1 . In the middle of the night, a baby chimpanzee (黑猩猩) is having nightmares. Chantal, his caretaker, tries to calm him down. She works at the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center, in the Republic of the Congo, in Africa. The chimp’s name is George. He was taken from his mother by hunters. Finally, he was rescued and taken to the sanctuary (鸟兽保护区), where Chantal helped him make friends with other chimpanzees. “We rescue chimps from terrible conditions and help them to live in the wild like other chimpanzees,” Chantal said, “They need to learn chimp behavior.”
Chimpanzees meet a lot difficulties because people cut down forest and illegal (非法的) wildlife trade. Their population, numbering in the millions a century ago, could be down to 172,000. This makes the work of the Tchimpounga Sanctuary even more important.
When opening in 1992, Tchimpounga had space for 60 chimpanzees. It has been made larger to the size of a hundred football fields, and provide home around 150 chimps. Many live on islands with thick forest in the Kouilou River. In that environment, the chimps are prepared for a possible return to the wild. The sanctuary also works with the government to reduce illegal trade in animals. Tchimpounga’s head veterinarian (兽医) Rebeca Atencia said, “We have effectively reduced the arrival of orphan (孤儿) chimpanzees to Tchimpounga. We’ve received only one orphan chimp over the past three years.”
The chimps have shown that they understand the sanctuary staff’s efforts. “Saving the life of a chimpanzee is very gratifying,” Atencia says. “Chimpanzees know when you’re helped them or saved their life. Sometimes, they thank you with a hug.”
As the leader of Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Atencia also works with people who live near the sanctuary. These people depend on the forest for food and building houses, and their growing population is a danger to chimps. JGI helps the people in these places get healthcare, clean water, and others. This makes them less dependent on the area’s natural resources and reduces illegal trade in chimps. At present, there are islands within the sanctuary where the chimps can be safe from wild chimpanzees and hunters. And they’ re still under the care of the sanctuary staff.
1. What happened to chimps after they were taken to the sanctuary?| A．They got together with their mothers. |
| B．They were trained to comfort social workers. |
| C．They were taught how to live a usual life. |
| D．They were used for scientific experiments. |
| A．It was dangerous and cost a lot of money at first. |
| B．It has received lots of support. |
| C．It hardly saves adult chimps. |
| D．It is a success. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Interesting. | C．Pleasing. | D．Tiring. |
| A．Supporting local people is good for chimp protection. |
| B．More efforts should be made to care for wild chimps. |
| C．The chimp population in the sanctuary has grown quickly. |
| D．People near the sanctuary depend on tourists to increase income. |
2 . Dryland ecosystems cover about 40% of land on earth and support more than 2 billion people, and, once degraded, they are difficult to restore. One technique for restoring dryland ecosystems with native plants — direct seeding — is promising, but has many disadvantages.
“In degraded drylands only around 10% of directly sown seeds actually establish themselves,” says Frederick Dadzie, PhD candidate at UNSW. “And given that native seeds are expensive and often in low supply, this is full of problems.”
Since one of the potential issues of degraded drylands is an absence of native microorganisms(微生物)in the soil, the research team acquired native microorganisms from undisturbed sites and grew them. They then introduced them to soil that contained the seeds of native plants and planted them in degraded drylands.
They found that microorganisms were very beneficial for getting the plants established. especially at the earlier stages when the seeds were growing to seedlings(树苗). After that, the relationship was less clear.
“That microorganisms improve germination(发芽)in degraded habitats is good news for ecosystem restoration," says Mr. Dadzie. “And what’s better: this is a simple, two-step process that can be applied to restoring dryland ecosystems. First, combining the seeds and soil into pellets(小球), and second, providing those pellets with the microorganisms.”
“Not only are drylands valuable as food bowls for vast numbers of people, but they also provide other services,” says Mr. Dadzie. “Due to the vastness of drylands, they have the highest potential to absorb atmospheric carbon and therefore contribute substantially to climate change.”
While this study was conducted at a field site, the seedlings were provided with both shade and water. In the future, similar experiments should be repeated but under more naturalized conditions with environmentally determined sun and rain.
1. What does the underlined word “degraded” in Paragraph I mean?| A．Changed. | B．Improved. | C．Worsened. | D．Simplified. |
| A．It is simple and promising. | B．It is costly but practical. |
| C．It is challenging but effective. | D．It is unproven and questionable. |
| A．Its method is out of date. |
| B．It was conducted in the laboratory. |
| C．Further study in naturalized conditions is necessary. |
| D．One type of native plant was involved in the whole process. |
| A．The solution to climate change lies in drylands |
| B．Microorganisms are the key to ecosystem restoration |
| C．Scientists have improved the direct seeding technique |
| D．Local microorganisms help native seeds take root in drylands |
1. How many parcels are expected to be delivered this year?
| A．30.8 billion. | B．83 billion. | C．95.5 billion. |
| A．2,000 boxes recycle stations will be built. |
| B．All packages will be wrapped only once. |
| C．New energy vehicles will be used to deliver packages. |
| A．The locations of recycle stations. |
| B．The wrapping products. |
| C．The types of new energy vehicles. |
4 . When I give public lectures about the climate crisis, the most common question people ask is: “Are you an optimist?” My answer is yes. The second most common question is: “What can I, personally, do?”
That’s a tough one. About half of all greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity generation and industrial fossil-fuel use. Some people have argued that calls for individual action actually distract us from company’s responsibility. Oil giant BP promoted the idea of a carbon footprint, moving attention to its customers who, it suggests, should take personal responsibility by lowering their carbon footprints. One study found that focusing on personal activity will ruin support for more effective policy initiatives (提案) such as a carbon tax.
Another problem with personal behavior is that people do not like to be told what to do. As former congressperson (国会议员) Bob Inglis of South Carolina said, people think, “You’re saying that I shouldn’t have this house in a suburb? I shouldn’t be driving this car.”
Cutting meat consumption (消耗) is a powerful and personal thing most Americans can do to deal with the climate crisis, and they can do it immediately. About 40 percent of greenhouse gases come from agriculture, deforestation and other land-use changes. Meat—particularly beef—drives climate change in two ways: first, through cows’ emission of methane(甲烷), and second, by destroying forests as land areas as required to the cows to live on. Despite the economic slowdown caused by the COVID 19, atmospheric greenhouse gas levels continued to rise in 2020, in large part because of emissions increase in the Amazon as rain forests were changed into land for cattle to satisfy the global demand for beef. By eating less beef, we can start to reduce that demand.
You do not have to become a vegan (素食主义者) to do this. Cutting back on red meat also has the added benefit of being good for your health. While I wouldn’t advise governments to order people to stop eating hamburgers, if anyone asks, “What can I do?” a simple and accurate answer is: “Eat less meat. It’s in your control, and you can begin right now. It benefits both you and the planet.”
1. What can we learn about BP?| A．It moves responsibility to consumers. |
| B．It calls for company to take responsibility. |
| C．It has lost support from effective policy initiatives. |
| D．It brings up carbon footprint and gains much support. |
| A．Officials are not always model examples of people. |
| B．We are uncomfortable to be informed what we should do. |
| C．The more people are involved in, the more influential the group activity is. |
| D．Owning a house or driving a car is not eco-friendly to the environment. |
| A．Less meat consumption to save the planet | B．Individual acts to influence our planet |
| C．An optimist to protect the planet | D．A vegan to benefit our planet |
| A．In a storybook. | B．In a science report. |
| C．In a novel. | D．In a magazine. |
5 . Last May, “eco-mermaid (生态美人鱼)” Merle Liivand broke her own world record for swimming with a single fin (鳍). She swam the distance of a full marathon in the rough waters of Biscayne Bay, Florida. She even picked trash out of the water as she swam.
Liivand was born in Estonia. As a child, she had health problems, and engaged in swimming to help her lungs get stronger. She was soon taking part in open water swimming contests, sometimes even in icy water.
Eleven years ago, Liivand moved to Miami, Florida, where she continued swimming in the ocean. In one training session, she nearly wound up swallowing some plastic that was floating in the sea. That experience made her think of all the sea animals that faced similar pollution every day. She decided to make people more aware of plastic pollution, which she calls a “plastic pandemic”.
Thinking about sea creatures gave Liivand the idea of swimming with a special single swimming fin attached to both of her feet. This rubbery “monofin” allows her to swim by kicking both of her legs together. “Swimming with the monofin without using my arms is similar to how dolphins and other marine animals swim,” says Liivand. She believes that swimming with a monofin sends a bigger message.
Liivand first set the world record for swimming with a monofin in 2019, when she swam 6.2 miles off the coast of California. In 2020, she broke the record again by swimming 12.8 miles in Miami, Florida. On 7 May last year, Liivand broke the record once more, this time swimming the length of a full marathon. It took her 11 hours and 54 seconds to swim 26.2 miles. The water was rough, and she ran into a few problems, but she didn’t stop. “I got stung (蛰) by jellyfish,” she said, “and kept telling myself that it was not the time to cry.”
Liivand picked up all the trash she found and put it in a kayak (皮划艇). By the end of her marathon, the kayak held three bags full of trash. “This isn’t just about a record. It’s about helping the community and the world,” she says.
1. Why did Liivand start swimming?| A．To protect sea creatures. | B．To get trash out of the sea. |
| C．To improve her physical condition. | D．To participate in swimming contests. |
| A．Her moving to Miami, Florida. | B．Her training accident in the sea. |
| C．Her experience of saving sea animals. | D．Her swimming with a rubbery monofin. |
| A．Self-confident and optimistic. | B．Hard-working and ambitious. |
| C．Well-educated and independent. | D．Strong-minded and determined. |
| A．“Eco-Mermaid” tries to break her own records |
| B．“Eco-Mermaid” loves swimming with a monofin |
| C．“Eco-Mermaid” develops a unique way of swimming |
| D．“Eco-Mermaid” swims a marathon to fight plastic pollution |
6 . In the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of North America, donkeys(驴) walk freely. They travel in groups, seeking out water sources in small wetlands, often trampling (践踏) vegetation in the process.
The donkeys are considered an invasive (入侵的) species, and many conservationists(保护主义者) advocate for killing or relocating them as they are thought to lack predators(捕食者) that could keep their populations in control. But a recent study, a team of ecologists found that these donkeys have become a favorite snack for hungry cougars(美洲豹).
Using cameras to record videos whenever an animal walks by, the researchers surveyed donkey activity in 14 different wetlands throughout Death Valley National Park in California. They were thus able to identify eight wetlands with clear evidence of cougars killing donkeys. They also visited each site in person to look for donkey bodies, which cougars will often hide and return to later on. “Some of these hiding sites were used over and over again, so that every time we went, there would be three or four fresh kills,” says Erick Lundgren, ecologist at Aarhus University and lead author on the study.
In the sites that lacked cougars, donkeys were frequently caught on camera during the day and night. But in sites with active cougar predation, the donkeys were only seen during the day. At night, the donkeys avoided any wetlands where cougars had recently killed other donkeys.
In addition, the study showed that the donkey presence in desert wetlands was associated with striking changes to the local plant life. “These sites where they’re all day, they’re trampling and eating the vegetation,” says Lundgren. “It really strongly leads to a lot of bare(光秃的) open ground and then a really strong reduction in plant cover.” These findings highlight how important top predators like cougars can influence the stability of an ecosystem.
Julie K. Yong, a wildlife ecologist at Utah State University, says that documenting the beneficial role of cougars in the environment could help bolster their image. “It could increase social tolerance for them on the landscape,” she says. Especially among farmers who worry about their cattle’s safety, Young explains, highlighting that the benefits of keeping cougars around might go a long way in conserving this predator.
Lundgren, on the hand, worries that if conservation managers remove donkeys from the desert ecosystem, it could have unintended consequences. “If the donkeys disappear, the cougars in Death Valley may simply switch to feeding on bighorn sheep or other native wildlife,” he says.
1. Why are the donkeys a big headache?| A．They attract cougars wherever they go. |
| B．They cause great damage to local plants. |
| C．They compete with cougars for resources. |
| D．They can bring invasive plants to the desert. |
| A．They chose to travel in larger groups. |
| B．They didn’t appear on bare open ground. |
| C．They often hid themselves during the day. |
| D．They restricted their night activity in some sites. |
| A．Improve. | B．Maintain. | C．Shake. | D．Ruin. |
| A．The cougars might be forced to leave Death Valley. |
| B．The cougars might become a threat to native wildlife. |
| C．The population of the cougars might increase significantly. |
| D．The number of native animals might be difficult to control. |
1. How often does the man go to the beach?
| A．Once a week. | B．Twice a month. | C．Once a month. |
| A．His cousin invited him. |
| B．His parents influenced him. |
| C．His friend recommended him. |
| A．Adopt-A-Beach. | B．Saturday Warriors. | C．Beach Captains. |
| A．They’re brave. | B．They’re creative. | C．They’re warm-hearted. |
8 . What is Earth Day? It’s a day to celebrate, praise and notice Mother Earth.
For Earth Day, and every day for that matter, go outside.
Go for a walk. Look, listen and smell the world around you.
Kiss the trees. Dance in a meadow. Sing with the birds. Play in the dirt. Join the animals and the birds and the angels, the silent song of the flowers and trees in praise of her.
| A．Take some deep breaths. |
| B．Let her know you are thankful. |
| C．You can do it for healthy purposes. |
| D．And honor her with a promise to act. |
| E．Remember to be responsible as possible as you can. |
| F．Engage all of your senses and notice what you often don’t. |
| G．A day to remember all she is, all she does, and all she gives. |
9 . Tashi Hackett rows his boat on the Snake River, south of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. All around him is the great beauty of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It is a great place for wildlife watchers, hikers, and campers. But Hackett isn’t here for the view; he’s here to help protect the river.
Hackett is one of many volunteers working with Adventure Scientists, an organization that makes use of the skills of experienced outdoor recreationists (游憩者) to help scientists collect much-needed data (数据) on many different research projects.
Organizations like Adventure Scientists play an important role in research. Scientists often may not have enough money or time, which can limit their ability to carry out their work. But laypeople like Hackett can help in many ways. Volunteers for all projects receive training before going out into the field.
Within 10 years, Adventure Scientists’ volunteers have collected data for lots of important research projects around the world. One project collected the largest known microplastics (tiny pieces of plastic) data set ever recorded, showing the worldwide reach of microplastics pollution. Another project collected data from around the world to help Harvard Medical School researchers study antibiotic resistance (抗生素抗药性). One present project creates libraries of data about trees in the U.S.
On a recent day, Hackett’s work begins before 8 a.m. and goes on late into the afternoon. Sometimes the weather is perfect; other times it’s far from lovely. One trip had Hackett moving through the forest during a snowstorm. Another time, in late fall, ice made it difficult for him to reach the river and the low temperature prevented his equipment (设备) from working correctly.
But Hackett says he enjoys the chance to give back.“It’s been a great chance to help collect data that’s going to be used for a long time, and to know what the health of the river that I love is.”
1. What is Hackett doing on the Snake River?| A．Practicing boating skills. |
| B．Collecting data about the river. |
| C．Guiding visitors around the river. |
| D．Enjoying the beauty of a national forest. |
| A．Those who have limited savings. |
| B．Those who have no interest in science. |
| C．Those who are not experts in one field. |
| D．Those who play a central role in research. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By showing differences. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By providing research results. |
| A．Strict and warm-hearted. | B．Patient and strong-willed. |
| C．Experienced and open-minded. | D．Responsible and hard-working. |
10 . On any given day Damon Carson will deal with lots of inquiries from large companies looking to unload massive amounts of stuff that would otherwise go to the landfill (废物填埋场). For example, twenty-eight plastic boxes from a store were just waiting for him to repurpose them. And a recreation company wanted to know if Carson was interested in 360 kilograms of blue ropes
“They don’t want to just throw it away,” he explains. “Nor should they. Because it has value. ”The question of what value, and to whom, is what occupies Carson’s days.
For nearly a decade, his company, Repurposed Materials, has been devoted to this. He’s not looking to recycle the stuff he gets—breaking it down to make something new—but rather finding new homes for abandoned goods in their original forms.
In the late 1990s, Carson was on break from business school, when he discovered the profitable world of waste. He and a friend started a small business near construction sites. Working in construction, Carson had become familiar with an almost-everyday phenomenon: “You’d open up one of these big construction dumpster (大垃圾箱) and stuff would start falling out,” he says. He would find perfectly good wood, or a window still wrapped in plastic from the factory. “You can’t wrap your mind around how wasteful America is until you run a waste company,” he says
There is a solid environmental case for repurposing, or upcycling. “When people call, I say we don’t chip, grind, melt.” “Carson notes. Recycling, however noble, still takes energy. “Why melt something down, if it still has value?” he asks. An old oil-field pipe might be melted down and turned into a car bumper, but it still takes a fair amount of power to finish the transformation. Why not put it straight up and turn it into a fence post on a farm? The only cost is transport.
Carson recently opened two new warehouses (仓库), bringing the total to six. “Corporations(企业) are,” he says, “becoming increasingly focused on sustainability, so we’re upping (使升级) our capabilities. You never know when the next 20,000-kilogram spool of 10-centimeter-thick rope might come along, or where it might go.”
1. What does Carson’s company Repurposed Materials do?| A．It helps large companies bury waste. |
| B．It warns people against throwing away waste. |
| C．It brings new lives to abandoned stuff. |
| D．It changes the original form of abandoned stuff. |
| A．It is more logical | B．It is more systematic |
| C．It is more formal | D．It is more energy-saving |
| A．Current trend of using heavier ropes. |
| B．Fast development of his warehouses. |
| C．Natural process of treating waste materials. |
| D．Increasing environmental concerns of corporations. |
| A．Generous and hard-working | B．Intelligent and humorous |
| C．Devoted and forward-looking | D．Independent and responsible |
