1 . Anna Devolld likes bees, butterflies, ladybugs, hummingbirds and even bats. The 17-year-old prize winner is now helping small things to make a difference. Many TV programs and newspapers have featured her about her efforts to introduce the vital role pollinators (授粉者) play. You might say she’s been busy as a bee. She has created and helped plant over 2,000 free Pollinator Packs, each containing six different pollinator-friendly seedlings (幼苗). She also regularly visits local classrooms to teach students about pollinators and to help them plant their own Pollinator Packs.
As a teenager, Anna worried about the little things that keep our world beautiful and our orchards (果园) producing food. Anna’s solution is to increase habitats that attract pollinators and to educate the next generation about the importance of creating pollinator-friendly spaces. Her first project was creating activities and coloring books for kids to help them understand how important pollinators are to our planet. Next, she created Pollinator Packs: plants that attract bees and other pollinators to your garden. It wasn’t long before she was part of community councils encouraging the planting of pollinators in communities and roadside hallways. She now serves on her local government’s environmental advisory commission.
“One out of every three bites of food we take is dependent on pollinators,” Anna tells us. “Sadly, every one of these creatures is declining at an alarming rate.” We all can make a difference. As Anna says, “Find something you are passionate about, no matter how small, and see how you can change the world.”
So, the next time you take a bite out of a delicious apple or peach, or even better, enjoy your favorite fruit in a home-baked pie, think about all the little creatures that made it happen. Then think about Anna and how one teenage girl is making sure millions of pollinators are happy and productive.
1. What does Anna do to make a difference?| A．She gets pollinators known to people. | B．She makes speeches on TV programs. |
| C．She promotes her products among kids. | D．She sponsors the locals to grow plants. |
| A．A pack of pollinating bees. | B．A group of beneficial insects. |
| C．Some pollinator-friendly plants. | D．Community-based fruit gardens. |
| A．Nature helps one grow up. | B．Even small effort counts. |
| C．Learning benefits children. | D．Curiosity tops everything. |
| A．Enjoy our time with fruits. | B．Plant more trees around. |
| C．Learn from nature. | D．Be nice to pollinators. |
2 . For some people, walking outdoors is a great way to exercise. What may not be so great is seeing the trash(垃圾) all over the ground. Well, some people are doing something about it. They are plogging!(运动+环保).
“Plogging” began in Sweden. The name combine the Swedish words “plocka” which mean picking up litter and the word “jogging” which means running slowly. A Swedish man named Erik Ahlstrom, started the movement in 2016. He says he became concerned about the amount of the trash and litter he saw each day on his way to work. So, he took matters into his own hands. He began picking up the trash.
Plogging, by that term, may have officially begun in Sweden. But many people who exercise outdoors have been doing this for many years. Take Jeff Horowitz,for example. He is a personal trainer in Washington, D.C. He says that he would often pick up the trash while running outside. He even turned it into a game; he would try to pick up the trash without stopping.
Plogging is not only exercise but also community service. As Julie Lawson explains, it can also build closer social connections in a community. Lawson works at Washington, D.C.’s Office of the Clean City. “When the street look bad and it’s dirty, you’re going to feel bad about the community. So if we’re all doing our part and picking the trash up, it’s very easy to help beautify it and build those social connections.”
Plogging can be fun, too. When Dana Allen goes plogging around Washington D.C., she invites her friends. And they make a day of it. “Sometimes we get groups together on a Saturday or Sunday. We go for a run. We pick up some garbage. Then we’ll actually go for brunch after.” Although Allen enjoys plogging, she says she does not do it all the time. When she is training for a serious marathon race, the trash has to wait.
Cities around the world now hold plogging events. The goal is to spread the idea that littering is not acceptable. We hope one day there will not be a need for plogging.
1. What inspired Erik Ahlstrom to start plogging?| A．His trip to Sweden. | B．His daily experiences. |
| C．His neighborhood. | D．His cleaning work. |
| A．To show the popularity of plogging. |
| B．To tell the benefits of plogging. |
| C．To argue that plogging is not a completely new sport. |
| D．To discuss the reason why plogging first arose in Sweden. |
| A．Worried. | B．Critical. | C．Positive. | D．Doubtful |
| A．She will ignore the litter in certain situations. |
| B．Running marathons is more attractive. |
| C．Plogging can be sometimes fun but tiring. |
| D．She just picks up rubbish on weekends. |
3 . Officials from the Japanese Olympic Committee say they are sparing no effort to(不遗余力) to prepare and announce the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021 is going green. The 5,000 medals Japan has made are more special than most.
One new focus of the Tokyo Olympics is to be “sustainable(可持续的)”——to avoid using too many natural resources, so that the games are easy on the environment. As part of this goal, the organizers decided to make all of the Olympic medals out of metal recycled from old electronics.
Almost all electronics are made with small amounts of “precious metals”, like gold and silver. But collecting enough of these metals to make 5,000 medals was a huge challenge. That’s because the amount of metal in each device(设备) is tiny. It would take about 20,000 cellphones to get just 1 kilogram of gold.
Beginning in April 2017, the organizers placed collection boxers around the country, and asked people to turn in their old electronic devices. Soon people began to respond to the initiative(倡议), turning in smartphones, digital cameras, handled games, and laptops. At first, collection went slowly, but soon more and more areas began to take part. By the end, 1,621 local governments had helped out with the collection process.
Then came the job of breaking those devices down into smaller pieces. After being taken apart and sorted, the small electronics were smelted(熔炼) to get all the gold, silver, and bronze elements. This is a tricky job, which calls for careful attention and good skill. It’s also dangerous, because some of the metals and other things aren’t safe for people to touch or breathe.
By the end of March, 2019, the organizers had hit their targets of getting enough metal for the medals. They had collected around 30.4 kilograms of gold, 4,100 kilograms of silver and 2,200 kilograms of bronze. And now all the 5,000 medals are available for the would-be winners.
1. What can we know about the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals?| A．They are hugely valuable. | B．They are of high quality. |
| C．They are made from e-waste. | D．They are designed uniquely. |
| A．The difficulty of making the medals. | B．The target of recycling old devices. |
| C．The classification of the collected devices. | D．The process of collecting old electronics. |
| A．Creative | B．Demanding(高要求) |
| C．Well-paid | D．Time-consuming(消耗) |
| A．To advocate sustainable(可持续的) use of resources. |
| B．To promote the spirit of Olympic Games. |
| C．To introduce a new technique to make medals. |
| D．To call people’s attention to environmental damage. |
4 . In Finding the Mother Tree, Suzanne Simard takes us through her career in the forests, working on plantations to identify links between crop production, herbicide (除草剂) use and species diversity. In carrying out these studies, she goes on to discover that trees communicate through underground fungi (真菌) networks. At the centre of these webs is an individual known as the “mother tree” that coordinates, feeds and sustains the other members of the forest.
The strength of this story isn’t only in the discoveries she makes, but her courageous persistence. She recalls how some members of her profession almost laughed her out of the room on first hearing her findings, not helped by the fact that she was a woman in a male-dominated field, trying to convince a room full of foresters that their age-old methods were imperfect.
Like Robin Wall Kimmerer combining ecology and the human spirit, Simard demonstrates that scientific research is not only about figures and conferences, but a voyage of passion and self-reflection that depends on the instinctive character of the human mind and the precision of experimentation. Simard’s ancestry is rooted in the outdoors, yet she recognises that the old ways of working with the land must evolve. She refuses to let cultural biases (偏见) influence her, instead listening to what the forest tells her.
This book also shares insights into Simard’s personal life: friendships, marriage, motherhood and breast cancer. She connects these seemingly separate parts of her life to her research into tree relationships, air, Earth and beyond. Her own relationships, not just with people but with trees, become reflections on connections with Earth. Her book thus invites us to embrace this connection with Earth when she writes: “I can’t tell if my blood is in the trees or if the trees are in my blood.”
1. Which aspect of the “mother tree” does the first paragraph focus on?| A．Its central role in the forest. | B．Its communication with fungi. |
| C．Its influence on species diversity. | D．Its unique effects on crop production. |
| A．Her absence of determination. | B．Her doubts about fellow colleagues. |
| C．Her lack of supporting evidence. | D．Her challenge to long-held beliefs. |
| A．By counting on human instinct. |
| B．By prioritizing figures and conferences. |
| C．By completely getting rid of cultural biases. |
| D．By passionately studying the true needs of nature. |
| A．Interconnectivity is at the core of her writing. |
| B．Her writing inspiration comes from observation. |
| C．Reflection is the key to developing relationships with trees. |
| D．Her experiences are separate from her work on studying trees. |
5 . The practice of removing best-before dates labels and plastic packaging could prevent 14 million shopping baskets’ worth of food from going to waste, a food waste charity Wrap has recommended. Doing so would make consumers buy the right amount, avoiding buying bigger packets than they need, and judge for themselves when items were still fine to eat.
Wrap’s chairman Marcus Gover called the practice a game-changer in the fight against food waste and plastic pollution. He said they had demystified (使容易理解) the relationship between wasted food, plastic packaging, date labels and food storage.
“It is clear that plastic packaging doesn’t necessarily extend the life of fresh produce, but instead can increase waste,” he said. Around 9.5 million tonnes of food are wasted in the UK every year, according to previous Wrap figures, with more than 85% coming from households and food producers.
Based on an 18-month study into five commonly wasted items — apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumber and potatoes — stored in the original packaging and at different temperatures, Wrap found produce good to eat well after the best-before date, with apples lasting at least two and a half months after if stored at 4℃, and broccoli staying fresh for more than two weeks afterwards. Removing the best-before dates labels could save 100,000 tonnes of household food waste, more than 10,300 tonnes of plastic and 130,000 tonnes of carbon emission a year, Wrap found.
Susan Jebb, chairwoman of the Food Standards Agency, said businesses should use date labels carefully and make it clear when it’s necessary to help shoppers reduce the risk of food-related illnesses. “A best-before date is about quality, which means the food will be safe to eat after this date, even if it may not be at its best,” she said, whereas use-by dates should be reserved for food like meat and salad which can become unsafe more quickly.
1. Why does Marcus call the practice a game-changer?| A．It saves products’ costs. | B．It increases production. |
| C．It ensures food’s safety. | D．It protects the environment. |
| A．Some food is harmless after the best-before date. |
| B．The best-before date contributes to food storage. |
| C．The best-before date label reduces the waste. |
| D．Label-making leads to massive carbon emission. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Indifferent. | C．Cautious. | D．Opposed. |
| A．The Best-Before Date Is Seldom Unreliable |
| B．Plastic Packages Can Keep Foods Fresh Longer |
| C．Food Plastic Packages Are a Double-Edged Sword |
| D．No Unnecessary Best-Before Dates and Plastic Packages |
6 . Our recommended list of environmental books covers a broad range of topics on conservation issues.
The End of Nature
Published in 1989, The End of Nature describes the relationship between nature and humans. It expresses the idea that nature was previously independent of humans but has now been affected by them in every way. According to author Bill McKibben, the idea of wilderness (荒野) is lost, and nature is no longer complete. The book focuses on the concepts of nature and wilderness and the value they have lost.
Silent Spring
Written by Rachel Carson, Silent Spring has been described as a landmark work of environmental writing and has brought an environmental movement into mainstream focus. The book highlights the bad effects of insecticides (杀虫剂) on the environment, especially DDT, which was a very popular insecticide until it was finally banned in 1972. The book eventually changed the insecticide policy in the United States and contributed to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Sixth Extinction
The Sixth Extinction, by Elizabeth Kolbert, describes previous mass extinction events and connects them to many extinctions currently taking place. Kolbert studies the relationships between humans and the environment and finds that we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction, which is caused by humans.
The Uninhabitable Earth
This book by David Wallace Wells provides a detailed look at how we treat the Earth and how our actions will affect us and the planet’s future. The Uninhabitable Earth argues that current actions will not be enough to prevent the effects of climate change. The author examines the disasters that have already occurred and looks ahead to the year 2100 and what climate change will do if we continue on our current path.
1. Which book led to the establishment of an environmental organization?| A．The End of Nature. | B．Silent Spring. |
| C．The Sixth Extinction. | D．The Uninhabitable Earth. |
| A．It deals with the sixth mass extinction. | B．It expresses that nature is not complete. |
| C．It is the most important environmental work. | D．It mainly discusses future climate change. |
| A．They are experienced environmental conservationists. |
| B．They disagree on changing the attitudes towards nature. |
| C．They agreed insecticides are harmful to the environment. |
| D．They believe mankind caused extinctions of some species. |
7 . In recent years, wooden buildings have reached new heights, with rocketing timber (木材) skyscrapers completed or underway in countries like Norway, Switzerland and Australia. Now, real estate (房地产) developer Atrium Ljungberg has announced plans to build the world’s largest “wooden city”, which will be constructed in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, from 2025.
Stockholm Wood City will feature 7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes in the city’s southeast, and will offer “a dynamic, urban environment with a mixture of workplaces, housing, restaurants and shops”, according to a press release. Set across 250,000 square meters, it has been described by its developer as the “world’s largest known construction project in wood”. Timber has been championed as a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel, with expensive new construction projects using wood besides single-family homes and office buildings.
However, a mixed-use development of such size would be “a historic milestone for Swedish innovation capability”, said Annica Anas, CEO of Atrium Ljungberg.
Although some experts have raised concerns over fire risks posed by wooden buildings, advocates argue that engineered timber burns at a relatively slow and predictable rate, making it safer than many conventional steel structures. Timber is also a “carbon sink”, which means that carbon dioxide removed from the air by trees is stored in the material rather than being returned to the atmosphere. Wooden buildings have been found to enjoy better indoor air quality and can be constructed with significantly lower carbon emissions than those made with conventional materials.
The construction will not be as noisy as it is built from concrete and bricks, adds Ms Anas. This makes wooden buildings particularly suitable for urban redevelopment in general, since putting them up is less likely to annoy the neighbours. It should also be profitable.
The wooden city is supposed to make commute (通勤) easier and shorter. The website for the project describes Stockholm Wood City as a “five-minute city”, meaning that anywhere one would need to go would only be a five-minute walk. The first buildings in Stockholm Wood City are set to be completed in 2027.
1. What is Annica Anas’s attitude towards the “wooden city” developed in Stockholm?| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Dismissive. | D．Appreciative. |
| A．They are much greener. | B．They are built on a more solid base. |
| C．They are more comfortable to live in. | D．They are much stronger to resist heat. |
| A．They are to the taste of all neighbours. |
| B．Less noise is produced in construction. |
| C．They will bring owners huge profits. |
| D．They are cost-effective to construct and mend. |
| A．It’s secure. | B．It’s care-free. |
| C．It’s unbearable. | D．It’s convenient. |
(1)当地土地沙漠化的经过
(2)举一例来说明土地荒漠化的后果
(3)发表你的看法
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要求：1.举例说明环境存在的问题；
2.如何保护好我们的环境，采取怎样的措施；
3.字数150-200。
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Microplastics in Water — a Wake-up Call for All of Us
Today researchers announced that they have found tiny pieces of plastic in water samples from around the world. These pieces are called microplastics and are so small that they are invisible to the naked eye and are very difficult to remove from the water. When in the water, they are swallowed by fish and other animals and then enter the food chain.
Even more concerning is the fact that the plastic has also been found in drinking water across the world. This means that we are drinking plastic every day. Scientists do not know what level of harm this will cause us in the future.
Microplastics come from a number of different sources, in particular from washing and drying synthetic (non-natural) clothing and from cosmetics and cleaning products, such as toothpaste and face washes. Microplastics are even found in the air outside and at our homes.
Almost every country across the world agrees that we cannot continue using so much plastic in our lives. We need to find a solution to remove microplastics from our oceans. We also need to introduce new taxes and other means to encourage companies to choose environment-friendly ingredients and recyclable packaging for their products.
We need to take personal responsibility, too. We all have the freedom to choose how we spend our money and what kids of business and products we support. Let’s work together to protect our environment, both now and for the future.
Remember: Reduce — Reuse — Recycle. (244 words)
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