1 . Coca -Cola, PepsiCo and Nestle have been accused of “zero progress” on reducing plastic waste, after being named the world’s top plastic polluters for the third year in a row.

Coca -Cola was ranked the world’s No. 1 plastic polluter by Break Free From Plastic in its annual audit, after its beverage bottles were the most frequently found discarded on beaches, rivers, parks and other litter sites in 51 of 55 nations surveyed. Last year it was the most frequently littered bottle in 37 countries, out of 51 surveyed.

The annual audit, undertaken by 15,000 volunteers around the world, identifies the largest number of plastic products from global brands found in the highest number of countries.     1    

Coca -Cola came under fire from environmental campaigners earlier this year when it announced it would not abandon plastic bottles, saying they were popular with customers. In March, Coca -Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle and Unilever were found to be responsible for half a million tonnes of plastic pollution in six developing countries each year in a survey.

“     2    But instead they are continuing to pump out harmful single -use plastic packaging,” said Emma Priestland, Break Free From Plastic’s global campaign coordinator. Priestland said the only way to halt the growing global tide of plastic litter was to stop production, phase out single use and implement reuse systems. “Coca -Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestle should be leading the way in finding real solutions to reinvent how they deliver their products,” she said. Coca -Cola said it was working to address packaging waste, in partnership with others, and disputed the claim that it was making no progress. “     3    And the plastic can be recycled into new bottles,” a spokesperson said. “Bottles with 100% recycled plastic are now available in 18 markets around the world, and this is continually growing.” The spokesperson said Coca –Cola had also reduced plastic use in secondary packaging, and that globally ”more than 20% of our portfolio comes in refillable or fountain packaging“.

A spokesperson for PepsiCo said the company was taking action to tackle packaging through “partnership, innovation and investments”. They said it has set plastic reduction goals “including decreasing virgin plastic in our beverage business by 35% by 2025“, and was also ”growing refill and reuse through businesses like SodaStream and SodaStream Professional, which we expect will avoid 67 billion single -use plastic bottles through 2025”.

    4    But it recognised more was needed: “We are intensifying our actions to make 100% of our packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 and to reduce our use of virgin plastics by one-third in the same period. So far, 87% of our total packaging and 66% of our plastic packaging is recyclable or reusable.”

A．The world’s top polluting corporations claim to be working hard to solve plastic pollution.

B．Up to 91% of all the plastic waste ever generated has not been recycled and ended up being incinerated, in landfill or in the natural environment.

C．A statement from Nestle said the company was making “meaningful progress” in sustainable packaging.

D．Globally, we have a commitment to get every bottle back by 2030, so that none of it ends up as litter or in the oceans.

E．This year they collected 346, 494 pieces of plastic waste, 63% of which was marked clearly with a consumer brand.

F．Coca-Cola branding was found to be worse than PepsiCo and Nestle combined.

2 . Climate change is starving polar bears into extinction, according to research published Monday that predicts the apex carnivores could all but disappear within the span of a human lifetime. In some regions they are already caught in a vicious downward spiral (螺旋), with shrinking sea ice cutting short the time bears have for hunting seals, scientists reported in Nature Climate Change.

Their dwindling body weight undermines their chances of surviving Arctic winters without food, the scientists added. “The bears face an ever longer fasting period before the ice refreezes and they can head back out to feed,” Steven Amstrup, who conceived the study and is chief scientist of Polar Bears International, told AFP.

On current trends, the study concluded, polar bears in 12 of 13 subpopulations analyzed will have been decimated within 80 years by the galloping pace of change in the Arctic, which is warming three times as fast as the planet as a whole.

“By 2100, recruitment” — new births — “will be severely compromised or impossible everywhere except perhaps in the Queen Elizabeth Island subpopulation,” in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago, said Amstrup. That scenario foresees Earth’s average surface temperature rising 3.3 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial benchmark. One degree of warming so far has triggered a crescendo of heatwaves, droughts and superstorms made more destructive by rising seas.

But even if humanity were able to cap global warming at 2.4 degrees Celsius — about half-a- degree above Paris Agreement targets, but hugely ambitious all the same —it would probably only delay the polar bears’ collapse. The threat is not rising temperatures itself but the top-of-the-food-chain predators’ inability to adapt to a rapidly shifting environment.

Half of Earth’s land-based megafauna are classified as threatened with extinction, but only polar bears are endangered primarily by climate change. But that status may not be unique for long, and should be seen as a harbinger (前兆) of how climate will impact other animals in the coming decades, the authors warned. The polar bear’s “vulnerable” status on the IUCN Red List of endangered species — less severe than “endangered” or “critically endangered”— does not accurately reflect their plight, the authors argue.

Categories established by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature are based mainly on threats such as poaching (偷猎) and habitat encroachment (侵入) that can be addressed with local action on the ground. “But we cannot build a fence to protect sea ice from rising temperatures,” said Amstrup.

1. Why is rising temperature driving polar bears to extinction?

A．Because polar bears can’t tolerate warm weather.

B．Because polar bears can’t adapt their hunting time to climate change.

C．Because seals, polar bears’ feed, can’t survive warm weather.

D．Because polar bears are losing shelter in ice sea.

2. Which of the following can best explain “cap” in paragraph 5?

A．contain

B．cover

C．exceed

D．address

3. Which description of polar bears is TRUE to the fact?

A．Polar bears’ new births will be reduced to zero by 2100 because of rising temperature.

B．Polar bears are facing severe threat but they are not regarded as “critically endangered” by IUCN.

C．Polar bears are vulnerable because they are faced with human threats and natural challenge in the meanwhile.

D．Polar bears are the only top-of-the-food-chain predator to be endangered due to climate change.

4. What does Amstrup mean by saying “But we cannot build a fence to protect sea ice from rising temperatures”?

A．Sea ice covers such a large area that it is impossible for man to build a fence to prevent sea from melting.

B．Man shouldn’t define endangered species list without consideration of the element of temperature.

C．Man is almost powerless to stop global warming and sea rising and thus save polar bears from extinction.

D．Protective measures are in urgent need to address polar bears’ threats from poaching and habitat encroachment.

3 . ·What Are European Starlings?

   

European starlings were introduced from Europe into New York in the late 1800s, as part of an attempt to bring animals that were mentioned in Shakespeare’s work to America. These birds have grown significantly in population and are nuisance pests in both urban and rural areas, making starling control and management a necessity. European starlings gather in large roosting flocks. Starling noise and droppings are offensive, and they can cause economic grain and feed loss. European starlings are found in southern Alaska, the southern half of Canada, throughout the United States, and into northern Mexico.

·European Starling Prevention

How to Get Rid of European Starlings?

The first step to get rid of European starlings is for a licensed pest control professional to conduct a site survey, which should include the location of the problem, bird species observed, habitat, recommended control procedures and pricing considerations. Before the problem is addressed, appropriate federal, state and local regulations should be checked. Starlings are not protected by the federal endangered species act or migratory bird statutes, but they may be protected by some states. If the area is a bird sanctuary, then local permits are also required. Once this is determined, then the licensed pest control professional can recommend a proper course of treatment.

·European Starling Control

There are a handful of European starling control methods that homeowners can follow. Exclusion is one form of European starling control. It involves structural modification(e. g. change ledge angle to 45 degrees)and the installation of plastic netting on portions of buildings, which denies starlings access to roosting sites. Sanitation is also important, as it reduces feeding sites and temporary water sources. Homeowners should make sure to keep gutters clean to prevent water pooling and trash covered in a sealed receptacle. Another method of European starling control and management involves the use of sound devices such as noise-making devices and distress calls, which may be effective in dispersing starlings before they establish territory.

1. European starlings haven’t been found in________.

A．the northern half of Canada	B．the United States
C．southern Alaska	D．northern Mexico

2. Why are European starlings regarded as nuisance pests?

A．Because they prefer gathering in large roosting flocks.

B．Because they were originally introduced from Europe into New York.

C．Because they can be found everywhere in both urban and rural areas.

D．Because they feed on grains and make annoying noises.

3. As for the prevention of European starlings, which is NOT stated properly?

A．The prevention of European starlings requires licensed pest control professionals.

B．Surveying the site of European starlings involves observing the bird species and habitat, as well as pricing consideration.

C．As European starlings are not protected by federal endangered species act, licensed staff can rid them on the spot.

D．A licensed pest control professional will offer a proper course of treatment for reference.

4. What can we infer from the control methods of European starlings?

A．A clean and dry environment is not welcome by European starlings.

B．There is no effective method available that can dispel European starlings.

C．Anyone can drive European starlings away as long as they are offered noise-making sound devices.

D．Only with combined methods can homeowners exclude European Starlings from territory.

4 . With a consulting room, an intensive care unit and a rehabilitation center, the Wucheng wildlife rescue center near Poyang Lake has become a place for sick and injured wintering birds to recover.

”We have _________76 birds over the past two years. People send sick and injured birds to us whenever they find one,” said Shu Guolei, director of the rescue center in Yongxiu county, Jiangxi province. The rescue center is part of the Wucheng station, under the administration of the Poyang Lake Wetland Nature Reserve. With a surface area of over 3,200 square kilometers, Poyang Lake _________up to 700,000 wintering birds every year. The lake is an important wetland ecosystem and the largest _________for wintering migratory birds in Asia.

Shu said meals are provided for the sick birds according to their species and _________habits. “For example, a corn and rice combo is given to ducks, geese and swans, and a fish and shrimp combo is for the oriental storks.” After a full _________, the birds are released into the wild, Shu added.

Nearly 98 percent of the world’s white cranes, over 80 percent of the oriental storks and more than 70 percent of the white-naped cranes spend their _________at the lake before flying to warmer regions. To explore a more effective mechanism to protect the flocks of birds, Jiangxi province coordinates the work of the nature reserve, local public security bureaus and health departments. More and more local residents are also joining in efforts to rescue injured birds as their awareness of _________protection grows.

Li Chunru, 75, has cared for injured birds for nearly four decades. _________a doctor at a hospital in Jiangxi’s Duchang county, Li founded a clinic for birds in 2013 that is capable of taking care of 200 at a time. The clinic is _________consulting rooms, an intensive care unit, inpatient wards, recovery rooms and outdoor sheds. Bird rescue centers across China also work together to ensure safe trips for migratory birds after their treatment and recovery.

On Jan 2, migratory bird protection centers in Jiangxi and Tianjin released nine recovered birds in Duchang, including oriental storks, gray cranes, swans and geese. Seven of the birds had been brought from Tianjin for treatment. The birds were released in Poyang Lake so they could more easily __________their flock, said LiZhenzhuo, director of a wildlife conservation center in Tianjin.

__________improving the habitat and beefing up rescue efforts, local governments in the province have also increased forage(饲料)supplies for the birds. Hu Wei, the Party secretary of Yugan county, Jiangxi, said since November nearly 3,000 white cranes had gathered in a paddy area covering 60 hectares to look for food. “Last summer, a major flood in the Yangtze River __________the natural food supply for the birds, so we urgently secured dozens of hectares of unharvested rice for the flocks,” he said.

Liu Xinxi, an official with the Poyang Lake Wetland Park, said the birds are becoming less __________. “They used to only forage in the remote lake area, but now they can be seen in the fields and pools that are __________to people,” he said.

Dai Nianhua, a researcher with the Institute of Bioresources at the Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, said the implementation of a 10-year fishing ban in Poyang Lake has better protected aquatic organisms and created __________conditions for birds to breed.

“With people’s increasing awareness of environmental protection, the ecological environment of Poyang Lake has been improving,” Dai said.

1.

A．fed

B．raised

C．treated

D．studied

2.

A．holds

B．trades

C．hosts

D．sells

3.

A．clinic

B．lake

C．spot

D．habitat

4.

A．living

B．eating

C．sleeping

D．dating

5.

A．recovery

B．treatment

C．dinner

D．rest

6.

A．summer months

B．winter months

C．the rest of their life

D．treatment period

7.

A．health

B．business

C．environmental

D．humanity

8.

A．Previously

B．Professionally

C．Officially

D．Personally

9.

A．filled with

B．dotted with

C．installed with

D．fitted with

10.

A．collect

B．rejoin

C．lead

D．seek

11.

A．As for

B．At best

C．In general

D．Apart from

12.

A．nourished

B．endangered

C．distributed

D．enhanced

13.

A．timid

B．fierce

C．tame

D．bold

14.

A．accessible

B．distant

C．close

D．available

15.

A．favourite

B．favourable

C．comfortable

D．agreeable

5 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. gain     B. dramatic     C. capture     D. species   E. concretely   F. critical G. left     H. advance     I. smuggled   J. largely   K. conservation

Orang-utan live deep in the jungle of South-East Asia. For years, they were a complete mystery to humans. Hunters sometimes saw these shy animals from a distance, but rarely got a good look at them. No one was certain whether they were a race of humans or a kind of monkey. Indeed, the name ”orang-utan“ means ”man of the forest“. Finally, about 150 years ago, scientists confirmed that orang-utans were a(n)     1    of ape. Since then, people have been able to come into increased contact with orang-utans. Consequently, we have learnt much about them.

While the     2    of civilization has brought us more knowledge about orang-utan, it has caused the orang-utan many problems, and now these wonderful creatures are threatened with extinction. In 1900, there were several hundred thousand orang-utans living in the wild. Now there are fewer than 24,000     3    in the world. Some experts even believe that orang-utans will become extinct by the year 2023.

Humans are     4    to blame for this decline. Altogether, 80% of the orang-utan’s natural habitats has been destroyed by companies cutting down trees for financial     5    . Another problem is the trade in orang-utan babies. Every year, thousands of these babies are     6    to other countries, where they serve as zoo animals or as pets. Unfortunately, to     7    an orang-utan baby, its mother must be killed as well.

In order to save the orang-utan, many     8    centres have been set up to preserve their natural habitats. Governments and volunteers are also working to rescue pet orang-utans and return them to the wild. However, this may be too little, too late. The existence of orang-utans is at a     9    stage. People must take     10    action if orang-utans are to survive in the future.

6 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

A New Way to Fight Against Melting Ice

The recognition of the urgency of the climate crisis has stepped up a gear in the last few years, but with one depressing report on the global issue after another, you can be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed and wondering what can actually be done.

The first annual Global Climate Restoration Forum was held last week, to discuss emerging technologies, radical ideas, and occasionally controversial methods of tackling global heating.

One of those ideas is an innovative way to not just prevent but actually restore the rapidly melting glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice in the Arctic, which is currently warming twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth. The solution, according to scientists at the non-profit Ice911(“Take action for a cooler planet”), is to liberally scatter silica beads(二氧化硅小球)as fine as sand onto the ice to prevent it from melting by reflecting back the Sun’s rays.

Reflective ice and snow are key to preventing the Earth from overtheating. White surfaces like these reflect most of the radiation from the Sun’s rays back into space, keeping the planet cool and preventing further melt. Reduced ice and snow that reveal darker surfaces like the ground, sea, or melt water absorb more of this energy, trapping it as heat so the global temperatures rise and more ice melts. It’s a vicious cycle.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Read this leaflet from an environmental group to learn about this feared animal.

·Where do they live? Wolves live in the northern hemisphere, on three continents: Europe, Asia and North America. They are very adaptable: they can live in forests, on open plains, or in the snows of the Arctic.

·What are they like? They resemble big dogs, with long legs, a wide head and thick fur. In fact, all of our domestic dogs probably came from wolves many years ago. Wolves are about 1.5 to 2 metres long, and are about three quarters of a metre in height. So long as a wolf gets enough food, it will weigh about 40-50 kilograms.

·What do they eat? Although wolves usually prey on small mammals such as mice, rabbits and deer, they also hunt together to kill larger animals such as moose. When they kill a big animal, they gorge themselves, and then may not eat again for up to two weeks. If they are very hungry, they eat berries and seeds.

·What is their family life like? Wolves live in groups, which are called packs, with about six to eight wolves in a pack. Only one pair of wolves will bear cubs, but all of the members of the pack will help feed and protect the cubs.

·Are they dangerous to people? Since in many stories and films wolves attack people, it is natural that people should think they are fierce and dangerous. However, the truth is different. There is no proof that a wild wolf has ever harmed a human being. Indeed, usually wolves run away when they see people.

·Are they in danger from people? Yes, very much so. Wherever people have spread in the world, they have killed wolves, usually to protect their own livestock such as sheep and cattle. As a result, the number of wolves has been greatly reduced. They are extinct in many countries. In Britain, for example, wolves became extinct around 1650; similarly, there used to be thousands of wolves in America, but now there are fewer than 2,000.

·What is being done to help them? About 20 or 30 years ago, people started to realize that wolves were threatened with extinction, and they slowly began initiating programme to protect them. In many European countries, wolves are now protected by law. In Germany, for instance, where there are now very few wolves, a campaign has started to save them. It has several objectives. One is to better publicize the truth about wolves so people will not hate and kill them. Another aim is to preserve natural habitats for the wolves to live in. This has the advantage of helping many other forms of wildlife, as well. A third objective is to work out practical ways in which both people and wolves can live together. In a modern world, wolves cannot manage on their own without human support. Unless we help them in positive ways, they will disappear forever.

1. Which facts about wolves are NOT covered in the leaflet?

A．The habitat of wolves.	B．The evolution of wolves.
C．The diet of wolves.	D．The image of wolves.

2. What description of wolves is TRUE to the fact?

A．Wolves prefer hunting for larger animals in pack to small ones.

B．Cubs are looked after and protected by their mothers only.

C．There is proof that wild wolves will harm a human being.

D．Law has been made in some countries to preserve wolves from extinction.

3. What is most probably the leaflet intended to do?

A．To publicize a feared animal, wolves.

B．To clarify some misunderstandings of wolves.

C．To call on people to protect wolves, an endangered animal.

D．To advertise for a wolf-protection group.

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. overheated               B. considerably               C. plates               D. releasing          E. confident F. heading                  G. frequently                    H. extinction            I. damaging            J. attempt K. delivered

Last week’s United Nations report on the health of the planet and the services it provides made for very uncomfortable reading. It shows that humans are making a complete mess of things, destroying biodiversity and     1    ecosystems. The pressure we are placing on the planet through overexploitation of resources on land, sea and air is driving the Earth and its human cargo towards a catastrophic(灾难性的)end, one that will trigger a global mass     2    which may make the planet uninhabitable.

The sad thing is we can see this crisis     3    our way but don’t seem to be able to do anything to save ourselves. This isn’t just about climate change, although those who deny the human impact on climate may use similar arguments in a(n)     4    to undermine(暗中破坏)the UN report.

It may be portrayed(描述)as exaggeration or bad science, or an issue of dispute among the international team of scientists who compiled the report. Fake news. There is no dispute about the facts     5    , that at least a million species are now in serious decline or facing extinction. These species could disappear and if things continue as they are, another million more could follow.

We are shortening our odds     6    if you look at the UN report. We are damaging the web of life and the way that species interconnect and interact, but we don’t know to what end or how the damage we are causing will impact on ourselves. Are we     7    that humans would survive a runaway greenhouse effect for example? Would we be able to use technology to help us survive? But what of the social unrest(动荡)and migration that would follow a failure of crops in dry,     8    climates?

One direction we cannot turn to for help is planet Earth itself. It too evolves over geological[地质(学)的]time as the     9    that make up its surface ride across the planet. It makes mountains and creates inland seas. It kicks off environment-changing volcanoes and lets geology alter its surface. It doesn’t care if a species pollutes its oceans with plastic or tears down oxygen-     10    forests. It is life, in whatever form, that instead must adjust to accommodate changes in the planet that arise through natural causes or careless intervention.