1 . About 12 million tons of plastic wastes are entering the oceans every year. This garbage pollutes the water, kills wildlife and breaks down into small pieces that fish and other creatures eat.
Now a group of Spanish fishermen will receive economic support to catch plastics. It is part of a new project. Carlos Martin is one of the fishermen taking part in the project. He and his partners collect the plastic in the ocean and bring it back to land every week. Martin thinks rivers carry a lot of plastics to the sea. He says his most concern is no more than that the plastics often get caught in the nets, which makes nets not work properly. They take on mud(泥), causing the nets to break because they weigh so much.
Under the new programs, one million pounds will support ocean cleanup efforts for fishermen like Martin. The money is coming from the European Union and the Catalan government. Sergi Tudela, the General Director of Catalonia Fisheries, is responsible for the cleanup project. He said, "We are hopeful that if we are successful in this project, we can apply it to other areas in the Mediterranean(地中海)."
Government reports show that the amount of plastic wastes washing up along the Spanish coastline has grown by 65 percent in just six years. Fishing equipment makes up a large part of the about 8 to 12 million tons of plastics left in the world's oceans every year.
Martin says the fishing community now understands how big the problem is. He says, "In the past we didn't see it that way. We took the plastic garbage and threw it back into the water. I think that after a few year here we have realized the problem. Nothing is thrown into the water; we collect everything and bring it to shore.
1. What worries Martin most about plastic wastes at the beginning?A.They pollute the sea environment. |
B.They affect the quality and taste of fish. |
C.They prevent the fishing nets from working well. |
D.They kill wildlife and reduce his fishing amount. |
A.Getting more money to support the project. |
B.Getting help from other European countries. |
C.Spreading the cleanup project to more places. |
D.Praising the European Union for their helping to the oceans. |
A.Its members do a lot of work for free. |
B.It has stopped using plastic fishing equipment. |
C.It has made positive changes to fight plastic wastes. |
D.Its members find people sill throw the garbage carelessly. |
A.New programs are changing fishermen's life |
B.Money is given to Spanish fishermen to clean up oceans |
C.Traditional fishing equipment causes a lot of plastic wastes |
D.Spanish fishermen are encouraging people to clean up oceans |
As we all know, there are many kinds of pollution all over the world, air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and so on. Although we can't save the world in a short time, we can take some measures to protect
3 . Many experts are calling the growing problem of global waste a worldwide health crisis in since pollution from trash is not only harming the world’s oceans, air and soil but also endangering people’s health as well as the livelihood of all living creatures.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Such a dilemma raises the question, is there a more responsible way of dealing with trash? Fortunately, there is.
Circular economy
Traditionally, manufacturers would make a product to be used and disposed of by consumers. This linear (直线型的) model of production offered no help in the fight against global waste.
Once a product’s value is exhausted, the materials are recycled and returned to manufacturers. The outcome is less waste. One large-scale example of this is happening on the island of Taiwan.
In 1997, Taiwan established its signature 4-in-1 Recycling Program, consisting of communities, government cleaning teams, recycling companies and the Recycling Fund. Residents separate their recyclable waste. The local government collection teams collect it.
Turning garbage into gold
By following a circular system, more products than ever are being manufactured using recycled materials. Environmentally-friendly decisions like these help to conserve natural resources, reduce pollution, save landfill space and even create new job opportunities.
A.Practices in Taiwan |
B.4-in-1 Recycling Program |
C.Recycling can truly turn garbage into gold |
D.Living a zero-waste lifestyle is the way to go |
E.Alternatively, a circular economy was introduced |
F.The recyclable waste is recycled in many local factories |
G.Recycling companies buy waste materials from them to make profits |
4 . The world’s nights are getting brighter and brighter as light pollution invades darkness almost everywhere. Researchers found that Earth’s artificially lit outdoor area grew by 2% a year from 2012 to 2016. So did night time brightness. Light pollution was even worse than that, according to the German-led team, because the light sensor(感应器) cannot recognize some of the LED lighting that is becoming more widespread, specifically blue light.
“Honestly, I had hoped that with LEDs we were improving the situation. But it turns out quite disappointing.” said Kyba, the lead author of the study.
“Asia, Africa and South America, for the most part, saw an increase in artificial night lighting. More and more places are fixing outdoor lighting, due to its low cost and the growth in communities’ wealth,” the scientists said.
The biological effect from the increasing man-made light is obvious, according to the researchers. People’s sleep can be damaged, which in turn can affect their health. The living behavior of birds, fish, insects and bats can be interrupted. And forget about seeing stars or the Milky Way if the pollution continues.
“Many people are using light at night without really thinking about the cost, ” said Franz Holker, one of the co-authors. “Not just the economic cost, but also the cost that you have to pay for environmental damage.”
1. Why is the night becoming increasingly brighter?A.Artificial light is used in larger areas. |
B.The light sensors fail to work properly. |
C.LED lighting gives off too much blue light. |
D.More families afford to use lighting at home. |
A.a more balanced sleeping schedule |
B.reduced cost of lighting during the night |
C.a better view of stars and the Milky Way |
D.harmful biological effects on some animals |
A.A tourist guide. | B.A science magazine. |
C.A biology textbook. | D.A medical report. |
5 . 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 |