1 . Many people love gum(口香糖). Delicious as it is, the dirty waste can be a problem for humans. The main material for gum cannot break down naturally. Lots of gum waste ends up being thrown away into the rivers and grounds each year.
Now thanks to the company, Gumdrop Ltd., there may be a way to deal with this problem. The UK-based company has come up with a clever idea that enables easy disposal of gum waste using pink boxes they’ve produced. Passers-by can simply throw any unwanted gum into the pink boxes set up across London. Once full, they are mailed to the factory where the gum is used to create more pink boxes. The company said that gum waste could be changed into other useful things like shoes as well.
Bullus, who founded the company, said she decided to create the clever boxes after observing the mess caused by gum waste on the streets of London. She had spent many months studying how to use gum waste as a material for the clever boxes. After hundreds of failures, she finally succeeded.
To know whether people would like to throw gum waste into the pink boxes, she did two tests. She set up two boxes inside a men’s restroom at Southampton Airport. Bullus said they had to pick up the full boxes just 5 times a year, an effort that cost the company $300. But airport officials would have spent $4,600 over the same period cleaning up the mess left behind by carelessly thrown gum waste. A similar test at London’s famous Villiers Street resulted in a 40% decrease(减少)in gum waste.
Their success has led to the rapid setting-up of the pink boxes across London. Bullus now hopes the pink boxes can help not only London, but also many other places. There are many countries and cities where gum is a problem. The company has also introduced the pink boxes that can be easily carried by people.
1. The introduction to gum in the first paragraph is mainly to show ______.A.it’s a kind of unhealthy food |
B.it’s environmentally unfriendly |
C.it needs improvement in quality |
D.it becomes popular all over the world |
A.They can break down gum waste |
B.They can change people’s views on gum |
C.They are used for recycling gum waste. |
D.They are made from the same materials as shoes |
A.Creative and hardworking. | B.Funny and smart |
C.Kind and courageous. | D.Careful and trustful |
A.lead to a decrease in gum sales |
B.can be too costly for some airports |
C.are less helpful in busy places |
D.reduce the pressure to deal with gum waste |
A.Applying the pink boxes in more places. |
B.Encouraging people to avoid buying gum. |
C.Making it more convenient to carry the pink boxes. |
D.Improving London’s relationship with other cities. |
2 . Microplastic pollution has been detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles(微粒) in almost 80% of the people tested. The discovery shows the particles can travel around the body and may live in organs.
The impact on health is as yet unknown. But researchers are concerned as microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and air pollution particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of early deaths a year.
Huge amounts of plastic waste are left in the environment and microplastics now pollute the entire planet, from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People were already known to consume the tiny particles via food and water as well as breathing them in, and they have been found in the faeces (排泄物) of babies and adults.
The scientists analysed blood samples from 22 healthy adults and found plastic particles in 17. Half the samples contained PET plastic, which is commonly used in drinks bottles, while a third contained polystyrene, used for packaging food and other products. A quarter of the blood samples contained polyethylene, from which plastic carrier bags are made.
“Our study is the first indication that we have polymer particles(聚合物颗粒) in our blood — it’s a breakthrough result,” said Prof Dick Vethaak, an expert at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. “But we have to extend the research and increase the sample sizes, the number of polymers assessed, etc.” Further studies by a number of groups are already under way, he said.
“It is certainly reasonable to be concerned,” Vethaak said. “The particles are there and are transported throughout the body.” He said previous work had shown that microplastics were 10 times higher in the faeces of babies compared with adults and that babies fed with
plastic bottles are taking millions of microplastic particles a day.
Vethaak acknowledged that the amount and type of plastic varied considerably between the blood samples. “But this is a pioneering study,” he said, with more work now needed. He said the differences might reflect short-term exposure before the blood samples were taken, such as drinking from a plastic-lined coffee cup, or wearing a plastic face mask.
“The big question is what is happening in our body?” Vethaak said. “Are the particles retained in the body? Are they transported to certain organs, such as getting past the blood-brain barrier? And are these levels sufficiently high to cause disease? We urgently need to fund further research so we can find out.”
1. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2?A.Air Pollution particles can cause death eventually. |
B.Microplastics can be deadly to humans. |
C.There is no evidence that microplastics harm human cells. |
D.Microplastics can travel throughout body and damage organs. |
A.They are found in most people. |
B.Polyethylene found in blood samples might be taken from drinks bottles. |
C.A quarter of the blood samples contained PET particles. |
D.Half of the microplastics in the blood samples were likely introduced by drinking from plastic containers. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Negative. | C.Excited. | D.Depressed. |
A.we are the pioneers in the field of plastic research |
B.we need more blood examples and more work to do |
C.we are entering a whole new field of research |
D.this is an extremely important study |
A.Political. | B.Fashion. | C.Food. | D.Environment. |
3 . October 19th marks the beginning of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which is marked by colorful but harmful fireworks across India. But this year, the country's top court has moved to carry out a complete ban (禁令) on the sale of fireworks in and around New Delhi. The decision is intended to help improve the Indian capital's poor air quality, but will it work?
It is reported that air pollution led to 1.1 million deaths in India in 2015. New Delhi, considered among India's worst cities in terms of air quality, is on the front line in fighting the harmful effects. But at present, the government's pollution policy largely appears after pollution rather than before pollution. The smog-reducing measures, which include banning trucks from the city's roads and closing coal-fired power plants, are only carried out during periods of extreme pollution.
Air quality measurements provided by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee record smog levels across the city in real time. Those levels are based on the amount of PM 2.5, which are considered particularly harmful because they are small enough to get deep into the lungs and pass into other organs (器官),causing serious health risks.
The sale of fireworks was illegal last November following the situation of dangerously high PM 2.5 levels immediately after Diwali. However,the Indian Supreme Court thought a complete ban would be an extreme step. As a result,that order was reversed (撤销) this month. It is believed by the public that the government is unlikely to provide a lasting solution.
Fireworks aren't the only reason behind New Delhi's smog. In fact, New Delhi's pollution is also affected by its unfortunate geography. Sitting in a natural bowl and Surrounded by industrial and agricultural centers, the city keeps much of the pollution.
1. What is known about Diwali in India according to the passage?A.It is a festival of fireworks. |
B.It is celebrated nationwide. |
C.It usually lasts for half a year. |
D.It is the main cause of the pollution. |
A.reacted properly and quickly |
B.has made effective policies |
C.is working hard against pollution |
D.does a poor job in reducing air pollution |
A.They consist of smog and dust. |
B.They spread very slowly in New Delhi. |
C.They are measured every week in New Delhi. |
D.They are small enough to get into humans' organs. |
A.Effective. | B.Improper. |
C.Important. | D.Harmful. |
A.Its climate. | B.Its industries. |
C.Its geography. | D.Its population. |
4 . Ohio—Lake Erie, the smallest of North America's five Great Lakes, supplies fresh drinking water to an estimated 11 million people in Ohio, Michigan and southern Ontario province, Canada.
Yet sometimes pollution, bath from industrial waste and farm-chemical run-off, leaves large areas of the lake covered in half-meter-thick layers of green slime. Scientists blame a lot of chemicals entering the water, which has caused pollution.
To find out where these extra nutrients come from, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has been studying data from its network of 14 water-quality monitoring stations installed along the rivers that flow into the Lake Erie basin.
At one point, water from the small stream is diverted into a pipe where it is pumped into the testing station.
We'll have 'a sample a day, year-round every day so that really pins down what the chemistry is like," says Dave Baker of Ohio's Heidelberg University, who takes charge of the monitoring stations for the Department of Natural Resources.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the federal government's pollution watchdog, requires point sources, such as factories, to monitor and report their discharges. So Baker is looking for where the other sources of pollution come from.
"If there are problems in Lake Erie, we want to know where it's coming from and make sure we're putting resources to solve the problem properly," Baker says.
In this case, a primary source of the pollution turns out to be chemical fertilizer that turn off farmland during rainstorms.
Because farmers believe fertilizers are essential to high crop yields, they would like to use them. However, the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service isn't asking them to abandon farm chemicals, but rather to use them more sparingly so they don't run off the land when it rains.
Another technique for reducing farm chemical pollution of Lake Erie is cover-crop farming. After the harvest, farmers plant a second quick-growing crop to reduce erosion. The deep-rooted plants, such as rye or turnips, help to cover the soil, allowing worms and fungi to work their magic and helping the soil to absorb more water and nutrients.
1. What is the problem with Lake Erie?A.There are no fish in it. | B.There is little water in it. |
C.The water is unfit to drink. | D.It contains a lot of chemicals. |
A.The water-quality monitoring stations. | B.Natural Resource Conservation Service. |
C.The Ohio Department of Natural Resources. | D.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
A.looks through | B.explains exactly | C.keeps a record of | D.shows clearly |
A.Animal waste from nearby farms. | B.Waste water from a nearby factory. |
C.Chemical fertilizers from the fields. | D.Pesticide farmers used to kill locusts. |
A.prevent worms from eating crops | B.increase the harvest of the farmers |
C.make full use of chemical fertilizers in the soil | D.keep the soil from being washed away |
(1)介绍垃圾污染的现状;
(2)提出减少垃圾污染的建议(不少于两点);
(3)谈谈你对减少垃圾污染的看法。
注意:
(1)词数不少于100;
(2)可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
How can we reduce garbage pollution
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. How did the woman get to know about third-hand smoke?
A.From young smokers. |
B.From a newspaper article. |
C.From some smoking parents. |
A.He has just become a father. |
B.He wears dirty clothes. |
C.He is a smoker. |
A.Stop smoking altogether. |
B.Smoke only outside their rooms. |
C.Reduce dangerous matters in cigarettes. |
7 . Nowadays, cars are playing an increasingly important role in daily life and many societies would stop functioning without them. So, the claim that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by governments but also by car manufacturers.
The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2040 all cars will be computerized, which will mean extremely large fuel savings, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself and it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.
According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.
Davis says cars will be fitted with intelligent cruise control devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. Brakes and accelerators will become redundant(多余的)because the car will automatically speed up or slow down to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people so that the roads can be made the best of.
By 2030 Dr. David Davis believes car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road whatever the weather conditions by projecting an image of the road ahead onto the car’s windscreen. And by 2040 cars will travel in convoy(组队) linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow(牵引) bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the ordinary fuel” says Davis. “But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”
1. We learn from the passage that governments and car manufactures .A.don’t believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020 |
B.are devoted to the technological innovation (创新) in car industry |
C.consider the predictions made by the researchers seriously |
D.have put the super-intelligent car into mass production |
A.There will be no brake and accelerator in cars. | B.We will own as many cars as we want. |
C.All cars will be driven by computers. | D.Car accident will no longer happen. |
A.cars play an important role in daily life |
B.many societies would stop working without cars |
C.cars should not be owned by one individual |
D.it causes more and more pain to human society |
A.Computer-driven cars can drive much closer together than cars driven by people. |
B.Motorists can have a clear view of the road whatever the weather conditions are. |
C.Cars will travel in convoy linked to each other by an electronic tow bar. |
D.Intelligent cruise control devices can regulate the distance between one car and another. |
A.Motorists will get a clear view of the road. |
B.The weather conditions won’t have effect on motorists. |
C.There will be a decrease in the pollution caused by car. |
D.All trains will burn less fuel than present. |
8 . In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The
How did we
Another cause is our
Our appetite for new products also
All around the world, we can see the
Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions
A.key | B.reason | C.project | D.problem |
A.gifts | B.rubbish | C.debt | D.products |
A.face | B.become | C.observe | D.change |
A.hide | B.control | C.replace | D.withdraw |
A.Thanks to | B.As to | C.Except for | D.Regardless of |
A.safe | B.funny | C.cheap | D.powerful |
A.love | B.lack | C.prevention | D.division |
A.sensitive | B.kind | C.brave | D.busy |
A.ways | B.places | C.jobs | D.friends |
A.donate | B.receive | C.produce | D.preserve |
A.adapts | B.returns | C.responds | D.contributes |
A.tired of | B.addicted to | C.worried about | D.ashamed for |
A.newer | B.stronger | C.higher | D.larger |
A.pick up | B.pay for | C.hold onto | D.throw away |
A.advantages | B.purposes | C.functions | D.consequences |
A.show | B.record | C.decrease | D.measure |
A.technology | B.environment | C.consumers | D.brands |
A.However | B.Otherwise | C.Therefore | D.Meanwhile |
A.by | B.in favour of | C.after | D.instead of |
A.spending | B.collecting | C.repairing | D.advertising |