1 . Are you a tea drinker? If so, you’re not alone. Every day around the world millions of cups of this popular brew are drunk, and it’s been that way for thousands of years. The oldest discovered tea is from the Han Dynasty, dating from 206BC to 220AD. But it’s thought that the tea trend really took off during the Tang Dynasty in the 8th Century, when it became China’s national drink. Now, Turkey, the Republic of Ireland and the UK are believed to be the biggest tea—drinking nations, per capita.
Tea is consumed in many ways-slurped, sipped or glugged. It can be poured from pots, infused or brewed in the cup using tea bags—and it’s this latter process that is causing concern. Research last year found some premium tea bags might be leaving billions of microscopic plastic particles in the cup. Scientists from McGill University in Montreal found that some ‘plastic’ tea bags shed high levels of micro plastics into water. However, The World Health Organization says such particles in drinking water do not appear to pose a risk.
Most tea bags are made from paper, with a small amount of plastic used to seal them shut— made from oil. This has led to debate about whether they can be recycled, but many are still composted. However, gardener Mike Armitage has told the BBC that the plastic contained in the soil could be washed into streams and rivers and ultimately out to sea.
Unilever, the owners of the tea brand PG Tips, said their tea bags are made with a small amount of plastic—used to seal them—and that they are suitable for composting. And the brand Yorkshire Tea said their bags do contain 25% polypropylene, but they were “actively developing plant—based and biodegradable alternatives”.
While tea bag manufacturers might be doing their bit to reduce plastic pollution, it could be a good time to switch your favourite beverage to coffee, or if that isn’t your cup of tea then try using loose-leaf tea, which can have a better flavour.
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?A.Tea can be consumed in many ways. |
B.The use of tea bags doesn’t appear to pose a risk |
C.The use of tea bags is causing concern. |
D.Some tea bags might be leaving microscopic plastic particles in the cup. |
A.reduce the amount of plastic used to seal tea bags |
B.wash the plastic in the soil into streams, rivers and sea |
C.develop plant-based and biodegradable alternatives |
D.switch to coffee or try to use loose-leaf tea |
A.Supportive | B.Indifferent | C.Opposed | D.Neutral |
A.Potential Plastic Pollution |
B.Chinese tea culture |
C.What is your favorite drink? |
D.The Humble tea bag |
2 . The amount of plastic in our oceans-and thus in our seafood-is rising. A study says Europeans alone throw about 11,000 small pieces of plastic every year. And unless we make some very big changes, that number could reach 780,000 pieces per person within a few decades.
Microplastics are popular additives(添加剂)to a wide range of personal care products, from face wash to toothpaste. We wash them off and send them down the drain(下水道), where they head out into the water supply. And there they’ll stay, absorbing chemicals, until something or somebody comes along and eats them.
Studies have found that fish that consume microplastics are smaller than others. They refuse real food in favor of more plastic. Their eggs are less likely to hatch, and they are less likely to escape from other hunters.
Researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium have been studying the effects of microplastics on shellfish(海贝). The average shellfish sucks(吮吸)in and spits(吐)out about 20 liters of water per day. Most of the plastic particles in that water will be sent back out into the ocean. Most, but not all; lead researcher Colin Janssen says the shellfish they examined had an average of one tiny plastic piece.
Janssen and his colleagues say the same process occurs in humans who consume shellfish. About 99 percent of the microplastics will pass through your system. That still leaves 1 percent to stay in the body, and we don’t yet know what that means for our health.
“We do need to know the fate of the plastics,” Janssen said. “Where do they go? Are they forgotten about by the body, or are they causing inflammation (炎症) or doing other things? Are chemicals coming out of these plastics and then causing damage? We don’t know.”
1. What does the underlined word “They” refer to in paragraph 3?A.The researchers in the study. |
B.The fish which eat the small fish in the ocean. |
C.The common people who eat fish and seashell. |
D.The small fish which eat plastic pieces. |
A.It will be easier to catch them. |
B.Their population will get smaller and smaller. |
C.They will help reduce the amount of plastic pieces in the ocean. |
D.People will find it an effective way to deal with water pollution. |
A.It means developing a good taste in delicious food. |
B.It means that eating sea creatures is dangerous. |
C.It means storing plastic in the human bodies. |
D.It means that plastic shellfish can take the place of real one. |
A.No one will be sure of its effects. | B.They will lead to some strange diseases. |
C.They will be forgotten. | D.They will give off some poisonous chemicals. |
3 . The measurable threat to the environment has been worsened by the spread of COVID-19 that increases the need for plastic protective equipment. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Millions of tons of greenhouse gas are released from the development of these resources and plastic production and burning.
The end life of plastic is just worrisome. Less than 10% of the plastic produced has been recycled. Even more of it has been burned. But the vast majority of plastic has been buried inland, and it is increasingly polluting the environment. We hear mostly about ocean plastic and the harm done to sea creatures that mistake plastic bags and bits for food. But microplastic is even more worrisome. Plastic doesn't break down biologically but instead breaks down into tiny particles(a very small piece of something), which have been found in every corner of the planet, on land and in the air, in drinking water and food sources.
Yet the public has not given this global environmental disaster the attention it requires. Instead, they have viewed single-use plastic—which makes up about 40% of plastic used each year—as a litter issue that can be solved through better recycling and waste management. That attitude must change because the recent global breakdown of the market for recycling has made it clear that it has never been, nor ever will be, able to keep up with plastic trash use.
California has been the forerunner of plastic waste reduction—it was the first state to ban single-use plastic bags and may be the first state to transform the way goods are packaged. The state also came close to passing an act which would have required that products sold in plastic packaging in the state have a proven recycling rate of 75% by 2032. California, though influential, can't solve this crisis alone. The US has long been producing a great amount of plastic trash and it should engage in reducing the use of plastic as well.
1. Why does the author mention the release of greenhouse gas in paragraph 1?A.To show the harm of plastic |
B.To warn of the climate change. |
C.To call for the development of fossil fuels. |
D.To highlight the importance of plastic equipment. |
A.Favorable. | B.Tolerant. |
C.Curious. | D.Opposed. |
A.A pioneer. | B.A failure. |
C.An objector. | D.A predictor. |
A.Microplastic Products Are Harmful |
B.Waste Recycling Is an Urgent Matter |
C.Plastic Waste Pollution Is a Wake-up Call |
D.Global Environmental Disasters Are Increasing |
4 . 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. |
5 . 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. |
6 . 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 |
7 . 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. |
8 . 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 |
9 . 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. |
10 . 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? |