1 . Around the world, people are realizing the significant problems caused by plastic waste. In the last 65 years, we have become increasingly dependent on plastic. It’s easy to understand why: it’s cheap to produce, light — therefore easy and cheap to transport — and incredibly strong and durable.
One popular solution to the problem is to prohibit single use plastics. In the British supermarkets, shoppers are encouraged to make more environmentally-friendly choices in packing and transporting their food.
However, such plans may not be beneficial to eliminate (消除) the use of single-use plastic altogether.
Another issue is that alternative materials to plastic are often more environmentally harmful than plastic. Take paper bags, for example.
Clearly there is a need to reduce plastic waste and its impact on the environment.
| A．But it’s these advantages that also make it so harmful. |
| B．They are very fragile and rarely reusable, unlike plastic. |
| C．One of the fields where single-use plastic has a vital role is medicine. |
| D．However, simply banning their single use may not be the best option. |
| E．It also boosts the local economy and save costs in managing littering and waste. |
| F．Bans on single-use plastic items like drinking straws are also coming into place. |
| G．According to a research, they require four times more energy when produced than a plastic bag. |
2 . Oil is essential for modern life. About 64 percent of the world’s oil is located in the Middle East, but the heaviest consumers of oil are Europe, America, and Japan. The problem lies in getting the oil from the countries that produce it to the countries that consume it. This is mainly done using oil tankers. Usually the oil is shipped safely and with no problems, but occasionally there is a disaster.
Every year millions of tons of oil are spilled into the ocean. Although this is only a small percentage of the total amount shipped around the world each year, this spilled oil can have terrible effects on ocean life, including the coastlines where the oil washes up onto shore.
One of the worst oil spills in history occurred along the Alaskan coastline in 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker got stuck off the coast of Alaska, spilling 42 million liters of oil. Although it wasn’t the largest oil spill, the disaster was terrible because it occurred in such a sensitive natural area. In this spill, the tanker’s captain, who was tired from overwork and drinking alcohol, had gone to take a rest. He gave control of the ship to another sailor, who was unfamiliar with the route. The ship ran onto Bligh Reef. Damaged by the reef, the ship leaked oil out into the ocean. More than 1,600 kilometers of coastline were affected by the oil spill. Many birds and otters died as a result of the oil covering their skin, and many other sea creatures and the animals that fed on them were also severely affected.
1. Which country is NOT among the largest consumers of oil?| A．Japan | B．Iraq |
| C．America | D．Germany |
| A．The birds. | B．The otters. |
| C．The sea creatures. | D．The birds and the otters. |
| A．The oil leak of Alaska is because the captain was unfamiliar with the route. |
| B．Many birds and otters died from eating the spilled oil. |
| C．Alaska spill was the most serious spill of all time. |
| D．Although some oil leak is not serious, it will affect ocean life. |
How big? According to a new analysis published in the Lancet, more than 3.2 million people suffered deaths from air pollution in 2010, the largest number on record. That’s up from 800,000 in 2000. And it’s a regional problem: 65% of those deaths occurred in Asia, where the air is choked by diesel soot (内燃发动机烟雾) from cars and trucks, as well as the song from power plants and the dust from endless urban construction. In East Asia and China, 1.2 million people died, as well as another 712,000 in South Asia, including India. For the first time ever, air pollution is on the world’s top – 10 list of killers, and it’s moving up the ranks faster than any other factor.
So how can air pollution be so damaging? It is the very finest soot – so small that it roots deep within the lungs and then enters the bloodstream – that contributes to most of the public – health toll of air pollution including death. Diesel soot, which can also cause cancer, is a major problem because it is concentrated in cities along transportation zones affecting overpopulated areas. It is thought to contribute to half the deaths from air pollution in urban centers. Fro example, 1 in 6 people in the U.S. live near a diesel – pollution hot spot like a rail yard, port terminal or freeway.
We also know that air pollution may be linked to other non – deadly diseases. Fortunately in the U.S. and other developed nations, urban air is for the most part cleaner than it was 30 or 40 years ago, thanks to regulations and new technologies like the catalytic converters (催化式排气净化器) that reduce automobile emissions. Governments are also pushing to make air cleaner – see the White House’s move last week to further tighten soot standards. It’s not perfect, but we’ve had much more success dealing with air pollution than climate change.
Will developing nations like India eventually catch up? Hopefully – though the problem may get worse before it gets better. The good news is that it doesn’t take a major technological advance to improve urban air. Switching from diesel fuel to unleaded (无铅燃油) helps, as do newer and cleaner cars which are less likely to send out pollutants. Power plants – even ones that burn mineral fuels like coal – can be fitted with pollution – control equipment that, at a price, will greatly reduce smog and other pollutants.
But the best solutions may involve urban design. In the Guardian, John Vidal notes that Delhi now has 200 cars per 1,000 people, far more than much richer Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Developing cities will almost certainly see an increase in car ownership as residents become wealthier – and that doesn’t have to mean deadly air pollution. Higher incomes should also lead to tougher environmental regulations, which is exactly what happened in the West. We can only hope it happens before the death toll from bad air gets even higher.
1. What tends to give rise to the highest death toll according to the passage?
| A．The lack of tight environmental protection standards. |
| B．The increasing numbers of the diesel cars and trucks. |
| C．The frighteningly high death rate from deadly cancer. |
| D．The world’s serious air pollution such as soot and dust. |
| A．consequence | B．solution | C．reform | D．design |
| A．the diesel soot is too small to be seen |
| B．the diesel soot is much too poisonous to breathe |
| C．the diesel soot roots in lungs and gets into blood |
| D．the diesel soot can also contribute to deadly cancer |
| A．the global economic growth is mainly to blame for air pollution and climate change |
| B．the developing countries are repeating the same mistakes as the developed ones made |
| C．the ecological situation and air pollution in India are becoming worse and worse |
| D．the unbeatable air is increasingly becoming a major killer throughout the world |
| A．the making of tougher environmental regulations alone is of little use |
| B．more sever regulations should be made to handle air pollution |
| C．the urban construction in western developed countries is the best choice |
| D．the pace of development has to be slowed down to reduce air pollution |
