2 . Vitamin B could help lessen the effects of the most dangerous type of air pollution，according to a new study published recently. In the first study of its kind，a team of international researchers looked at the damage caused by one of the pollutants that has the most severe impact on health: PM2.5.

Particulate matter，or PM，is a type of air pollutant consisting of small particles of different sizes. PM2.5 has a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometers，about 30 times smaller than a human hair. These particles are so small that they can go into our respiratory system (呼吸系统), resulting in lung and systemic inflammation (炎症) and stress.

The team found that something as simple as a daily vitamin B supplement could potentially reduce the impact of the tiny particles on the human body，although they stressed that the research was in its early stages and the sample size was small.

For this study，10 volunteers were initially exposed to clean air and given a placebo (安慰剂) to check their responses. The group then took another placebo for four weeks before being exposed to heavily polluted air from downtown Toronto，where an estimated 1，000 cars pass every hour. The bad air was delivered to the volunteers through an “oxygen－type” face mask. The experiment was then repeated，with each volunteer taking a vitamin B supplement daily made up of 2.5 mg of folic acid，50 mg of vitamin B6，and 1 mg of vitamin B12. B6 can be found in liver，chicken and nuts，and B12 in fish，meat，eggs，milk and some cereals.

The researchers found that four weeks of vitamin B supplements reduced the damage of PM2.5 exposure by 28%－76%. The results highlight how prevention at an individual level could be used to fight the harmful effects of PM2.5.

1. Why is PM2.5 harmful to our health?

A．It pollutes and poisons the air.	B．It is too much to be got rid of.
C．It carries viruses and diseases.	D．It is easily breathed in and damages our body.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．The process of the research was not scientific.

B．This kind of research has been done many times.

C．Further studies are needed to confirm their findings.

D．Vitamin B is hard to obtain in people’s daily life.

3. What is the text mainly about?

A．International researchers have a new finding.

B．Vitamin B could reduce the damage of PM2.5.

C．Particulate matter does great harm to our health.

D．Emission control and regulation are badly needed.

4. The new study was probably published ________.

A．in a science journal	B．on a government website
C．in a fashion magazine	D．in a medical textbook

4 . You are drinking plastic,I’m drinking plastic and we’re all drinking plastic.Bottled water drinkers may be drinking the most plastic of all.

A new study released by Orb Media evaluates that on average,a liter of bottled water from big brands like Dasani,Aquafina,and Nestle,contains roughly 10.4 tiny plastic bits.The world drinks them in swiftly,consuming roughly a million plastic bottles a minute,as The Guardian evaluates.Aquafina and Dasani both said that their bottled water is tested on strict standards.Nestle said the company hasn’t found microplastics in its water bottles beyond a “trace(微量)level”.Evian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In our modern,plastic-filling world,these little plastic bits-many thinner than a human hair-seem to be very common everywhere.We don’t know exactly what these plastic parts are doing to our bodies,but we’re drinking them in anyway.That’s an alarming possibility,because in the ocean,these little plastics are doing harmful things to fish.In some species,they’re even slowing down growth and reproduction.

While there isn’t clear evidence yet that the plastics in single-use water bottles can increase cancer risk,we know that bottles containing a chemical called Bisphenol A(BPA) do.The hard BPA plastics in certain reusable water bottles can lead to higher risks of breast cancer,and other diseases.And a few studies suggest the softer kinds of single-use water bottles can have similar chemicals inside.

The tiny plastic bits aren’t just in our bottles.They come out of our taps,too.The tiny plastics are also swimming in the seas and disturbing the way fish eat.In some countries,microplastics are even slipping into the salt markets.Even Dasani wrote in its statement:“It’s clear the world has a problem with plastic waste.”

1. What can we infer about Evian?

A．It is a social medium.

B．It produces a chemical.

C．It can be a plastic bottle.

D．It can be a water company.

2. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3?

A．Describe basic facts about plastics.

B．Focus on the potential danger of plastics.

C．Discuss the living conditions of fish.

D．Illustrate the part plastics are playing.

3. What does the author’s attitude towards microplastics sound?

A．Anxious.

B．Positive.

C．Disappointed.

D．Uncaring.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Here’s What Microplastics in Bottled Water Do.

B．Bottled Water Does Harm to the Environment.

C．The Importance of Recycling Water Bottles.

D．Species Are Suffering From Microplastics.

5 . In May 2021, a hole was found in a robotic arm aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The main cause was believed to be a piece of space junk. While thankfully no astronauts were injured, it has refocused attention on the growing problem of orbital debris (残骸).

It’s easy to forget that just seventy years ago the Moon was the only thing orbiting the Earth. On January 1st, 2021, there were 6,542 satellites in orbit. Actually, only over half of them were active. That’s a lot of useless metal rushing around the planet at 28,000 kilometers per hour.

Jan Wörner, the former European Space Agency Director General, put it this way, “Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be if all the ships ever lost in history were still moving around on top of the water.” In fact, even the smallest pieces can cause huge amounts of damage.

The problem is very bad and getting worse. There are now about half a million pieces of debris about one centimeter wide or larger and 100 million pieces of debris above one millimeter across. Yet only 27,000 pieces are actively tracked.

Space is only going to get more crowded, with the number of satellite launches set to increase by five times in the next ten years. In January 2021, 143 satellites were launched into space on a single SpaceX Falcon rocket alone. And 12,000 more are to be put in orbit by Starlink over the next five years. All this greatly raises the chances of crashes.

Better control of new launches would help as right now it’s a bit of a free-for-all. Increased tracking of existing space junk could also help because active satellites can be moved off a crash course—yet dead satellites are sitting ducks and there’s nothing we can do to prevent a crash. That’s why many are calling for a clean-up job. A space debris removal task called ClearSpace-1 will be launched in 2025 and attempt to deorbit (使...脱离轨道) the upper stage of a rocket left in space back in 2013.

1. What can we learn about space junk?

A．It can be recycled for other uses.	B．It has injured astronauts in space.
C．It first appeared over seventy years ago.	D．It threatens the safety of space activities.

2. What mainly makes the space junk problem worse?

A．The high speed of orbital debris.	B．The complex procedures of debris clean-up.
C．The large amount of untracked space debris.	D．The ineffective functions of clean-up facilities.

3. How did the writer present the serious situation of space junk?

A．By listing numbers.	B．By offering solutions.
C．By explaining the causes.	D．By stressing the efforts.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Orbital Debris: What Results in It?	B．Satellite Launches: The More the Merrier?
C．Space Junk: Is It a Disaster Waiting to Happen?	D．Satellite crashes: Who Should Be Responsible?

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Since Japan began releasing nuclear-contaminated (核污染) wastewater into the Pacific Ocean on last Thursday despite little     1     (approve) from the international community, Chinese netizens have expressed their anger and concern, with a large number of them     2     (say) that they would no longer go to Japanese restaurants.

According to the spokesperson, the actions of the Japanese government are contradictory to international conventions (公约) and experts say that the influence of Japan’s release of wastewater     3     the safety of people throughout the world is unpredictable. As       4     consequence, many domestic Japanese restaurants say that they will adjust their product lines, and seafood will be selected from domestic sources or imported from other coastal countries. Some even say that they will seek     5     (develop) other new cuisines (菜肴).

“The Chinese government will take necessary measures to     6     (firm) protect the marine environment     7     Japan is determined to go on with its discharge (排放) plan.” said a majority of Chinese, among     8     are those living and studying in Japan now. In a poll (民意调查)     9     (conduct) on Sina Weibo, more than 200, 000 netizens urge Japan to cancel its wrong decision and address the wastewater in a responsible manner. “We don’t want August 24, 2023 to be a disaster day for marine environment and we hope that the issue     10     (give) priority to and dealt with as soon as possible. If Japan does not change course, it must bear the historic consequence for this decision.”

7 . 语法填空

There is little doubt that Earth is getting warmer and warmer. In 2013, many people     1    (shock) by a news photo of a dead polar bear which appeared to have starved to death. Experts claimed that low sea-ice levels       2    (cause) by climate change meant that the bear could not hunt seals as before, so it had to travel greater distances     3    (find) food. Then what is causing the increase in the global average surface temperature? Climate scientists often mention a key climate process called the “greenhouse effect”,     4    has two common meanings: the “natural” greenhouse effect and the “man-made” greenhouse effect. The “man-made” greenhouse effect has now become     5    big problem. There is strong and comprehensive evidence     6    the rise in temperature has led to an increase in extreme weather and natural disasters worldwide. Actually, news reports are     7    (frequent) broadcast about extreme rainstorms and heatwaves     8    (cause) deaths and economic losses. Continued greenhouse gas emissions will result in further warming and long-lasting changes to the global climate. This requires the attention of people all over the world. We as individuals can also reduce our “carbon footprint” by     9    (restrict) the amount of carbon dioxide our lifestyles produce. It is our responsibility     10    (seize) every opportunity to educate everyone about global warming.

9 . The United Nations Environment Program is calling for urgent action to reduce growing risks from chemicals. Better management of chemicals could save millions of lives and billions of dollars. As estimated, 143,000 chemicals are now produced. Yet the report says only a small number of these chemicals have been studied for their effects on human health and the environment. It says death and disability rates are high from the unsafe use of chemical products.

Sylvie Lemmet, director of the UNEP, says poor management of chemicals has a high economic cost. For example, she says the cost is higher than the amount of overseas development aid, or ODA, for health care in sub-Saharan Africa.

She says, “If you look at the estimated cost of poisoning from pesticide (杀虫剂) in sub-Saharan Africa, only the injury and the loss of working time is estimated to be 6.3 billion US dollars in 2009. This is higher than the total ODA that is going to the health part in the same area.”

The UNEP estimates that chemical sales worldwide will increase by around three percent a year until 2050. Chemical production is moving quickly from developed to developing countries. By 2020, chemical production is expected to increase by 40 percent in Africa and the Middle East and 33 percent in Latin America. One of its biggest concerns is pollution of rivers and lakes by pesticide and fertilizer. Other major concerns are heavy metal pollution from the production of cement (水泥) and textiles (纺织品), and dioxin pollution from mining.

The UN report urges the chemical industry and governments to work together to develop safety policies. It says preventing harm costs less than fixing it.

1. The purpose of Paragraph 3 is mainly to indicate that ______.

A．chemicals have a high production cost

B．Africa needs more development aid

C．the use of pesticide causes a great loss

D．the estimated cost of poisoning from pesticide is incorrect

2. Which of the following is NOT a source of danger according to the text?

A．Pesticide.	B．Fertilizer.
C．Heavy metals.	D．Minerals.

3. According to the text, what is the main reason for the risks from chemicals?

A．The mass production of cement and textiles.

B．Lack of research funds on chemicals.

C．Poor management of chemicals.

D．Contradictions between chemical producers and governments.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．The truth in Sylvie Lemmet’s comments

B．A UN warning about chemical dangers

C．The unpredictable future of chemical industry

D．Preventing is much better than fixing

10 . Today, Mount Qomolangma’s peak is not a lonely place any more. Over 3500 people have    1     (successful) climbed the mountain over the past years. Meanwhile, climbers have complained about    2    (wait) for hours in the bottlenecks.

In fact, the dangerous    3    (crowd) aren't the only problem. All those climbers need     4    (bring) a lot of gear (装置) and much of them ends up being left on the mountains, becoming the world's    5     (tall) rubbish dump.

But the good news is    6     some mountaineers are overtaking it to clean up Qomolangma. Mountaineers Paul and Eberhard are part of Eco Everest Expedition which has been cleaning up rubbish since 2008. So far they    7    (collect)over 13 tons of garbage.

Some of that rubbish is even being used for    8     higher purpose. As part of the Mount Everest 8844 Art Project. a group of 15 artists Nepal collected 1.5 tons of garbage. They’ve changed the cans and oxygen tanks into 74 piece of art that are exhibited    9    Nepal’s capital. Part of the profit from sales    10     (be) available for the Everest Pakeers Association which has helped ole rubbish of the mountain.