1 . The day will come when renewable energy such as wind, solar, geothermal and others replace fossil fuels as the major source of world energy. However, most analysts insist that this day will not arrive for many decades to come—certainly well past the middle of the century. Systems of fossil fuels have already been firmly set up, and it is too costly or impractical to replace the existing systems with renewables. But there are good reasons to believe that the transition (转变) to renewables will come much faster than previously thought.
It is hardly surprising that many experts say we will see a relatively slow transition from fossil fuels to renewables, given what is known about previous energy changes of this sort. “Energy transitions take a long time,” observed Vaclav Smil of the University of Manitoba in Scientific American. It took more than 50 years for coal to replace wood as the worlds leading source of energy and another 50 years for oil to replace coal; the change from fossil fuels to renewables, he argued, is not likely to come any faster.
Under ordinary circumstances, Smil’s forecast would no doubt prove accurate. But these are not ordinary times. Growing concern over climate change is leading to increasingly strict controls on CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (排放), while the development in renewables technology is lowering their price and speeding their installation.
There are, of course, many difficulties in the effective control of carbon emissions, as demonstrated by coal companies to block the introduction of new rules by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Nevertheless, it is impossible to dismiss the progress being made at the local and international levels to promote the use of renewables. The European Union (E.U.), for example, is well on the way to achieving a 20% reduction in GHG emissions from 1990 levels by 2020, along with a 20% increase in the use of renewable energy.
The transition to renewables will be faster due to dramatic improvements in the pricing and performance of such systems. As a result of the steady increases in the efficiency of wind and solar systems, together with the savings achieved through large-scale manufacture, the price of renewables is falling globally. With prices dropping this fast, solar energy is now proving competitive with fossil fuels for generating electricity in many areas.
The change from fossil fuels to renewable energy will not come overnight, and it will not escape many setbacks. Nevertheless, renewables are likely to replace fossil fuels as the main source of electrical power well before mid-century.
1. Vaclav Smil believes that ________.| A．renewable energies are not very practical |
| B．the change to renewables will come slowly |
| C．systems of fossil fuels have been firmly set up |
| D．there are many setbacks of renewable energies |
| A．has cut down half of the carbon emissions |
| B．has failed to find a way to reduce GHG emissions |
| C．is trying their best to encourage the use of renewables |
| D．tries to stop the introduction of new rules on renewables |
| A．their falling prices | B．the decline in coal industry |
| C．international trade | D．the new rules on CO2 emission |
| A．call on people to use less fossil fuels |
| B．give advice on how to promote renewables |
| C．argue that the energy transition will come sooner |
| D．prove the renewables will be the major source of energy |
2 . JERUSALEM—Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry asked citizens Wednesday to avoid unnecessary physical activity and stay indoors, as a serious sandstorm struck the Middle East in a thick yellow haze (霾) for a second day with no hope to see things clearly.
The ministry said heavy levels of dust and sand in the air were a threat to cities throughout the country. The ministry’s website advised pregnant women, the elderly and those with heart and respiratory (呼吸的) conditions to stay indoors, and asked schools to keep children indoors.
The emergency service Magen David Adom reported that it has treated more than 300 Israelis suffering from breathing problems, and that hospitals have more respiratory-related patients, including a large number of the elderly and those with asthma and related conditions.
The domestic Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir continued to ground their flights to Eilat because of reduced visibility.
The sandstorm has affected Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, where at least five deaths have been reported.
“There has been nothing that came close to the magnitude of this sandstorm,” said Daniel Rosenfeld, a professor with the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
“While Israel has experienced a number of sandstorms in the past, they started from the Sinai Desert and the Sahara Desert to the south and were joined by winter windstorms that cleared the air,” he said. In this case, the storm comes from Syria and Iraq to the north and east.
Because the storm is hitting during the summer, at a time of both little wind and severe heat and humidity, forecasters expect the particles to remain in the air throughout the weekend and possibly into next week.
“This is really puzzling,” said Rosenfeld, adding that he and his colleague will conduct research into the origins of the unprecedented (前所未有的) storm. (326 words)
1. What’s the probable meaning of the underlined word “ground” in Paragraph 4?| A．add | B．reduce |
| C．cancel | D．fuel |
| A．happened in winter | B．showed no sign of weakening |
| C．came from Syria and Iraq to the south | D．could clear the air |
| A．confused | B．upset |
| C．confident | D．happy |
| A．a novel | B．a news story |
| C．a geography book | D．a travel guide |
3 . Every year from March to October, Christian Moullec, also known as “Birdman,” takes to the skies aboard his adapted light aircraft. However, the 58-year-old Frenchman’s daily 30-minute flight is not just to enjoy the impressive views, but to guide flocks (鸟群) of lesser white-fronted geese (小白额雁) through safe migration paths which the birds can teach future generations.
His deed began in 1995 when he noticed their declining population in the wilds of Lapland, Sweden. To prevent their numbers from dropping further, Moullec tried to get the threatened species to follow him along migration routes that would protect them from bird hunters.
However, getting grown geese to follow his lead proved challenging. As young geese imitate and follow whomever they view as their parent, Moullec decided to raise the geese from birth.
To help raise funds and awareness of his job to protect not just the geese but birds worldwide, Moullec often allows paying tourists to join him on the 30-minute-long flights aboard his aircraft. In addition to the trained birds flying alongside them, visitors, who come from as far as a 15-hour plane flight away, are treated to a variety of crane and geese species as well as breathtaking views of castles and cities.
He often brings his camera along for the flights, capturing photos not just for their beauty, but for what they describe. Moullec believes the use of agricultural chemicals has done harm to wild European birds, with more than a third disappearing in the last 30 years. “It's a disaster,” he said. “My beautiful images with flying birds should be used to tell this story. ”
1. Why does “Birdman” always fly to the sky on his aircraft?| A．To observe geese along their migration routes. |
| B．To follow geese through safe migration paths. |
| C．To take visitors to operate his adapted aircraft. |
| D．To guide geese fly safely during the migration. |
| A．He is a nature lover. | B．He is a bird watcher. |
| C．He is a volunteer pilot. | D．He is a bird hunter. |
| A．Recording the use of agricultural chemicals. |
| B．Showing serious damage caused by chemicals. |
| C．Describing his experiences with flying birds. |
| D．Capturing the beautiful views of birds and cities. |
| A．Birdman Guides Flocks to Learn to Fly. |
| B．Birdman Finds Birds Disappearing. |
| C．Birdman Helps Flocks Safely Migrate. |
| D．Birdman Protects Birds From Hunters. |
4 . Trees, some of the tallest in the world, towered above Hannah Griffiths and her colleagues each morning as they walked deep into the rainforest in the Maliau Basin in Borneo, where they had set up a set of experiments to look at the ecological effects of small creatures: termites (白蚁).
Termites get a bum rap. They make headlines for chewing up billions of dollars of property each year in the U. S. And they are responsible for something like two percent of global carbon emissions, simply as a result of their huge populations and preference for chewing through carbonrich materials. A whole industry is aiming at killing them.
But they play a key role in many natural ecosystems. Scientists have known for years that in tropical (热带的) forests, termites chew up fallen leaves and dead wood, keeping the fallen material under control and letting nutrients from the dead material back into the system to be used by other plants, insects, and animals. But they didn’t know exactly how important the insects were in keeping the forest healthy and functional, so they removed termites from a particular spot in the forest and saw how it responded.
As luck would have it, Hannah Griffiths and her colleagues started their experiment when the forest was hit by an extreme drought (干旱). During the non-drought years, they saw there wasn’t much difference between the normal plots and the ones where they’d removed the termites. But during the drought, the effects were marked. What they found was unexpected: in the termite-rich areas, the soil stayed slightly wet, more tree seedlings sprouted (抽芽), and the system was full of activity despite the long, hard dry spell.
For Griffiths, it was only because they happened to study the drought that they could pick out the real importance of termites to the system, she points out. “And that rings alarm bells in my head,” she says, “because it makes me think, well what else don’t we know? If we start damaging biological communities, we don’t know what that will do.”
1. Which of the following best explains “a bum rap” underlined in Paragraph 2?| A．Unfair blame. | B．Wide popularity. |
| C．Public attention. | D．Special preference. |
| A．They do serious harm to tropical rainforests. |
| B．They contribute a lot to the ecosystem they live in. |
| C．They act as food for other plants, insects and animals. |
| D．They speed up the loss of nutrition in the rainforest. |
| A．Termites help rainforests survive climate change. |
| B．Termites prefer drought years to non-drought ones. |
| C．Termites benefit more from the forest during the drought. |
| D．Termites enjoy eating tree seedlings during the drought. |
| A．Termites are now in danger of extinction. |
| B．Termites damage biological communities. |
| C．We should think twice before damaging a species. |
| D．We should study the drought to improve the system. |
5 . Nowadays people tend to digitalise everything from watches to fridges. It seems you can choose any item labeled as “smart”.
If you’re a part of the digitalisation movement，you might be interested in the concept of smart homes. It means that every element of your house can be controlled from a panel on the wall or your phone.
Electricity generation today represents 31% of total global fossil fuel use and around 40% of all energy-related CO2 emissions.
In a 150,000m2 office complex near Munich， called Campeon, energy costs of up to 117,067 Euro were saved after the use of environmental control devices this year. In this way, they are contributing to a large decrease in CO2 emissions. Clearly, smart homes are about much more than just living a comfortable life.
| A．It is actually about living a green life |
| B．Smart devices have been installed worldwide nowadays |
| C．It starts working only when CO2 concentrations reach a certain limit |
| D．There seem to be an ocean of such so-called “smart” inventions |
| E．Bearing this in mind, measures should be taken to make buildings more energy-efficient |
| F．Alternative energy must be discovered before the fossil fuel runs out in the future |
| G．This includes basics such as heating and lighting and many other appliances |
6 . More than two thirds of the world’s polar bears will be wiped out by 2050, according to a shocking new study. By then, scientists say, global warming will have melted 42 percent of the Arctic sea ice. By 2100, only a very few of these important creatures will be left.
The report has been produced by the US Geological Survey. The scientists have publicized their findings in the hope of influencing US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who has been asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.
Polar bears depend on floating sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which are their main food. Without enough ice, polar bears would be forced to go onto the land, where they are poorly skilled hunters, and would be unlikely to adapt to the life on the land in time. Experts say few little bears would survive and the stress could make many females unable to get pregnant.
The team of American and Canadian scientists spent six months studying bears, on the ground, from spotter planes and in the lab, using computer models. Some team members fear the result is even worse for the bears than what their report says. They say the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere in the world and much faster than their computer had been forecasting. Satellite observations have showed that the ice has decreased to an alltime low.
However, not everyone in the scientific community believes that global warming is happening on such an alarming scale. Another investigation has found that polar bears are still being hunted by wealthy “sportsmen” who want their skins and heads. At least ten international companies offer bearhunting trips.
1. What do we know about Dirk Kempthorne according to the passage?| A．He is an animal scientist. |
| B．He is a protector of animals working for the US government. |
| C．He was asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list. |
| D．He offered to put polar bears on the endangered species list. |
| A．Because polar bears can’t catch enough food without ice. |
| B．Because polar bears eat ice when they feel thirsty. |
| C．Because polar bears will be easily found by hunters without ice. |
| D．Because most female bears are used to giving birth under ice. |
| A．there is something wrong with their computers |
| B．polar bears will disappear even faster than they ever expected |
| C．their computer models are not as accurate as they expected |
| D．global warming will destroy everything in the Arctic |
7 . Trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him wood and other products; they give him shade; and they help to prevent drought (干旱) and floods.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers.
Two thousand years ago, a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became bare and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the country found itself faced by floods and starvation.
Even where a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult sometimes to make the people realize this. They cut down the trees but are too careless to plant and look after new trees. So unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests slowly disappear.
This does not only mean that there will be fewer trees. The results are even more serious: for where there are trees, their roots break the soil up, allowing the rain to sink in, and also bind the soil. This prevents the soil from being washed away. But where there are no trees, the rainfalls on hard ground and flows away on the surface, and this causes floods and the rain carries away the rich top soil in which crops grow. When all the top soil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert.
1. Trees are useful to man mainly in three ways, the most important of which is that they can ________.| A．keep him from the hot sunshine | B．protect him from droughts and floods |
| C．make him draw quick profit from them | D．enable him to build warships |
| A．man hasn’t realized the importance of trees to him |
| B．man is eager to profit from trees |
| C．man is only interested in building empires |
| D．man hasn’t found out that he has lost all trees |
| A．unless a country has a plenty supply of trees |
| B．unless people stop cutting down their trees |
| C．unless the government punishes those who cut trees instead of planting them |
| D．unless all people are taught the importance of planting trees |
| A．to wash away | B．to make stay together |
| C．to make wet | D．to improve |
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 |
9 . There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs. The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan. Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information about the feasibility of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology. "We have come to the conclusion, based on last weeks satellite landing, "Prof. Zog said, that there is no life on Earth.”
“How do you know this? "the science reporter of the Venus Evening News asked "For one thing, Earth s surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive. “Are there any other sources of danger that you have discovered in your studies?
“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud staying over the surface of Earth? We don' t know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”
“Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicate it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink.”
“Sir, what are all those tiny black spots on the photographs?
We’re not certain. They seem to be metal particles that move along certain paths. They give gases, make noise and keep crashing into each other.
“Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of Zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there ?"
“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in the Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere.”
1. What does the underlined word feasibility in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Possibility. | B．Flexibility. | C．Simplicity. | D．Responsibility |
| A．Serious | B．Aggressive | C．Humorous | D．Frustrating |
| A．Over population. | B．Global warming. | C．Damaged forests. | D．Heavy traffic |
| A．To tell us a dream of Venusian scientists | B．To disclose the secret of life on other planets. |
| C．To persuade people to try living on the earth | D．To remind people on the earth of some crises. |
10 . We’re often reminded of the importance of preserving the planet as we see it for future generations—and children at St Oswald’s Primary School in Chester certainly agree.
Nine-year-old Isobel Kelleher from the school’s Hummingbirds class thinks adults need to take note.“Sometimes they can be busy and I don’t think they think they can make a difference，but if everyone does a little bit it all adds up，”she tells HuffPost UK.“We started looking at plastic pollution in our oceans and the things like plastic bags and broken down pieces of plastic that are polluting them.”she says.“Fish can eat the plastic and they can die，or we might even eat the fish ourselves.”
Mr Timms，Isobel’s teacher，has been spearheading a new project at the school which lets children loose creatively to raise awareness of the need to be more environmentally friendly.The entire Hummingbirds class，which is made up of 9 and 10-year-old pupils，has been busy writing poems and creating online video adverts to warn adults about the serious situation of our oceans and wildlife.
Mr Timms thinks children have an important role to play in teaching us how to take care of the things around us.“We sometimes overlook how much we can really learn from children.”he says.“It has been really hard to believe having parents come in saying that their children have been asking them to stop using plastic，and to recycle more，and even stopping them using plastic straws.”
Mr Timms is proud of his Hummingbirds class.“The message that they would like to send to the world is simple:stopping this isn’t someone else’s job，and it won’t be OK if we just leave it.”
1. What can we infer about adults according to Isobel Kelleher?| A．They just pretend to be busy. |
| B．They haven’t done their part well. |
| C．They can do nothing to stop pollution. |
| D．They have started to care about oceans. |
| A．To help adults to learn more about their kids. |
| B．To remind adults to be friendly to environment. |
| C．To persuade students to stop using plastic bags. |
| D．To teach students how to write poems creatively. |
| A．To prove kids are creative in teaching. |
| B．To attract people to support his work. |
| C．To have adults care about education. |
| D．To show the effects of the project. |
| A．An inspiring school project. |
| B．An appeal to stop plastic bags. |
| C．Serious situations of our planet. |
| D．Adults’ignorance of environment. |
