Repurposed |
| A．It is costly but highly effective. |
| B．It is easy to perform and cost-saving. |
| C．It is expensive and difficult to apply. |
| D．It is only accessible in large companies. |
5 . For many years, the Caribbean island of Redonda was a bare (光秃秃的) rock with very little wildlife on it. Thanks to local environmental groups, it has now returned to its former state and was recently named a protected area by the government.
Redonda was once a peaceful place for wildlife. In the 17th century, people set foot on the island for the first time and found that guano (海鸟粪) produced by seabirds was useful to help farm crops grow. Humans began to mine the guano, and with the people came goats and black rats—invasive (入侵的) species.
Although humans eventually stopped collecting guano and left the island, the goats and rats stayed behind. They ate many of the island’s plants and preyed on other species, eventually leaving Redonda a plantless landscape. Without plants, birds began to fly away from there and some of the soil broke into pieces and then into the sea.
In 2016, conservationists started a project to help the island and its wildlife recover. They began by removing the invasive species. Within months, the island’s plants began to grow back on their own. As the environment gradually became healthier, species that were native to the island began to appear again.
The new protected area, the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve, includes the island itself plus the sea around it, including seagrass field and a coral reef. Conservation groups will ensure that the island is protected from other invasive species, and strict rules about fishing in the area will be put in place.
1. What can we learn about the island Redonda now?| A．It is full of strange rocks. | B．It isn’t peaceful again. |
| C．It is a protected place. | D．It has little wildlife. |
| A．Helped. | B．Hunted. | C．Protected. | D．Removed. |
| A．Living in harmony with seabirds. | B．Rules to protect the environment. |
| C．The reasons for protecting plants. | D．One island’s unusual comeback. |
6 . Around the World
Here is big news from Around the World.
Science Fiction Museum opens
Chengdu, China
The Chengdu Science Fiction Museum has opened its doors to the public. China’s newest museum—a star-shaped building on a lake was built in 12 months. Technology sped up the design and construction of the 635,070-square-foot museum, which has galleries, educational spaces, and cafés.
Day of the Dead is celebrated
Mexico
Thousands of people lined the streets of Mexico City to watch its annual Day of the Dead parade. The holiday was observed from October 31 to November 2 to remember and celebrate loved ones who have died. During this time, the dead are believed to return to the world. Families welcome them back with offerings, such as their favorite food.
Modern art at ancient pyramids
Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
A modern art exhibit at the Pyramids of Giza, titled Forever Is Now, has returned for a third year. This year’s show is the biggest yet and features works by 14 artists. The free event aims to celebrate ancient Egyptian culture with modern skills. Artists were careful not to harm the 4,500-year-old World Heritage Site.
Schools close due to heavy air pollution
Delhi, India
Elementary schools in Delhi are closed for at least one week because of the city’s poor air quality. The amount of harmful materials in the air has reached nearly 100 times the acceptable limit. Delhi is often very polluted in November because that is when many farmers burn their remaining crops. To reduce the smog, officials in the city have banned polluting vehicles, construction work, and the use of fireworks.
1. Where can you visit a museum on the lake?| A．In Chengdu, China. | B．In Mexico City. |
| C．At the Pyramids of Giza. | D．In Delhi, India. |
| A．To build the newest museum. | B．To hold a modern art exhibit. |
| C．To celebrate the Day of the Dead. | D．To avoid the harm caused by air pollution. |
7 . Time is running out for coral reefs as the climate gets hotter. So scientists are searching the globe for corals that are better at enduring heat, Now, new research shows how those “super corals” can survive: less roommate drama.
Reefs depend on a crucial partnership between the corals and the algae (海藻) that live in the corals’ tissue, The algae make food for the corals using sunlight and in exchange, get a nice spot to live. But when oceans heat up, that relationship goes bad, and the corals kick the algae out, Without their roommates, corals can die, turning a ghostly white, bleached (白化) color.
Still, some corals seem to resist bleaching better than others, A new study shows that those corals depend on algae that are better at tolerating heat. Researchers hope that pinpointing these abilities will help develop new conservation tools to preserve the world’s reefs as temperatures rise. About 1/4 of all marine life rely on coral reefs in some way, along with half 1 billion people around the world also depend on reefs for their food and livelihoods.
“Heat stress can kill a lot of corals really fast,” says Kate Quigley, a research scientist at James Cook University and the Minderoo Foundation in Australia. “I hope that nature does have some mechanisms to get us through the next few years while we get our act together.”
While the hope is that those algae could also aid in reef conservation in the future, researcher Patrick Buerger says it’s likely that it wouldn’t help all coral species. And even the toughest corals can only endure so much. Currently, the world is on track for just under 3degrees Celsius of warming by 2100, a level that would wipe out nearly all coral reefs.
“The action has to be on climate change,” he says. “This is a short-term solution that might buy some time for corals to adapt. But the main focus has to be on climate. There’s not a silver bullet to the problem.”
1. What is the feature of super corals?| A．Sun-loving. | B．Long-living. | C．Good-looking. | D．Heat-bearing. |
| A．Habitat. | B．Food. | C．Sunlight. | D．Friendship. |
| A．The population of marine life. | B．The importance of coral reefs. |
| C．The seriousness of global warming. | D．The living conditions of coral reefs. |
| A．It is useless | B．It is the last hope. | C．It is temporary. | D．It is the silver bullet. |
8 . Salmon are cold-water fish, so they can get quite stressed when swimming up increasingly warm rivers to spawn (产卵). A new study shows that by installing ”cooling stations” in those rivers, we could help the threatened fish make the trip.
While global warming is causing river temperatures to rise, spawning salmon still get some “breath” at what are known as shelters. These are places where cool water from underground springs flows into the main river, bringing the water temperature down.
However, due to the effects of climate change, natural shelters are becoming less common and making less of a difference. With that problem in mind, hydrology PhD candidate Kathryn Smith and her colleagues from Canada’s Dalhousie University set about creating human-made shelters. Two such shelters-an active one and a passive one were tested in rivers in the province of Nova Scotia this summer.
The active shelter used a pump (泵) to deliver cool groundwater from an urban well into a warm stretch of river, creating a cooling water flow which extended at least 60 meters downstream. In the passive shelter, a covered trench (沟渠) was used to direct water from a meander (曲流) back into the main river. During the time the redirected water was blocked from the sunlight, its temperature dropped accordingly.
Even when these shelters cooled the water by only a few degrees, spawning salmon could easily gather in these areas. What’s more, greater numbers of the fish gathered at the stations during a heat wave.
Smith is now planning on scaling up the technology for more extensive testing. She is presenting her research this week at the Geological Society of America’s GSA Connects 2023 meeting in Pittsburgh.
1. What problem are salmon faced with?| A．Rubbish in the river is increasing. | B．Fishermen catch them without limit. |
| C．Rivers are getting warmer and warmer. | D．The temperature of rivers remains unchanged. |
| A．How salmon behave in shelters. | B．How the two shelters work. |
| C．The terrible effect of climate change. | D．The high price of building the shelters. |
| A．The shelters made a big difference. | B．Salmon preferred to travel in groups. |
| C．Salmon liked to spawn in clean water. | D．The shelters heated the water quickly. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Sports. | D．Environment. |
9 . My mom is one of the least wasteful people I know. She often brings her basket to the market to carry food.
Reuse your containers
A lot of low-waste solutions require buying special containers. But you don’t need to spend money on them.
Save what you can
There are many things in your household you can save before dropping them. Maybe you can repair an old pair of jeans instead of buying a new pair. Or maybe you can cut up old T-shirts into rags (抹布).
Depend less on pre-packaged (包装) foods
Once you start noticing how much rubbish you produce at home, you can start to see places to cut down on rubbish elsewhere. Bring your own reusable fork to a restaurant that uses single-use plastic utensils (餐具). Or ask your local waiter to fill up your glass coffee cup instead of a paper one.
| A．You can do much cooking at home |
| B．Save part of your meal for the next day |
| C．Often, food comes in wasteful packaging |
| D．Look for ways to cut waste outside the home |
| E．You can also live a low-waste lifestyle like this |
| F．You’ll save as much as you can in such a creative way |
| G．Instead, figure out a way to reuse the waste you have produced |
写作内容包括：
1, 简要介绍环境问题的现状和影响；
2. 表达你的关切和担忧；
3. 提供一些具体的建议，如提高环保意识、鼓励绿色出行、加强废物分类等；
4, 呼吁政府采取积极措施，保护环境，为下一代创造更好的生活环境。
注意：词数要求80-120词。
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