1 . REDUCING WATER POLLUTION IN THE LI RIVER
The beautiful Li River and its amazing surrounding scenery is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It attracts millions of domestic and foreign visitors each year. However, its reputation as a top destination has had negative effects on the river’s water quality. This report looks at the problem of water pollution and some actions that have been taken to deal with it.
Previously, water quality in the Li River had suffered greatly from an increasing volumeof tourists, many of whom frequently threw garbage into the river. Many tour boats contributed to the problem too. Kitchens on board were using lots of oil, which was often thrown into the water. The growth in tourism also meant the local population rose rapidly, as well as the number of commercial and industrial enterprises. Water pollution levels increased, with more household and commercial waste ending up in the river. In order to feed more people, more chemicals were used to increase crop production. These chemicals led to severe water quality issues, causing a decrease in the number of fish species. Local officials were concerned that the pollution was damaging the natural environment and felt that urgent steps should be taken to restore the river’s original beauty.
A comprehensive initiative was started, with a number of measures that addressed the issues. The construction of waste water treatment facilities improved the water quality and water conservation. The collection and transport of household waste was also improved. Dozens of polluting enterprises were closed or moved. The local government set up strict regulations regarding further industrial development. New rules were also introduced regarding tour boat routes and garbage disposal methods. Furthermore, the local authorities began to use the media to spread environmental awareness and encourage greater use of clean energy. At the same time, they started to carry out inspections regularly and fine tourist organisations for abuses. With these measures, it is believed that the beauty of the Li River will be preserved for generations to come.
In addition, the ambitious “Water Ten Plan” is also now tackling water pollution across the country. Other initiatives, such as the “River Chief System”, hold senior officials responsible for reducing water pollution. With such campaigns in effect, China’s waterways are heading towards a clean and sustainable future.
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Ben Drake, an expert on air pollution, is being interviewed on the radio. He said that smog was a severe problem in the early 20th century in Britain. At that time, Britain was experiencing a boom in industry. Factories and homes used lots of coal, which created smog. He also mentioned the heavy smog in London was particularly bad and caused over 4000 deaths in 1952. Later the UK government restricted burning coal in homes and forced factories to move away from city centers. As smog is harmful to everyone, the expert advised us to replace coal with cleaner forms of energy, use new energy-efficient vehicles and further develop green technology.
1. The expression “2. Smog became a severe problem in Britain because people at that time burnt lots of
3. The worst smog in British history happened in London in 1942.
4. The Great Smog of London claimed 5,000 lives.
5. Later, the UK government ordered people not to burn
A.The sea is getting smaller. |
B.The sea is being polluted. |
C.The sea is getting cleaner. |
A.The pollution in the air. |
B.Smoke coming from the school. |
C.Measures taken by the school. |
A.Use less plastics. |
B.Cut plastics out of life. |
C.Collect plastics in the ocean. |
People may find it unbelievable that two hundred years ago people did not link illness
A.Swimming. | B.Doing the research. | C.Catching fish. |
There are
9 . Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Men have been polluting the earth. Many years ago, the pollution was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, men moved to another place.
Air pollution is now the most serious. Air makes people sick. And lots of people now are trying to use something to clear the air. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us become angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight air pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air.
Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. It is true that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
Although most of the pollution is caused by us, we are the ones who can change the situation. The earth is our home. We must take care of it. And we must pay more attention to the information in pollution at the same time.
1. Why was the pollution in the past less serious?A.Because life in the past was easier. | B.Because there were not so many people. |
C.Because men stayed in one place. | D.Because people used less coal to make fire. |
A.Air pollution. | B.Noise pollution. |
C.Light pollution. | D.Water pollution. |
A.Try to use something to clear the air. | B.Ask people to use public transport more. |
C.Stop putting dirty smoke into the air. | D.Encourage people to move to another place. |
A.To prove life is much easier today. | B.To call on us to take care of our earth. |
C.To show the danger of pollution. | D.To introduce how to fight air pollution. |
10 . Ocean Noise Pollution
Some scientists say that animals in the ocean 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 120 decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of 195 would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of 120 decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises above 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 (流血) and become infected (感染).
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of 120 decibels. They say such a limit 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 sound of a car. |
B.The sound of voices. |
C.Manmade noise pollution. |
D.The sound of steps. |
A.sounds made by animals themselves |
B.ocean drilling |
C.underwater earthquakes |
D.the breaking of ice fields |
A.They won’t be confused by noises. |
B.They are deaf to noises. |
C.Their ability to reproduce will be lowered by high level noises. |
D.Their hearing will be damaged by high level noises. |
A.They will work hard to reduce ocean noise pollution. |
B.They will protect animals from harmful noises. |
C.They will try to set a limit of 120 decibels. |
D.They will study the effect of ocean noise pollution. |