1 . Masks that helped save lives during the Covid-19 pandemic (疫情)are proving a deadly risk for wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in many facial coverings in animal habitats.
Single-use masks have been found on the ground, waterways and beaches worldwide since countries required (heir use in public places to slow the pandemic's spread. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to break down. "Face masks aren't going away any time soon-but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals who share our planet," Ashley from anima! rights group PETA said.
Monkeys have been found playing with used masks in the hills outside Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur. And in an incident in Britain, a seagull was saved in Chelmsford after its legs got caught in an abandoned mask for a week.
However, the biggest influence is in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6200 extra tons of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group OceansAsia. “Masks and gloves are particularly problematic for sea creatures," says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO. "When those plastics break down in the environment, they form smaller and smaller particles (颗粒).Those particles then enter the food chain and influence the entire ecosystem,“ he added.
Campaigners have urged people to deal with masks properly after using them. OceansAsia has also called on governments to increase punishment for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.
1. What bring(s) a great danger to wildlife now?A.Waste masks. | B.Covid-19. |
C.Polluted water. | D.Damaged habitats. |
A.Important. | B.Attractive. |
C.Common. | D.Troubling. |
A.Monkeys learned to wear masks from humans. |
B.Plastics are less harmful after becoming particles. |
C.Used masks have a worse effect on sea creatures. |
D.Waste masks are the main ocean plastic pollution. |
A.Keep masks after they' re used. |
B.Call on governments to stop littering. |
C.Punish those who wear single-use masks. |
D.Put used masks in the recycling box. |
2 . Light pollution is a significant but overlooked driver of the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date.
Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects' lives, the researchers said. "We strongly believe artificial light at night — in combination with habitat loss, chemical pollution.invasive (入侵的) species, and climate change — is driving insect declines, " the scientists concluded after assessing more than 150 studies.
Insect population collapses have been reported around the world, and the first global scientific review published in February, said widespread declines threatened to cause a "catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems".
There are thought to be millions of insect species, most still unknown to science, and about half are active at night. Those active in the day may also be disturbed by light at night when they are at rest.
The most familiar impact of light pollution is moths (飞蛾) flapping around a bulb, mistaking it for the moon. Some insects use the polarisation of light to find the water they need to breed, as light waves line up after reflecting from a smooth surface. But artificial light can scupper (使泡汤) this. Insects are important prey (猎物) for many species, but light pollution can tip the balance in favour of the predator if it traps insects around lights. Such increases in predation risk were likely to cause the rapid extinction of affected species, the researchers said.
The researchers said most human-caused threats to insects have analogues in nature, such as climate change and invasive species. But light pollution is particularly hard for insects to deal with.
However, unlike other drivers of decline, light pollution is relatively easy to prevent. Simply turning off lights that are not needed is the most obvious action, he said, while making lights motion-activated also cuts light pollution. Shading lights so only the area needed is lit up is important. It is the same with avoiding blue-white lights, which interfere with daily rhythms. LED lights also offer hope as they can be easily tuned to avoid harmful colours and flicker rates.
1. What is discussed in the passage?A.Causes of declining insect populations. |
B.Consequences of insect population collapses. |
C.Light pollution: the key bringer of insect declines. |
D.Insect declines: the driver of the collapsed ecosystem. |
A.How light travels in space. |
B.How light helps insects find food. |
C.How the food chain is interrelated. |
D.How light pollution affects insects. |
A.Selective things. | B.Similar things. | C.Variations. | D.Limitations. |
A.To offer solutions. |
B.To give examples. |
C.To make comparisons. |
D.To present arguments. |
3 . Plastic pollution has long been a problem, but now it's gotten to a new height literally. Microplastic, referring to plastic fragments and particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter, have been found on Mount Qomolangma as high as 8,440 meters above sea level, just 408.86 meters below the peak of the mountain, according to a recent study published in the journal One Earth.
“These are the highest microplastics ever discovered so far.” lead author Imogen Napper from the University of Plymouth, UK, said in a statement. Scientists collected snow and water samples from 19 different locations from 4,200 meters above sea level all the way up to the summit of Mount Qomolangma. They found microplastics in all the water samples and part of the snow samples. The most polluted sample was from the Base Camp in Nepal, where most human activities on the mountain are concentrated. It had 79 particles of microplastics per liter of snow.
But how have these fragments made it all this way and in such a great abundance? The answer is apparent human activities. It is climbers who bring plastic products to the mountain. Even if they don't litter, just walking for 20 minutes or opening a bottle of water can release microplastics into the environment.
The harsh fact is that plastic pollution has reached even the most remote places on Earth. Researchers even found a plastic bag al the deepest point in the world's oceans—in the Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean. The bag is the same as the ones commonly used in grocery stores. Even covered in ice, the Arctic is still a victim of plastic pollution. A 2020 report published in Nature suggests that there are 2.000 to 17,000 plastic particles per cubic meter in Arctic ice cores, and between 0 to 18 microplastic particles per cubic meter from the water beneath ice floes. Experts think microplastics may be transported by air and then reach the North Pole in snowfall.
“What we don t yet fully know is the potential problems these tiny pieces of plastic could be having to ecosystems, to organisms and even to our own health as well,” said Christian Dunn of Bangor University, UK. Then what can we do? “We need to start focusing on deeper technological solutions that focus on microplastics, like changing fabric design and including natural fibers instead of plastic when possible.”
1. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?A.The polluted samples from the peak were the most serious. |
B.Plastic pollution has been discovered at high altitudes. |
C.Humans have .climbed to the peak of Mount Qomolangma. |
D.Microplastics are a newly-found material by researchers. |
A.Microplastics may go far beyond the range of human activities. |
B.The means of microplastics transportation has been confirmed. |
C.There are frequent exchanges between Arctic ice cores and ice floes. |
D.Bags from grocery stores are the main source of plastic pollution. |
A.to prohibit the use of plastic products | B.to diversify the design of microplastics |
C.to apply only natural fibrous alternatives | D.to develop more advanced technologies |
A.Litter in the Mariana Trench | B.New One Earth Campaigns |
C.Pollution Reaches New Height | D.Adventurous Human Activists |
4 . More Plastic than Fish in the Oceans by 2050
30 years from now our seas will be containing more plastic than fish.According to a report released by the World Economic Forum, plastic production around the world is expected to double within the next 20 years.
About 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the sea every year.
Plastic is becoming more and more common in our world.
Oil is the raw material that plastic is made of.Currently, 5% of the world's oil production is turned into plastic.
A.By 2050 it will rise to a fifth. |
B.There, it can last for hundreds of years. |
C.It has many uses and is cheap to produce. |
D.More people have sensed its seriousness. |
E.Today, one garbage truck full of plastic gets into the ocean every minute. |
F.They were aiming to highlight the global issue of plastic pollution in the oceans. |
G.Plastic that turns up in the seas endangers the fish population and other marine animals. |
5 . Angela never liked seeing plastic waste washed up on the shore near her home. She had been
Here's how it
The Washed Ashore team is now working on sculpture of a dolphin, with
A.offering | B.longing | C.admitting | D.hesitating |
A.landscape | B.world | C.surface | D.situation |
A.attempt | B.choice | C.program | D.instruction |
A.walks | B.applies | C.functions | D.prepares |
A.stopping | B.presenting | C.delivering | D.employing |
A.waste | B.floor | C.waves | D.creatures |
A.rethink | B.remark | C.confirm | D.announce |
A.Generally | B.Hopefully | C.Fortunately | D.Surprisingly |
A.achieved | B.observed | C.purchased | D.recommended |
A.devoted | B.surprised | C.grateful | D.adventurous |
A.guides | B.managers | C.advertisements | D.exhibitions |
A.folk | B.simple | C.special | D.strange |
A.plans | B.calls | C.elements | D.exchanges |
A.get down to | B.keep away from | C.get rid of | D.end up with |
A.answer | B.appeal | C.warning | D.response |
6 . Some scientists say that animals in the oceans are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings.
The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels (分贝) measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that louder noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales' ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?A.The man-made noises. | B.The noises made by themselves. |
C.The sound of earthquakes. | D.The sound of the ice-breaking. |
A.Different places with different types of noises. |
B.The very human ears sensitive to all types of noises. |
C.The same noise measured differently on land and in the ocean. |
D.The ocean animals' reaction to noises. |
A.They are deaf to noises. |
B.Noises at a certain level may hurt them. |
C.They are easily confused by noises. |
D.Noises will limit their ability to reproduce. |
A.They will try their best to decrease noise. |
B.They will work hard to cut down noise pollution. |
C.They will study the effect of different noises. |
D.They will protect animals from harmful noises. |
7 . Hardware in general, and smartphones in particular, have become a huge environmental and health problem in the Global South's landfill sites (垃圾填埋场).
Electronic waste( e-waste ) currently takes up 5 percent of all global waste, and it is set to increase rapidly as more of us own more than one smartphone, laptop and power bank. They end up in places like Agbogbloshie on the outskirts of Ghana's capital, Accra. It is the biggest e-waste dump in the world, where 10, 000 informal workers walk through tons of abandoned goods as part of an informal recycling process. They risk their health searching for the precious metals that are found in abandoned smartphones.
But Agbogbloshie should not exist. The Basel Convention, a 1989 treaty, aims to prevent developed nations from unauthorized dumping of e-waste in less developed countries. The e-waste industry, however, circumvents the regulations by exporting e-waste labelled as "secondhand goods" to poor countries like Ghana, knowing full well that it is heading for a landfill site.
A recent report found Agbogbloshie contained some of the most dangerous chemicals. This is not surprising: smartphones contain chemicals like mercury (水银),lead and even arsenic(砷). Reportedly, one egg from a free-range chicken in Agbogbloshie contained a certain chemical which can cause cancer and damage the immune system at a level that's about 220 times greater than a limit set by the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA) . Most worryingly, these poisonous chemicals are free to pollute the broader soil and water system. This should concern us all, since some of Ghana's top exports are cocoa and nuts.
Some governments have started to take responsibility for their consumers' waste. For example, Germany has started a project that includes a sustainable (可持续的)recycling system at Agbogbloshie, along with a health clinic for workers. However, governments cannot solve the problem alone, as there is an almost limitless consumer demand for hardware, especially when governments green policies are focused on issues like climate change.
Only the manufacturers can fix this. A more economically sustainable and politically possible solution is through encouraging hardware manufacturers to make the repair, reuse and recycling of hardware profitable, or at least cost-neutral.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?A.Electronic products need improving urgently. |
B.Electronic waste is too complex to get fully recycled. |
C.Electronic waste requires more landfill sites across Ghana. |
D.Electronic pollution is a burning question in Agbogbloshie. |
A.Tightens. | B.Abolishes. |
C.Gets around. | D.Brings in. |
A.The violation of EFSA's standards. |
B.The lack of diversity in Ghana's exports. |
C.The damage to chicken's immune system. |
D.The threat of polluted food around the world. |
A.Manufacturers' developing a sustainable hardware economy. |
B.Governments' adjusting their green policies about e-waste. |
C.Reducing customers 'demands for electronic products. |
D.Letting governments take on the main responsibility. |
8 . The French Danone company is the latest to replace some plastic water bottles with aluminum (铝) cans. Competitors like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestle have also started selling water in aluminum cans.
Replacing plastic water bottles that pollute the seas with recyclable aluminum cans should be an easy way to help the environment, right?
Maybe not.
Aluminum cans might result in less ocean waste, and the metal containers also are lighter than glass or plastic bottles, but they also come with their own cost to the environment. The production of an aluminum can is estimated to release two times as much carbon dioxide into the air as a plastic bottle.
“That’s the dilemma you’re going to have to choose between,” said Ruben Griffioen, an official at beermaker Heineken. He said his company was Lrying to reduce the use of plastic bottles.
Bruce Karas of Coca - Cola North America agreed. He said, “There’s a mix. There are some things that are not that desirable, but if you have five good things and one that isn’t, we’ll all have to make decisions.” He added, “It’ll never be that clean.”
Bottled water is a 19 billion industry. Although its use of cans is increasing, experts say cans are unlikely to completely replace plastic bottles.
Aluminum is costlier than plastic so canned drinks mean higher prices for buyers. Another major consideration is user convenience-cans stay open while bottles can be reclosed. More importantly, there is one barrier to ending the use of plastic water bottles: There may not be enough cans to go around. Beer and wine makers are now also increasingly using aluminum.
1. What’s the advantage of aluminum cans?A.They are pollution-free. | B.They are lighter. |
C.They are cost-effective. | D.They are low-carbon. |
A.Supportive. | B.Disapproving. | C.Neutral | D.Indifferent. |
A.The wide application of aluminum cans. | B.The promising future aluminum cans |
C.The major advantages of aluminum cans. | D.The unavoidable limitations of aluminum cans. |
A.Aluminum Cans or Plastic Bottles? | B.A Blessing or a Misfortune? |
C.How to Deal with Plastic Bottles? | D.Why Do We Choose Aluminum Cans? |
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Dear editor,
I am Li Hua, a high school student from Changsha, Hunan Province. This summer
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It is important to deal with the rubbish in cities. Many citizens who unaware of the importance of protecting the environment throw away their rubbish in a way unfriendly to the environment. Rubbish must be treated properly. Thus, it may cause a lot of problems. It may result in the air and water is polluted. When people breathe and drink which has been polluted, we will get ill.
To our happiness, our city has begun to pay attention to the problems. As far as I know, some rubbish is sorted and sent to different factory. Rubbish, such as glass and old newspapers, are recycled. Some harmful rubbish is sent to the certain place and buried. Waste air is cleaned before it goes into the air. Waste water is treated before it is poured into rivers. To protect the environment, the government has passed laws to prevent people from throwing rubbish everywhere, made our city much cleaner than before. As individuals, we should do our part to fight against illegal actions at anytime we find them.