1 . As time goes on, people have come to realize the importance of protecting the environment. But they can’t deal with everything by themselves. Take small steps, and you can make a difference.
●Think Green. Think about the environment as you live your life. If you turn off lights and TV when leaving the room, you’ll save energy. If you take shorter showers, you will save water.
●Shop Green. Shopping is fun, but buying things you don’t need is wasteful and even bad for the earth. Before you buy something, ask yourself how much you will use it, and whenever possible, buy things locally made instead of those shipped from far away.
●Dress Green. What really matters is not the colour. It’s how the clothes were made. So look for products made from environmentally friendly(环保的)materials.
●Study Green. What’s better than learning about the environment? Save it while you learn. It can be as simple as using both sides of a piece of paper before you recycle it.
1. What does the writer want us to do?| A．Know some facts. | B．Deal with everything at once. |
| C．Protect the environment. | D．Make no difference. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．Take a shower as long as possible. | B．Wear clothes whose colour is green. |
| C．Buy things that are locally made. | D．Use only one side of a piece of paper. |
| A．children | B．women | C．men | D．all people |
2 . Angela Pozzi didn’t like seeing plastic trash washing up on the shore near her home in Bandon, Oregon. She wanted to unite her community to clean it up, so she started an organization and called it Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea.
Volunteers help clean up Oregon’s 300 miles of shoreline. Then, using only plastics from the beach cleanup, Ms Pozzi and her staff and many, many volunteers create sculptures of sea animals. Ms Pozzi says, “I want to create sculptures that, hopefully, will make people consider their plastic purchases and be aware of how so much plastic ends up in the oceans.”
Since 2010, more than 10,000 volunteers have collected 21 tons of trash and helped create more than 70 works of art. Four traveling exhibits have displayed the sculptures in more than 18 places. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, hosted an exhibit through September 2018.
People have used plastics to create life-saving medical devices, inexpensive containers and gadgets, and toys, of course. But unlike wood, cotton, and other natural materials, plastics don’t break down into anything useful to other living things. Instead, they stay for years in landfills, waterways, and the oceans. The materials are harmful to some sea animals, such as turtles, sea lions, and birds. Some of these creatures eat plastic objects that look like food. Others become entangled (被缠住) in plastic nets or packaging.
Ms Pozzi gives credit to everyone who helps. “One person didn’t create these sculptures,” she says. “Some people have picked up the plastic; others have sorted the items by color. Still others have washed each piece of plastic trash. Volunteers have drilled holes or helped to make the small wire-stitched panels, while others welded (焊接) the giant frames. I do the heads and detail work, and my staff and I take all the pieces everyone contributes to finish the work.” Says Ms Pozzi, “Until we run out of plastic on the beach, the work will continue.”
1. According to the passage, Washed Ashore ________.| A．is an official organization | B．collects plastics for money |
| C．turns the waste into artworks | D．aims to prevent the use of plastics |
| A．The long history of the organization. |
| B．The accomplishments of the organization. |
| C．The sculptures are popular in many places. |
| D．Many people are in favour of the organization. |
| A．A double-edged sword. | B．A threat to living things. |
| C．More stable in landfills. | D．Food for sea creatures. |
| A．To teach it to readers. | B．To show its difficulty. |
| C．Because she feels very proud. | D．Because it is an art by teamwork. |
Litter is everywhere, doing great harm
The story began with his 6-year-old daughter. One day they were going on a hike when the girl noticed a broken plastic tub (浴盆) in a river. She said, “Daddy, that doesn't go there.”That took Kirschner by surprise. He, like many adults, had become so used to seeing the rubbish
Jeff started to take
Litterati is more than an app. It is highly
4 . Stefani Shamrowicz lives in Colorado. The 24-year-old woman has spent 23 days picking up126 bags of rubbish across the country
Having over a month off from her job at a campus recreation center, Stefani Shamrowicz decided to take a trip to help clean up the environment.
She's now driven over 70 hours through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana Florida,Georgia,Tennessee,Kentucky，Ohio，Pennsylvania，and New York-cleaning up everything from pee-filled bottles to lawn ornaments. About 80 percent of the rubbish was drinking bottles. Stefani said she had found a few fast-food toys and a tire with a pair of cowboy boots in it and her aim wasn't to shame, but rather encourage people to do what they can
Collecting anywhere from one to 16 bags at a time, Stefani's been discouraged. She felt she wasn't doing enough. She said there was a place that had an ocean of rubbish and she pushed out four bags, but then she broke down because she realized how much rubbish there was and it felt like four bags didn't do anything. But she remembered to just do what she could, especially since she had gone beyond her goal. She said she dedicated that to her parents because they raised her to be an independent person and had been very supportive on the trip
People donated $10 a bag for Stefani to clean up in their name, which she uses for lodging and gas. The person's name is written on how many bags they've donated towards and Stefani posted a picture on her Instagram when they were filed, thanking them for helping clean up the cit she was in.
People online and in person have responded positively to the project. Stefani recalled people sent her pictures of bags of trash they picked up. Once, when she started doing a bag on the beach in Florida,two ladies saw her and started helping her fill the bag.
With her job resuming June 1, Stefani is now back home but she has so many good things to say about her unique U.S.road trip.There's litter everywhere, so I'm just happy to be able to make a little bit of an impact everywhere I go. Cleaning up this litter is a huge thank you for all the joy and good times national parks and nature in general has brought to my life,”she said.
1. Why did Stefani drive ower70 hours across the USA?| A．To call on people to donate money |
| B．To earn a living by classifying rubbish. |
| C．To encourage people to protect the environment. |
| D．To enjoy the scenery of the national parks and nature |
| A．People offered their help along her journey |
| B．Her parents make joint efforts to support her. |
| C．People begin to donate their money for her project. |
| D．Many people take action to clean up the environment |
| A．Discouraged. | B．Anxious | C．Surprised. | D．Pleased. |
| A．Cleaning up rubbish is a tough task. | B．A kind act can make a big difference |
| C．Believing in oneself is the key to success. | D．One will realize his dream if he persists in it. |
1. 写信目的；
2. 个人优势；
3. 表达期待。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir/Madam,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
6 . Plastic—Eating Worm
Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that ends up in landfills(垃圾填埋场) , and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. So far there is no effective way to get rid of it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms(幼虫).
Researchers in Spain and England found that the worms of the greater wax moth(大蜡螟) can break down polyethylene(聚乙烯), which accounts for 40% of plastics.
That is to say, part of plastics can be consumed by this kind of worms. The team left 100 wax worms on a plastic shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it. To confirm that the worms' chewing alone was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers made some worms into paste(糊状物)and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of their mass—apparently broken down by enzymes(酶)from the worms' stomachs. Their findings were published in Current Biology.
Federica Bertocchini, co—author of the study, says the worms' ability to break down their everyday food—beeswax—also allows them to break down plastic." Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in polyethylene, the carbon—carbon bond, is there as well," she explains. "The wax worm developed a method or system to break this bond."
Jennifer Debruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify where the enzyme comes from. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?
Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team's findings might one day help make use of the enzyme to break down plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process—not simply "millions of worms thrown on top of the plastic."
1. What can we learn about the worms in the study?| A．They take plastics as their everyday food. |
| B．They can consume plastics. |
| C．They end up in landfills. |
| D．They are new creatures. |
| A．prove the research findings |
| B．discover other kinds of worms |
| C．increase the breakdown speed |
| D．find out the source of the enzyme |
| A．help to raise worms |
| B．help make plastic bags |
| C．be used to clean the oceans |
| D．be produced in factories in future |
| A．To propose new means to keep eco—balance. |
| B．To present a way to break down plastics. |
| C．To introduce the diet of a special worm. |
| D．To explain a study method on worms. |
7 . As a result of pollution，Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things.
Pollution in water is not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms (生物体) to be affected are either plants or plankton(浮游生物). But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures.When this food disappears, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it’s not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the seashore that people realize what is happening.
Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources of sewage (污水) and industrial waste. As more detergent (洗涤剂) is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas. Detergents harm water bird, dissolving the natural substances which keep their feathers waterproof. Sewage itself, if not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful as there are many highly poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead (铅).
So, if we want to stop this pollution，the answer is simple: sewage and industrial waste must be made clear before flowing into the water.It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.
1. Pollution of water is noticed ________.| A．when the first organisms are affected |
| B．when a good many fish and birds die |
| C．when poisonous things are poured into water |
| D．as soon as the balance of nature is destroyed |
| A．water | B．waste |
| C．poison | D．oxygen |
| A．Organisms. |
| B．Plants and plankton in the water. |
| C．Waste water from cities. |
| D．Industrial waste made clear before flowing into the water. |
| A．realize the serious situation clearly |
| B．put oxygen into the water |
| C．make the waste harmless before it flows into the water |
| D．make special room in the sea for our rubbish |
8 . Keeping curious kids from disrupting wildlife
Interacting with the wild, naturally curious kids tend to collect seashells at the beach or keep small wildlife as pets.
Take an interest, not things. Kids show interest in picking flowers, rocks, or shells outdoors. They’re part of wildlife's habitat and play an important role.
Admire animal afar, not disrupt nearby. The urge to take a photo with a squirrel, bird, or slow-moving turtle can be strong for kids.
Take well-worn paths, not off-road romps (嬉戏). Kicking piles of leaves, stepping on bushes, and walking through forested areas can unintentionally scare wildlife. If surprised animals defend their homes, everyone could get hurt. Nobody likes having a guest come in and destroy their home and act rudely.
| A．Keep snacks away from animals. |
| B．Share food if animals are hungry. |
| C．Exposure to them develops kids’ love and curiosity. |
| D．The same rule applies to visiting wildlife in their homes. |
| E．Animals rely on plants for hiding; rocks and shells, for homes. |
| F．Approaching animals disrupts what they do for survival, such as eating. |
| G．Despite innocent purposes, kids’ curiosity accidentally damages the wild. |
9 . A team of scientists has come up with a plan to help rebuild the Arctic (北极) ice cap.
Usually, the sea ice gets thicker and spreads further each winter, but this hasn't happened for the past few years.
Last month, the ice cap had reached its smallest size since scientists began keeping a record of it 38 years ago. The weather in the Arctic has been unusually warm this winter. Some days, temperatures have been 20 degrees Celsius higher than before at this time of year. With less ice, the Arctic would warm up even more quickly, and more ice would melt (融化). Without sea ice, many animals would lose their natural homes.
Dr Steven Desch and a group of scientists from Arizona State University in the United States think they can help to build up Arctic sea ice again. They want to fix wind-powered pumps (抽水机) on the sea ice. During the winter, the pumps would spread water from the ocean over the surface of the ice where it would freeze and form a new layer of ice. The scientists say that in 10 years, this could add a metre of ice to the ice cap.(The Arctic ice cap is about two to three metres thick right now.)
The plan would require about 10 million pumps and it would be very expensive—about $655 billion. Some other scientists are wondering if the pumps would actually work in cold Arctic conditions. They are also worried about how the project might affect the environment.
Dr Desch and his team hoped their plan would get more people interested in looking for a solution to the problem of melting sea ice. He said the only plan people have right now is to try to cut greenhouse gas emissions (温室气体排放) from cars and other man-made sources. He and his team don't think that will be enough to save the sea ice, but hope it will get everyone moving in the right direction.
1. What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us?| A．The changes of Arctic weather. |
| B．The history of the Arctic ice cap. |
| C．The influence of the weather on the Arctic. |
| D．The importance of sea ice to Arctic animals. |
| A．By thickening the Arctic ice. |
| B．By cutting pollution in the Arctic. |
| C．By pumping sea water to the land. |
| D．By making the Arctic attractive to wildlife. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Surprised. |
| A．It will surely work. |
| B．It needs discussing. |
| C．It is better than the present method. |
| D．It will encourage others to take steps. |
10 . In an effort to fight the “throw-away culture” and promote reuse and repair, the city of Berlin has taken the unique step of opening its own secondhand department store.
This isn’t your grandma’s thrift shop (旧货商店). It resells perfectly good items that would otherwise be thrown away. A pun on the German words for “department store” and “conserving house”, B-Wa(h)renhaus sells a wide variety of products. Far from simply selling old items, the electronic goods have been fixed by expert technicians and come with a year’s guarantee. And, to reach more secondhand shoppers, the store was set up right in the middle of the famous Karstadt department store.
With the success of its initial six-month trial run, the city plans to open four more similar operations in other parts of Berlin. By 2030, it hopes to have at least one location in each of Berlin’s 12 districts. Since 2008, city policies and educational campaigns have reduced average annual household waste by about 25 pounds per resident. It also recycles about 49% of its mineral construction waste. Currently, the city estimates that 8% of abandoned electronic goods and 6% of huge items thrown away can actually be reused. The goal is to expand the market for these items beyond the usual bargain hunters and eco-conscious consumers.
“Three years ago, we started collecting all kinds of used goods,” city spokesperson Dorothee Winden said. “There are lots of things that are well-preserved and functioning but aren’t being used anymore. The goal is to give these things a new life with somebody who can use them.” The store also includes an education center to encourage more sustainable lifestyles — and also gave an award to a project that recycles school uniforms, so that parents don’t have to buy new ones every year.
1. Why has Berlin opened its own secondhand department store?| A．To attract more shoppers. | B．To promote recycling. |
| C．To foster traditional culture. | D．To expand secondhand market. |
| A．The variety of the goods. | B．The location of the store. |
| C．The quality of the products. | D．The operation of the store. |
| A．Berlin currently has 4 second-hand stores in construction. |
| B．Berlin has been successful in cutting its waste since 2008. |
| C．It is not easy to make the goal to expand the market a reality. |
| D．It is estimated that Berlin will be a zero-waste city by 2030. |
| A．To introduce Berlin’s new reuse shop operation. |
| B．To raise people’s awareness of reasonable shopping. |
| C．To persuade people to become eco-friendly shoppers. |
| D．To encourage more people to donate to secondhand shops. |
