Fishing is one of the most
The damage done by overfishing goes
Overfishing is closely tied to bycatch — the catch of unwanted sea life while fishing for a specific species. This, too, is a serious marine (海洋的) threat that
Billions of people rely on fish for protein, and fishing is the main livelihood for millions of people
2 . Homes are usually warmed with radiators (暖气片). Some homes are warmed by floor heating. Now, a new way of heating is being developed by using the “wallpaper” on your walls. This wallpaper is not decorative. It actually goes under and not over the wall-electrically heats a room. And this type of heating technology heats objects, even people, instead of the air and this helps you feel warmer.
The electric heating panels (嵌板) which are hidden in the wall are connected to the main electrical panels of your home. Each room can be heated independently through an app, so you do not have to heat unused rooms. It takes around 20 minutes to heat a room.
With rising prices for home heating, the panels seen like the right way to go. “It makes me happy that I don’t depend on gas,” Kris Bilski, an early user, said. About 23 million homes in the UK are connected to the gas grid (网) but the government wants to phase out gas-fired pots by 2035. Home heating is responsible for 17 percent of greenhouse gas materials, so removing fossil fuel-based heating will help the environment.
The new electric heating systems are easy to get for private homes and the company is currently testing the new technology in public housing in some cities. The types being tested can be fitted while people are still living in the apartment so it makes installation a lot easier.
Heating your home with this type of technology does not heat your water, so an additional heating system is required, but an energy efficient heater can be used.
While the wallpaper is greener, electricity in the UK is very costly so it is not an economic way to heat homes unless there is a renewable energy source like solar panels used. Still, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels will go a long way to green the UK and help the country meet its climate targets.
1. What can we infer about a room with this “wallpaper” heater?| A．Special radiators are needed in in. | B．It’s connected to solar panels. |
| C．The temperature in it varies less. | D．It’s warmer than a normal room. |
| A．Slop using. | B．Improve greatly. |
| C．Restore gradually. | D．Finish developing. |
| A．It looks beautiful. | B．It’s easy to set up. |
| C．It heats up instantly. | D．It fits all buildings. |
| A．Doubting. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Enthusiastic. | D．Unfavorable. |
3 . The Greek historian Herodotus is said to have made one of the earliest lists of Seven Wonders of the World. These were man-made structures, including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. More recent times saw natural alternatives to these wonders of classical architecture proposed: waterfalls, mountains, canyons, reefs. Dramatic landscapes, features and wildlife, and the pleasure and excitement they offer to visitors, are basics of tourism.
As environmental consciousness has risen, attitudes to such sightseeing have changed. Yes, it is exciting to visit remote forests or spot rare species. But travelling to distant destinations is carbon-intensive (碳密集的) when flights or long road journeys are involved, and conservation can be made more difficult as well as assisted by sightseers. There is a balance to be struck, and some governments and businesses around the world try to increase the benefits while reducing the harm. Colombia, for example, recently introduced laws aimed at promoting sustainable tourism. Based on this, its economy got prosperous (繁荣的) as well as the tourism.
Most of us understand better than ever that there are costs as well as benefits associated with exploring. One of the commitments made by an environmental campaign launched last month, “The Jump”, is to “holiday local”, taking short flights once every 3 years and long flights very rarely. Fortunately, the UK’s 15 national parks, 86 areas of outstanding natural beauty, and countless other landscapes that are without formal status, but still beloved, mean that there is no shortage of special places for domestic nature tourists to visit, while a lot of European beauty spots are accessible by rail.
One recent survey found that Windsor Great Park and Kew have become Britain’s most popular attractions. Visitor numbers at wildlife trusts are high, with waiting lists for beaver-spotting. Some companies that formerly ran foreign trips have adapted to the pandemic by taking people to watch dolphins and other marine life off British coasts instead.
As we face an environmental emergency that grows ever more dangerous, it is essential to develop appreciation for nature that surrounds us. In a small way, holiday outings to watch dragonflies, kingfishers or seals, or be surrounded by trees that are coming into leaf, could help us to focus on what matters.
1. Why are the lists of Seven Wonders mentioned?| A．To bring natural wonders into focus. |
| B．To show changes in architectural styles. |
| C．To reveal the rising popularity of tourism. |
| D．To compare historic and modern structures. |
| A．It made efforts to conserve rare species. |
| B．It banned sightseers from going to remote forests. |
| C．It introduced laws to increase the income of tourism. |
| D．It tried to make its tourism develop healthily and stably. |
| A．Relaxed. | B．Doubtful. | C．Critical. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．Nature tourism: “travel local” |
| B．Discovery of European beauty spots |
| C．International tourism: wait before setting out |
| D．Sightseeing leads to environmental emergency |
4 . Recently a new study found that elephants in central African forests can encourage the growth of slow-growing trees and increase the ability of the forest to store carbon.
“As a tree, there’s a so-called balance that you can’t have it all,” explained Fabio Berzaghi, who led the study. Elephants prefer to eat fast-growing trees in more open spaces. As they feed and walk, they cause damage to these species, knocking over trees or breaking off branches, which results in an ecosystem that favors large, slow-growing hardwood trees. “As the elephants thin the forest, they increase the number of slow-growing trees and the forest is capable of storing more carbon,” said Stephen Blake, one of the paper’s authors.
Scientists collected field measurements in the Congo Basin and used a computer model to predict how elephants would affect forest structure, and carbon storage potential in the long term. The data confirmed that when elephants are present, the forest contains larger trees and higher abundances of species with high wood density. On the contrary, should forest elephants go extinct, leaving those slow-growing trees struggling to compete with fast-growing species, it would result in a 7 percent loss of above-ground biomass (生物总量). As a result, central African forests could lose up to three billion tons of carbon, potentially accelerating climate change.
The sad reality is that humans are doing their best to rid the planet of elephants. lain Douglas Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants said, “It is shocking that just as we are beginning to understand how elephants might have a key role in Africa in storing carbon, they are under real threat of extinction.” One limitation of the study, Mr. Berzaghi said, is that we do not know how much carbon has already been lost because of the elephants’ decline. But it does seem certain, he added, that putting a stop to illegal hunting and restoring forest elephant populations would bring climate benefits.
1. What can we infer about slow-growing trees in Paragraph 2?| A．They are elephants’ favorite food. | B．They are easily hurt by elephants. |
| C．They may reduce elephant populations. | D．They can help forests store carbon. |
| A．Larger trees would defeat fast-growing species. |
| B．The forest structure would remain unchanged. |
| C．The forests would lose more fast-growing trees. |
| D．Climate change would possibly be sped up. |
| A．Lead a low-carbon life. | B．Protect forest elephants. |
| C．Stop destroying forests. | D．Evaluate the carbon loss. |
| A．Elephants Defend Against Climate Change |
| B．Elephants Disappear in Parts of Africa |
| C．Climate Change Affects Forest Structure |
| D．Humans and Nature Live in Harmony |
5 . Farmers, especially in developing countries, are often criticized for cutting down forests. But a new study suggests that many farmers recognize the value in keeping trees.
Researchers using satellite images found at least ten percent tree cover on more than one billion hectares (公顷) of farmland.
The study found the most tree cover in South America.
There are areas with few trees but also few people, and areas with many trees and many people. The findings suggest that things like land rights, markets or government policies can influence tree planting and protection.
Dennis Garrity heads the World Agroforestry Center.
The satellite images may not show what the farmers are using the trees for, but trees provide nuts, fruit, wood and other products. They provide windbreaks and shade from the sun.
| A．Almost all of it is covered by trees. |
| B．That is almost half the farmland in the world. |
| C．They also help prevent soil loss and protect water supplies. |
| D．He says farmers are acting on their own to protect and plant trees. |
| E．Next comes Africa south of the Sahara, followed by Southeast Asia. |
| F．He devotes most of his time to making people realize its importance. |
| G．Nor could the size of nearby populations, meaning people and trees can live together. |
6 . Make Our Wardrobe Special
It may be the beginning of a new year, but by January it certainly feels like it should be the end of winter. Unfortunately, we still have a couple of cold grey months to get through. One bright spot in January, however, are the post holiday sales. I treat these sales as a chance to find something warm, comfortable and stylish to get me through the next few months, and future winters.
Here’s what I purchased last year: a cozy, vintage-looking, faux-fur coat. It met all of my criteria for a good purchase. It’s well made and will last me for many years. It’s a timeless style that won’t date. It works with everything else in my wardrobe. I can dress it to be either very smart or very casual. It’s practical and warm as well as stylish. And last but not least, it makes me feel great when I wear it.
I view the January sales as a great chance to pick up things you genuinely need while retailers offer hefty discounts to clear their shelves before spring. To make sure you’re not buying something impulsively that you might later regret, ask yourself a few questions: Will you wear it at least 30 times in a year? Is the price worth it or should this same money be better spent on something you’d wear more frequently?
If you don’t trust yourself to stick to a budget, leave the credit cards behind and take cash only when you shop in a store. The most important step before you walk into a shop is to look at your wardrobe and assess where there are gaps. Is a pair of boots completely worn out? Do you need a more modern style of jeans? Is a jumper beyond mending and repair? Try to replace those items rather than buying another blouse simply because it is heavily reduced in price. It has never made sense to me to spend a lot of money on something such as a dress to attend a wedding, rather than putting that money towards a great camel coat that would get far more wear. Make your everyday wardrobe special.
I haven’t always been as thoughtful and conscious about my purchases as I currently am. However, when I consider that the fashion industry is the second most polluting on the planet after oil and gas, I feel compelled to make much more principled purchases now. So this is my New Year’s resolution for myself and also my challenge to you: buy only what you need, buy only what you truly love, and consider every purchase carefully, just as our parents and grandparents did before cheap, disposable fashion took over retail. Let’s make our wardrobes special in 2022.
1. According to the author, which of the following things will she buy?| A．A pair of fashionable high-heel shoes that is perfect for dresses. |
| B．A vintage-looking hat with timeless style made of beaver fur. |
| C．A classical scarf on discount that goes well with every dressing style. |
| D．A trendy and well made coat that needs washing by hand in warm water. |
| A．special | B．generous | C．extra | D．seasonal |
| A．January is the best time to buy real bargains. |
| B．Never make impulsive purchases. |
| C．It makes sense to buy things on special offer. |
| D．One can enjoy more discounts by paying in cash. |
| A．Be more sustainable when purchasing clothing. |
| B．Learn how to make match of the clothes in wardrobe. |
| C．Stock up on your favourite clothes if they are on sale. |
| D．Clean out your wardrobe to make room for the new fashions. |
The greatest threat faced by this generation is climate change. Because without a habitable earth to live on, what do we have left? But what can we do to tackle the problem? Wait for politicians to act and hope that they’ll make the right decisions before it’s too late? Waiting certainly hasn’t proved to be an effective solution, with words so far being followed with little—if any—effective action. So it’s more important than ever to take matters into our own hands.
Still haven’t switched to a green energy provider? Then now’s the time! Throughout the world, the use of energy represents by far the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. Around two thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to burning fossil fuels for energy to be used for heating, electricity, transport and industry. And in Europe too, energy production and use, including the energy used in transport, accounts for some 80 percent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Switching to renewables has a multiple positive impacts: by converting to green electricity you support the phase-out of coal, do your bit to accelerate the move to renewable sources and directly reduce CO2 emissions.
There is of course, no other means of transport that gets us from A to B as fast as the plane. But at the same time there is hardly any other activity in which a single person can emit such large quantities of CO2in such a short time. Not that that fact is at all reflected in the prices of aeroplane tickets! And so, the simple solution is simply to avoid air travel as much as possible. And by doing so, avoid that icky feeling you get when you do take unnecessary flights because you know how bad it is for the environment.
When it comes to protecting the climate, the humble pedal-powered bicycle is still way ahead. In most cities, on a bike you can travel faster than by car, bus or train. And what’s better still, you can do some sports and discover nature.
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8 . The Power of Small: How Smaller Organizations Can Make a Difference in the Environment
Corporate social responsibility initiatives are in the consciousness of most large, medium-sized or small organizations.
In addition to other environmental initiatives, businesses can also foster environmentally sustainable work practices to contribute to the environment actively and consciously. This is something that businesses of any size, small or big, can adopt.
While smaller organizations face different challenges both from business, as well as operations point of view, efforts for ecological conservation or preserving environmental health don’t have to be restricted to larger firms only.
Helping the environment does not have to be expensive, even if it is done on a corporate scale! While larger organizations do their bit for environment conservation, small businesses need not be far behind. Each one can promote healthy environmental practices and suggest improvements in the workplace while fostering an attitude that understands climate change, its impacts, and actively works towards eradicating them.
Programmes that help the environment, which small businesses could partake in, could range from even something as small to understanding basic waste and garbage, to actively participating in cleaning drives.
| A．EcoMatcher is one such organization that encourages companies to promote corporate tree planting and promote tree gifting as rewards. |
| B．Regardless of the service or product offered by an organization, they can adopt sustainable development goals and targets. |
| C．Adopt-a-tree programmes are growing in popularity as the world becomes increasingly cognizant of the ill effects of rapidly increasing climate change. |
| D．Businesses can make a positive environmental impact in many ways. |
| E．No gesture is too small to help the environment; it is by the combination of many such small gestures that a significant impact is made. |
| F．This practice not only creates a positive environment but makes it easier for employees engaged in the job of waste segregation to feel involved. |
9 . Climate change is an enormous global problem—and thinking about how you alone can help tackle it can feel overwhelming, to say the least. It’s completely normal to question whether one person can make a difference in the fight against climate change, but don’t discount your voice just yet. According to climate and environmental science experts, personal conservation and advocacy efforts play a key role in protecting the planet and influencing others to get on board.
As the Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC)noted in February 2019, corporations are largely culpable for climate change, with a CDP(formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project)report finding that 100 energy companies are responsible for 71% of the globe’s greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, governments that fail to regulate these corporations’ actions—and the broader use of resources—also bear significant responsibility for the climate change crisis, Amnesty International noted.
While you can’t exclusively blame climate change on any one handful of individuals, your own actions still affect the planet. And personal initiatives to fight climate change, when multiplied, carry the potential to have a significant ripple effect.
Katharine Davis Reich, M. A., an associate director of the UCLA Center for Climate Science, emphasizes this point when discussing how at-home efforts, like recycling and water conservation, can make a difference in countering global warming. “Collective action to reduce carbon emissions is absolutely necessary,” Reich tells Bustle. “But collective action can’t possibly happen if individuals throw up their hands and decide not to pitch in.”
Dr Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, PhD., a behavioral scientist at the Stanford School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, agrees that personal actions can quickly multiply. Individual action on climate change “makes a difference because we are social beings. So, when we see one another start to take climate change or environmental issues seriously, it becomes real,” she says.
While personal conservation efforts are important, experts stress that pushing for larger climate change solutions is just as crucial. “The structural changes needed to decrease reliance on fossil fuels need large policy changes,” Dr Amir Jina, PhD., an assistant professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, tells Bustle. “Using your voice to call for changes, through voting, protest, writing, art, or any other kind of activism, is the best way to motivate creative policies that will bring about solutions.” Jina adds that it’s important to remain consistently committed to activism because “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and changes won’t happen overnight.”
If you find yourself wondering whether your own actions really matter when it comes to climate change, the answer is “absolutely,” Dr Notaro says.
1. Which word has the similar meaning to the underlined word “culpable” in Paragraph 2?| A．Blamable. | B．Reliable. | C．Suitable. | D．Anxious. |
| A．Recycling. | B．At-home efforts. |
| C．Collective action. | D．Advocacy efforts. |
| A．NRDC stresses the importance of political activism when discussing how individuals can help curb climate change. |
| B．Reich demonstrates how powerful individual advocacy can be. |
| C．Dr Amir Jina holds large policy changes are needed to protect the environment. |
| D．Dr Amir Jina thinks global warming can be improved in a day. |
| A．A Shift in Climate Change |
| B．Your Actions Make a Difference in the Fight Against Climate Change |
| C．Structural Changes Needed to Protect the Globe |
| D．Ways to Reduce Your Own Environmental Footprint |
10 . How You Can Make a Difference
“We don’t own the planet Earth; we belong to it. And we must share it with our wildlife.”
—Steve Irwin
So, what’s the first step to conserving our planet? You’re already doing it!
The task of saving wildlife seems daunting, but by aligning our consumption habits with our values, we can work towards Steve’s goal, to “save one, save the species”.
There are a few simple things we can all do, to ensure our ecosystems remain healthy for generations to come.
Recycle and reuse
We’ve all seen the waste that makes up landfill each year, but by making simple, conscious environmental choices, we can save the environment and money… and who doesn’t love that?!
·Do you have a reusable cup for your daily coffee? Ensure each cup you drink is produced sustainably
·Switch to reusable containers, produce bags or beeswax wraps instead of one-use plastics
·Save paper by going digital with your bills
·Make the switch to recycled or sustainably grown wood and paper products
·Get a reusable metal straw
Protect wildlife
Wildlife plays an important role in our ecosystems and it’s imperative we protect them. Without native wildlife, our ecosystems don’t function as they should, which has a detrimental and lasting impact on planet Earth.
·Take your rubbish with you, and even better, pick up any litter you see that’s left behind!
·Take all the tackle and the fishing line with you when you’re done, and dispose of it properly
·Add native plants to your backyard to create homes and food sources for wildlife
·Build a wildlife nest box or hang a bird feeder in your backyard!
·When in national parks, report any rare wildlife sightings to park rangers
·Help stop illegal wildlife trade by not purchasing products derived from wildlife. Alert the authorities to anyone trying to sell illegal wildlife or wildlife products
If you do see native wildlife that needs help, make a call to your local rescue group for guidance.
24-hour wildlife emergency hotlines
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit operates between the hours of 8:00 a. m.-5:00 p. m., 7 days.
For any native wildlife emergency during these hours, call 1300 369 652.
Outside of these hours, please call:
Queensland-wide:1300 ANIMAL(1300 264625)
1. Who could Steve most probably be?| A．A local rescue member. | B．A police officer. |
| C．A volunteer. | D．A person who works for Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. |
| A．paying by credit card | B．buying legal wildlife products |
| C．choosing recycled paper products | D．disposing of the fishing line properly |
| A．illustrate how to reduce carbon footprint |
| B．recruit volunteers to donate their entire lives to conservation like Steve |
| C．save wildlife |
| D．call for individuals’ wildlife conservation efforts |
