On the basis of a new report by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP), environment pollution remains the largest threat to human
The GAHP said that more than 90 percent of the pollution-related deaths occur in developing countries. The report noted that such deaths remain a “neglected”(被忽视的）issue,
In addition , the report has shown that pollution raises the risk of heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and other condition. It also said pollution brings
Rachael Kupka, GAHP’s acting director ,says the good news is that controls already exist to help reduce the harmful effects
2 . Nobody wants to snack on plastic bags or soda rings, but according to a recent study from the University of Neweastle, we could be consuming roughly a credit card's worth of plastic every week.
Microplastic, which are less than a quarter-inch size and come in various shapes, have polluted the natural world and infiltrated(渗入)our bodies. The first clue to microplastic exposure in humans came around 2013, when scientists discovered plastic particles in seafood prepared for consumption. But in 2019, when the University of Newcastle study was published, the scientific community understood that the problem was considerably broader. Microplastics shed off clothes and tires and have been found in beer, honey, table salt and other food items. We breathe in plastic staying in the air and drink plastic floating in our drinks. It's no stretch to conclude that our exposure is significant. What we don't know is what this means for us.
The amount of evidence collected on this subject is growing rapidly, according to Scott Coffin, a toxicologist(毒理学家). Studies done on mice and rats have found that plastic in their bodies can severely damage cells and cause stress.
Because microplastics are too small to clean up, the only solution is to stop plastic waste at the source. And doing so would take a thorough adjustment, given that plastics are deeply embedded in our economy and lifestyle. Stopping using them would fundamentally affect countless industries, including textiles(纺织业), transportation and manufacturing.
"I think we need to have more studies coming out that are directly related to human health before we see a lot more concern from the general public," Scott said. "It takes a lot to convince people that something that is really convenient for them to use is something they should sacrifice."
The question of microplastics and human health needs more attention—from the scientific community ,the general public, the government and funding groups. The issue isn't being ignored, but it's not being prioritized either.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us about microplastics?| A．Their wide usage in daily life. |
| B．Their harm to human health. |
| C．Their significant exposure in humans. |
| D．The new study conducted on them. |
| A．The way that microplastics exist. |
| B．The pollution caused by microplastics. |
| C．The relationship between microplastics and human health. |
| D．The reason for the existence of microplastics. |
| A．To cut down plastic production. |
| B．To carry out more studies on mice and rats. |
| C．To invent something more convenient than plastics. |
| D．To promote people's awareness on the harm brought by microplastics. |
| A．Is Microplastic pollution harmful to our health? |
| B．Why is Microplastic pollution everywhere? |
| C．Why is plastic harmful? |
| D．What do you know about Microplastics? |
1.介绍相关情况；
2.谈谈你的看法。
注意：
1.词数80词左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3.开头已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear John,
I am so glad to receive your letter.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
4 . Henderson Island in the South Pacific Ocean has always been known for its remarkable biological diversity and untouched ecology. Now, the remote UNESCO World Heritage site that lies 3，100 miles from the closest human settlement can also lay claim to being one of the most polluted places on Earth.
Jennifer Lavers, a researcher from the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies who has been studying the island for a few years, says the tiny island is home to over 38 million pieces of waste.
The amount of waste is surprising given that the island, the largest of the group of four Pitcairn volcanic islands, has no residents and is visited by scientists only once or twice every decade. However, as it turns out, humans do not need to be physically present to pollute an area. In this case, the waste is brought in by the South Pacific Gyre, an ocean current that sends garbage moving through the sea to Henderson.
What’s even worse is that the unsightly rubbish scattered (分散)across the island’s sandy beaches is just the tip of the iceberg. According to the researchers, over 68% of the waste is buried under the sand. This means their estimates, based on the waste found up to 10 centimeters below the sand, may be underestimating the full extent of the pollution.
Besides being aesthetically(审美地) unpleasing, the waste is also harmful to the island’s wildlife. Lavers and study co-author Alexander Bond discovered sea turtles that come to the island to lay eggs caught inside fishing lines. The waste is also harmful to seabirds and fish that mistake the colorful plastic pieces for food.
Environmentalists like Boyan Slat, who founded The Ocean Cleanup in 2011 after discovering “more bags than fish” while diving in Greece, are trying to clean up the mess. However, their efforts will only make a difference if we all join them by avoiding plastic altogether or reusing and recycling.
Unless we find ways to change the situation, this ever increasing pollution will cause a serious risk to the health of our planet and all its residents, including humans.
1. What do we know about Henderson Island？| A．There are no animals on it. |
| B．There are no people living on it. |
| C．It’s known for its various resources. |
| D．It’s the largest island in the South Pacific Ocean. |
| A．Humans presence caused most of the pollution on the island. |
| B．The volcanic eruption and the closest human settlement lead to the pollution. |
| C．Most of the rubbish is scattered across the island’s’ beaches. |
| D．An ocean current has carried the garbage to the island. |
| A．The impact of sea waste. |
| B．The level of sea pollution. |
| C．How to deal with ocean trash. |
| D．How to protect the island’s wildlife. |
| A．To introduce famous volcanic island. |
| B．To praise environmentalists for their efforts. |
| C．To call on people to take action on pollution. |
| D．To explain the consequences of the South Pacific Gyre. |
5 . Fireworks have been enjoyed by countless people ever since they were invented in China during the Tang Dynasty hundreds of years ago. From small family gatherings (团聚) to huge global celebrations, there isn’t a party that couldn’t be made more fun with a few fireworks. But it seems that there’s a big price to pay for some brief beauty and fun.
It’s been discovered that fireworks contain metals such as copper (铜) and lead, in addition to other pollutants like perchlorates (高氯酸盐). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, perchlorates can form naturally or be made. They are an industrial chemical used in rocket fuel and explosives (炸药), and are soluble (可溶解的) in water.
This is a reason for concern because perchlorates negatively affect the thyroid gland (甲状腺), which influences important bodily functions like blood pressure and heart rate.
Furthermore, a study conducted by Terry Gordon, a professor at New York University, examined the emissions(排放物) whose sizes were big enough to enter the lungs. They concluded that these emissions may lead to various dangerous conditions like cancer, heart attacks, and strokes (中风).
It is worth noticing, however, that no studies have proven the connctions between these conditions and the dangerous chemicals in fireworks.
However, the negative effects of firework emissions can be observed in birds. Britain’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds warns against setting off fireworks close to wildlife areas as they may cause confusion among birds.
In 2010, an incident involving 5,000 red-winged blackbirds falling out of the sky on New Year’s Eve in Arkansas, US supported this idea. A fireworks display held at a nesting ground for blackbirds led to the birds’ night sight being affected, causing them to fall to their deaths.
Arguably (可以说), the use of fireworks during celebrations may be because people don’t realize how they pollute our environment. Companies and researchers could take this cue (线索) and find other new, eco-friendly ways.
After all, for all the beauty fireworks bring, there’s no better beauty than that of our planet’s.
1. According to the article, perchlorates contained in fireworks ______.| A．do harm to the thyroid gland |
| B．raise the risk of cancer |
| C．are dangerous when put in water |
| D．are made from copper and lead |
| A．fireworks are directly connected with lung cancer |
| B．the waste from fireworks could threaten our body |
| C．chemicals in fireworks could increase our blood pressure |
| D．our body is strong enough to fight against the pollutants in fireworks |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Neutral. |
6 . You'll need to take a deep breath before hearing this news. An astonishing 93% of kids around the world live in environments with air pollution levels that are damaging their health, according to a new report by WHO.
Air pollution is to blame for the deaths of 543,000 kids under 5 in 2016, with more than one in four deaths of children under five years old being related to environmental issues. Exposure (暴露)to air pollution can damage the health of kids in a variety of ways, either causing or being associated with everything from low birth weight to childhood obesity and so on.
"The large toll of disease and death revealed (揭示)by these new data should result in an urgent call to action for the global community especially for those in the health department WHO stated. “ Strong action to reduce exposure to air pollution offers an opportunity to protect the health of children. " The report stressed that health experts should communicate with families , communities and policy-makers about the serious risks of air pollution exposure. " Although more researches into how air pollution affects children's health will continue to be valuable, there is already evidence to justify strong, swift action to prevent the damage it clearly produces," WHO added.
Disease caused by dirty air is more common in low-and-middle in come countries, especially those in Africa, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific regions. Poor countries in these areas have the highest levels of exposure to household air pollution due to the use of polluting fuels and technologies for basic needs like cooking, heating and lighting.
Advised solutions include cleaner transport , cleaner cooking and heating fuels and technologies energy-efficient housing and urban planning, safer industrial technologies and better waste management.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The way to fight air pollution. |
| B．The serious result of air pollution. |
| C．The illnesses children are suffering. |
| D．The deaths caused by air pollution. |
| A．Number. | B．Threat. | C．Fact. | D．Report. |
| A．Do more researches. | B．Find ways to fight air pollution. |
| C．Make the serious risks known. | D．Develop cleaner fuels and technologies. |
| A．Researches of this kind have stopped. |
| B．Air pollution caused 543,000 kids' death in 2016. |
| C．Nothing can be done to stop air pollution al present. |
| D．Air pollution is more serious in low-and-middle-income countries. |
7 . Are Your Clothes Causing Pollution? Very small pieces of plastic, called microfibers, are polluting rivers and oceans.
Pollution caused by plastic is not new, but recent studies have shown the effect of microfibers in the environment. Studies show very small microfibers are ending up in our waters, which may come from waste water treatment factories. A 2015 study found them in fish from California.
Microfibers, effect on food supplies.
Beyond the waterways, the researchers say microfibers may end up in soil and agricultural lands.
Steps to save or keep microfibers from the environment.
Until more information becomes known, there are steps to take to reduce the amount of microfibers in the environment. People should use less of the artificial materials. If we already have those in our lives and we're using them, an important step would be washing them less.
| A．New technology may also help. |
| B．Studies on microfibers in the environment. |
| C．They can also move around the atmosphere. |
| D．Studies on how much of the microfibers is released. |
| E．The source of these microfibers may surprise you: your clothes. |
| F．Washing machines keep microfibers from escaping with wash water. |
| G．So if these microfibers have been found in fish and seafood, are they safe to eat? |
