2 .    

Caring for our natural world is a big job but there are lots of little things that we can do to make a difference! What will you try? Maybe you have some great tips to share too? You can send us an email and let us know!

How to use less plastic Plastic waste is bad news for the sea and for wildlife. Here’s what you can do about it.	Make art from beach litter Caroline Bond is a beach cleaner from East Sussex. She also makes art from the litter she collects from beaches!	Go on a litter pick or beach clean Doing a litter pick in your local area will help keep wildlife safe from harm.
How to conserve water If we all do our part in conserving precious water supplies, we can make a huge difference for the environment.	The problem with balloons Balloon releases are disastrous for wildlife. Here’s why to avoid them and some great eco-alternatives to balloons!	Recycling—what difference does it make? Whether you drop a can of pop into a waste or recycling bin, it’s easy to think that this small act has no real consequence. After all,…
Palm oil and why it matters Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil but sadly a lot of tropical habitat is being destroyed to make it. This means many animals are...	Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Earth has loads of super ways to fight off the villainous climate crisis: from woodlands to peat bogs to whales!	How to make compost Instead of sending your green waste to landfill, create your own compost. Here is how to get started composting.

A BIG WILD WELCOME

We absolutely love wildlife—and bet you do too! Wildlife Watch is here for kids that can’t get enough of exploring the great outdoors or those desperate to find out a bit more about the weird and wonderful creatures we share our world with. It’s part of The Wildlife Trusts, who look after lots of awesome places for wildlife and run hundreds of events each year in the UK.

1. Who might be interested in the passage?

A．People who explore the outdoors.	B．People who are animal trainers.
C．People who would like to care for our planet.	D．People who want to make a difference in their jobs.

2. According to the passage, it can be learned that____________.

A．tropical habitat is being destroyed by making palm oil

B．making compost does harm to the environment

C．dropping a can of pop into the recycling bin has no real consequence

D．balloon releases can be transformed into energy-efficient ones.

3. Where does the passage most probably come from?

A．An advertisement column.

B．A science journal.

C．A website.

D．A brochure.

3 . Climate Change: Yes, Your Individual Action Does Make a Difference

What can we do in the face of the climate emergency? Many say we should drive less, fly less, eat less meat. But others argue that personal actions like these are a pointless drop in the ocean when _____ the huge systemic changes that are required to prevent _____ global warming.

It’s a debate that has been raging for decades. _____ , in terms of global greenhouse gas emissions, a single person’s contribution is basically irrelevant (much like a single vote in an election). But my research, first in my masters and now as part of my PhD, has found that doing something bold like giving up flying can have a wider _____ effect by influencing others and shifting what’s viewed as “normal”.

In a survey I _____ , half of the respondents who knew someone who had given up flying because of climate change said they flew less because of this example. That alone seemed pretty impressive to me. Furthermore, around three quarters said it had changed their _____ towards flying and climate change in some way. These effects were _____ if a high-profile person had given up flying, such as an academic or someone in the public eye. _____ , around two thirds said they flew less because of this person, and only 7% said it had not affected their attitudes.

I wondered if these impressionable people were already behaving like squeaky-clean environmentalists, but the _____ suggested not. The survey respondents fly considerably more than average, meaning they have plenty of potential to fly less because of someone else’s example.

To explore people’s ______ , I interviewed some of those who had been influenced by a “non-flyer”. They explained that the bold and unusual position to give up flying had conveyed the seriousness of climate change and flying’s contribution to it; ______ the link between values and actions; and even reduced feelings of isolation that flying less was a ______ and sensible response to climate change. They said that “commitment” and “expertise” were the most influential qualities of the person who had stopped flying.

That people are influenced by others is ______ a shocking result. Psychology researchers have spent decades amassing evidence about the powerful effects of social influence, while cultural evolution theory suggests we may have evolved to follow the example of those in prestigious positions because it helped us ______ . Pick up any book on leadership in an airport shopping mall and it will likely ______ the importance of leading by example.

1.

A．set down

B．set against

C．set aside

D．set apart

2.

A．puzzling

B．terrifying

C．devastating

D．astonishing

3.

A．Clearly

B．Especially

C．Fortunately

D．Angrily

4.

A．knock-out

B．knock-down

C．knock-off

D．knock-on

5.

A．confronted

B．conducted

C．contributed

D．combined

6.

A．ways

B．attitudes

C．behaviors

D．shields

7.

A．reduced

B．raised

C．increased

D．decreased

8.

A．In this case

B．In some cases

C．In case

D．In any case

9.

A．results

B．habits

C．points

D．figures

10.

A．reasoning

B．thinking

C．predicting

D．displaying

11.

A．neutralised

B．crystallised

C．actualised

D．generalised

12.

A．subtle

B．visual

C．valid

D．varied

13.

A．merely

B．hardly

C．nearly

D．only

14.

A．survive

B．peak

C．nurse

D．starve

15.

A．bugle

B．flute

C．whistle

D．trumpet

4 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Preserving the environment and ensuring it will be around for future generations is an idea that is still being debated and researched even in our age of advanced technology. Today’s youth are beginning to be exposed to these ideas    1    these issues are very complex, so how can a child who still sees the world in simple terms and    2    is not in control of things understand these big ideas and make a difference?

In actuality, teaching youth has a huge influence on the future of the planet by implementing responsible views towards aspects of the environment. By learning these habits at a younger age, kids are    3    (apt) to continue these practices into adulthood. In fact, there are kids today all over the world that are already making a difference in the environment. Severn Suzuki is one example of a child making a significant positive difference in the world. She    4    (recognize) for her speech at the UN Earth Summit in 1992 that inspired millions around the globe.     5    (refer) to as “The Girl Who Silenced the World”, Severn’s incredible speech before government delegates and politicians urged adults to “stop breaking what they cannot fix” and to take responsibility today for actions    6    (prevent) further destruction in the future. Her speech has brought many people to tears with her influential words, including myself, and is still relevant today.

More recently,     7    influential 10-year-old, Ta’ Kaiya, has grabbed the attention of Canadian MPs on the 22nd anniversary of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. With the help of her singing teacher, Ta’ Kaiya wrote a song in response to the proposed twin 1,170 km pipelines to bring dirty oil    8    the Alberta tar sands to B. C.’s north coast. That would mean oil supertankers would trek through the Great Bear Rainforest,     9    (destroy) a beautiful and ecologically-significant region. Her video was viewed over 5,000 times on Youtube and emailed directly to MPs with the general message of taking responsibility for    10    happens in the environment and to realize the consequences of our actions.

Teaching kids to care for the Earth is one of the best ways to ensure a better future for them and other generations.

5 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. effective          B. matter                 C. sustains          D. rest                  E. ecosystems             F. destroying G. miles               H. optimistically        I. crucial             J. significantly       K. generates

Our planet is our home, the place that    1    us; but are we living in harmony with nature? It seems like we humans have embraced a path of self-destruction,     2    the very home that shelters us. From rising carbon emissions, to deforestation and land degradation, anthropogenic activities are having detrimental effects on our    3    and environmental biodiversity. Not many are aware that the United Nations General Assembly had declared the period of 2011-2020, as the “Decade for Biodiversity”. We have just gone through the final period of this    4    decade, and despite several strategic plans and initiatives to mobilize people at different levels, we are    5    behind in achieving the stipulated targets. The negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems conservation, indicate that we need to do a lot more.

As teenagers, sometimes we feel helpless and powerless, unable to take action, or do things that really    6    to us, since governments and large corporations are the ones taking vital decisions. While major changes are only possible if countries and corporations alter their policies and actions, we as individuals also have the potential to make a difference, whether through small actions, or larger initiatives. Let’s not forget that consumers dictate markets, and they can    7    impact the way goods are produced and traded if they decide to change their consumption habits.

Recycling is a simple, yet    8    way of conserving resources and reducing your individual carbon footprint. Rather than throwing everything in the trash, separate your plastic, paper, and metal waste, and deposit it in a recycling bin. Recycling helps reduce landfill pollution, raw materials and fossil fuel consumption, and    9    a circular economy.

Lastly, think about your purchasing habits. As natural resources are limited, our excessive consumption can be counter-productive, and undermine our planet’s biodiversity.

The hopes of the world    10    on young people.

6 . The part of the environmental movement that draws my firm’s attention is the design of buildings. Today, thousands of people come to ________ building conferences, and the idea that buildings can be good for people and the environment will be increasingly ________ in years to come. Back in 1984 we discovered that most manufactured products for decoration weren’t designed for ________ use. The “energy-efficient” sealed commercial buildings constructed after the 1970s energy crisis ________ indoor air quality problems caused by materials such as paint, wall covering and carpet. So for 20 years, we’ve been looking for ways to make these materials ________   for people and the planet.

Home builders can now use materials, such as green paints, that release significantly ________   amounts of chemical compounds, which people believe don’t ________ the quality of the air.   ________, our basic design strategy is focused not simply on being “less bad” but on creating ________ healthful materials that can be either safely returned to the soil or ________ by industry again and again. For example, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer has already ________ a carpet that is fully and safely recyclable.

Look at it this way: no one ________ to create a building that destroy the planet. But our current industrial systems are basically causing these conditions, whether we like it or not. So   ________ of simply trying to reduce the damage, we are ________ a positive approach. We’re giving people high-quality, healthful products and an opportunity to make choices that have a ________   effect on the world. It is not just the building industry, either. Entire cities are taking these environmentally positive approaches to design, planning and building.

1.

A．commercial

B．green

C．traditional

D．simple

2.

A．efficient

B．changeable

C．influential

D．effective

3.

A．relevant

B．indoor

C．flexible

D．forward

4.

A．revealed

B．displayed

C．exhibited

D．discovered

5.

A．careful

B．comfortable

C．stable

D．safe

6.

A．reduced

B．revised

C．delayed

D．defined

7.

A．destroy

B．deny

C．dissolve

D．depress

8.

A．Anyway

B．Besides

C．Anyhow

D．However

9.

A．exactly

B．completely

C．partially

D．superficially

10.

A．restored

B．regain

C．reused

D．retain

11.

A．developed

B．stretched

C．researched

D．constructed

12.

A．sets off

B．sets about

C．sets out

D．sets up

13.

A．instead

B．because

C．out

D．regardless

14.

A．adjusting

B．adopting

C．adapting

D．admitting

15.

A．functional

B．sensible

C．beneficial

D．precious

7 . Today, innovations (创新) to make our lives more eco-friendly can be found everywhere. There are energy-efficient automobiles, eco-friendly light bulbs, and clothes made by fashion designers using sustainable environmental practices. Industries around the world have also begun to take a serious look at how their operations affect the local and global environment.

The university of Colorado has been named one of the top green colleges and universities in the United States. This university was one of the first to start a student-led recycling program in the 1970s and today supplies students with reusable shopping bags to use both on and off campus. The entire University of Colorado also uses low flow water fixtures (设备) and has reduced water usage by 40 percent since 2002.

When it comes to going green, Warren Wilson College has been recognized in many places. The Sierra Club and The Princeton Review have named the college as one of America’s greenest colleges and universities, while the school has also received the Outstanding College Recycling Award from the Carolina Recycling Association, as well as awards from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability (可持续性) in Higher Education(AASHE). For a small college, Warren Wilson has made enormous efforts to be an eco-friendly campus since its beginning, and today owns a campus farm, a seeding program, and an extensive recycling program. Warren Wilson was also the first college to have an LEED platinum-certified (白金认证的) residence hall, and its building services department is also 100 percent GreenSeal certified. According to College Statistics, Warren Wilson College is one of the first institutions in the United States to be almost completely self-sufficient (自给自足的) while also engaging students to incorporate sustainability into all academic programmes.

Going green efforts at Oberlin College have not gone unnoticed. Oberlin College spends 22 percent of its food budget buying food from local farmers, with most of the food raised or harvested with organic and sustainable practices. Oberlin has also stopped selling bottled water on campus and offers discounts to students who use their own storage containers when purchasing beverages and food items. Among Oberlin’s other eco-friendly accomplishments is a green graduation ceremony, which includes programmes printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

1. What do we know about the University of Colorado?

A．Its recycling program is followed by other universities.

B．It produces reusable shopping bags by itself.

C．It uses special systems to save water.

D．It is the most eco-friendly university.

2. Which of the following about Warren Wilson College is true?

A．The Princeton Review praised it for its teaching methods.

B．Its residence hall’s building material is platinum.

C．It owns a campus garden and a seeding programme.

D．It sustains itself almost without help from others.

3. Students in Oberlin College can_______.

A．grow their own food on campus	B．pay less with their own containers
C．help the college make its food budget	D．recycle paper at their graduation ceremony

4. How is the text organized?

A．Main idea-Comparison.	B．Opinion -Discussion-Description.
C．Introduction-Supporting examples.	D．Introduction-Explanation-Conclusion.

8 . No one would be willing to pay one-third of the price for the packaging or wrapping of what he or she purchases. But over-packaging has become a disease that leads to an _____ waste of resources and _____ environmental pollution.

The wasted packaging materials are _____ to be worth about 280 billion yuan annually. And such packages and wrappings thrown away by customers _____ up half of the volume of solid waste in cities. _____ , it is high time that regulations were _____ to stop enterprises from spending too much on unnecessary packaging and wrapping.

To produce paper packaging or wrapping, many more trees have to be cut down. Over-packaging also limits the interests of consumers when they have to spend quite a high percentage on something that they will have to throw into the dustbin. The simple truth is that the more a producer spends on packaging, the _____ the products it sells will be.

Product packaging and wrapping used to be very simple 30 years ago. “Shabby” was the word many had used to _____ the way Chinese products were packaged. And shabby packaging was blamed for making Chinese products _____ in the international market.

It is ______ to pay enough attention to packaging or wrapping products in such a manner that they can be ______ to customers’ eyes. But that does not definitely justify that packaging should even outshine what is inside.

In the Chinese idiom “maidu huanzhu”, the buyer returns the pearl and just keeps the case because the ______ is too fancy and luxurious. It not only laughs at the poor ______ of the buyer, but also criticizes the unnecessary ______ the seller has made in making the case. Another message from the idiom is that over-packaging helps cultivate an ______ consuming attitude—to buy fancy-looking stuff but not what they really need.

1.

A．enormous

B．acceptable

C．invisible

D．unavoidable

2.

A．results from

B．contributes to

C．depends on

D．calls for

3.

A．predicted

B．required

C．acknowledged

D．estimated

4.

A．look

B．hold

C．make

D．add

5.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．Furthermore

6.

A．observed

B．broken

C．adopted

D．forbidden

7.

A．better

B．more expensive

C．cheaper

D．more useful

8.

A．recommend

B．praise

C．consider

D．criticize

9.

A．popular

B．impressive

C．unattractive

D．qualified

10.

A．ridiculous

B．incredible

C．unnecessary

D．reasonable

11.

A．accustomed

B．appealing

C．similar

D．grateful

12.

A．former

B．next

C．other

D．latter

13.

A．judgment

B．eyesight

C．appetite

D．health

14.

A．contributions

B．efforts

C．progress

D．use

15.

A．unfamiliar

B．unhealthy

C．unnatural

D．unavoidable