1 . 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 |
A.Pesticide. | B.Fertilizer. |
C.Heavy metals. | D.Minerals. |
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. |
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 |
2 . Environmental pollution kills 1.7 million children under the age of five every year worldwide. This is according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO warns that child deaths will increase greatly if pollution continues to worsen.
The most common causes of death among children aged one month to five years are diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia. This is according to the WHO.
Air pollution is a leveler between rich and poor, according to WHO environment and health chief Maria Neira.
Cleaning up how the world cooks, heats and lights homes and other buildings is a big- picture goal. The WHO is advising government departments and industries such as construction and the health sector to work together to clean up their environment.
• Avoid walking where there is a high volume of vehicle traffic.
•
• Limit your time outside if you live in an area that issues warnings about air quality.
• Wear high-grade, rated face masks tightly to the face when air quality is poor.
• Remove your clothes and wash immediately after entering your house if you live or commute in a very polluted area.
A.However, of all the environmental pollutants, air pollution is being called the most dangerous. |
B.But what can individuals do to limit our family's exposure to air pollution? |
C.Therefore, the WHO stresses that governments around the world need to take the lead on ensuring that children grow up in a clean environment. |
D.The organization also says reducing environmental risks can prevent such deaths. |
E.A polluted environment is a deadly one—particularly for young children. |
F.Everybody, she says, needs to breathe. |
G.Equip homes with air filters and air conditioning units. |
3 . Today, Mount Qomolangma’s peak is not a lonely place any more. Over 3500 people have
In fact, the dangerous
But the good news is
Some of that rubbish is even being used for
Interviewer: David, what do you see as the main problems with the environment?
David: Well, in a nutshell, the most
Interviewer: We've seen a lot of
David: Yes, we have. Also, scientists have found that the ice at the Poles is beginning to melt.
Interviewer: We've heard that too. Is that really happening?
David: Yes, I'm afraid it is. And at sometime in the future, the ice may melt completely. Then it's possible that the sea could rise and coastal cities like New York and Shanghai could disappear under water.
John: It sounds very
David: I couldn't agree with you more. It's scary!
Interviewer: Can you explain why the climate's getting warmer?
David: Well, I'll do my best! It's pollution that's the problem. Gases from cars enter the atmosphere and stop the sun's heat from leaving the atmosphere. And factories give out chemicals that do the same thing. So as a result, the climate is getting warmer.
Interviewer: From what I understand, carbon dioxide from cars is a
David: You're absolutely right. Carbon dioxide is the gas that does most
Environmental problems are becoming more and more serious all over the world. For example, cars have made the air unhealthy for people to breathe and poisonous gas is given off by factories. Trees on the hills have been cut down and waste water is being poured continuously into rivers. Furthermore, wherever we go today, we can find rubbish carelessly disposed(处理).
There are different kinds of pollutants, each of which comes from different sources. It is necessary to identify the source of pollution, in order to make a policy to get rid of them. Different products, processes and activities of our industrialized world together form the major source of pollution.
The forms of pollution can be mainly divided into three kinds—solids,liquid and gas. These pollutants have greatly damaged our planet and continue to do so. In fact,pollution is threatening our existence. The whole ecological balance of the earth is changing. Massive destruction of environment has brought about negative effects and even posed a great threat to man’s existence.
We must face the situation that exists and take action to solve our environmental problems. For instance, new laws must be passed to place strict control over industrial pollution; the public must receive the education about the danger of pollution and raise their awareness of protecting the environment and so on.
The earth is our home and we have the duty to take care of it for ourselves and our later generations. Fortunately, more and more people have realized these problems. Measures have been taken to deal with these situations by the government. And laws have been passed to stop pollution, I hope the problems will be solved in the near future and our home will become better and better.
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Last Sunday, my family went for walk in a nearby park. We wanted to breathe the fresh air and having fun there. However, when gone out, we found it was cloudy and smoggy (烟雾弥漫的). Only a few people were walking quick on the streets wearing their masks. I was wondering what was the matter when my little brother begins to cough loudly. Suddenly I realized that it was air pollution. So we had to go back to home that day. Smoke from cars, buses, and factories make the air dirty, that is harmful to our health. I think they all should do some thing to keep the air clean.
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Dear Editor,
I’m sorry to trouble you, but _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you!
Yours,
Li Ming
8 . The Great Wall, China
Stretching over 21,000 kilometers, the Great Wall was built to prevent invasions and has a history of more than 2,000 years. UNESCO in February 2019 calls it an absolute masterpiece, not only because of the ambitious character of the undertaking but also the perfection of its construction.”
But perfection isn’t protection. 51.2 percent of the Great Wall had either already disappeared or is at a significant risk of disappearing. Besides for wind and rain erosion, the main reasons for the destruction of the Great Wall are human factors such as tourism, construction, human contact and so on.
Pamukkale,Turkey
Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish, is famous for its shining white calcite terraces (方解石阶地)with warm and mineral-rich waters overrun.
Before being listed as a World Heritage Site in 1988, Pamukkale had been severely damaged by human activities. People used hot spring water to fill swimming pools, some visitors stood on the rocks and some even bathed in the hot springs with soap and shampoo. To protect the terraces, the Turkish government has decided to pull down the hotels and require all tourists to visit this site barefoot.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Home to 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of fish, the Great Barrier Reef draws visitors to Australia from all over the world.
However, the Great Barrier Reef is expected to suffer from increasingly frequent bleaching events, cases in which corals turn white and may die, according to a UNESCO report. The heat waves caused by global warming have killed half of the coral here in the two years, according to a CNN report. Pollution from industry developments and harmful fishing practices are also big concerns.
The Dead Sea, Jordan
At 423 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean, meaning that the water is so dense, even tourists who can9t swim will be able to float.
But the seaside resorts built in the 1980s now sit kilometers away from the water’s edge, which has lost half of its surface area in the past 40 years. The damage is irreversible due to the nature of the mineral industry and the type of agricultural use that has drained the water.
1. Which are you required to visit without shoes?A.The Great Wall, China. |
B.Pamukkale, Turkey. |
C.Great Barrier Reef, Australia. |
D.The Dead Sea, Jordan. |
A.Main reasons for the destruction of the Great Wall come from wind and rain erosion. |
B.Pamukkale was damaged by human activities after 1988. |
C.Pollution and the heat waves caused by global warming kill much coral in the Great Barrier Reef. |
D.Half of the Dead Sea surface area has disappeared in the past two decades. |
A.They are all famous endangered natural spots. |
B.They’re damaged only from human activities. |
C.They all draw the attention of the governments. |
D.They’re all seriously damaged. |
9 . There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs. The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan. Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information about the feasibility of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology. "We have come to the conclusion, based on last weeks satellite landing, "Prof. Zog said, that there is no life on Earth.”
“How do you know this? "the science reporter of the Venus Evening News asked "For one thing, Earth s surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive. “Are there any other sources of danger that you have discovered in your studies?
“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud staying over the surface of Earth? We don' t know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”
“Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicate it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink.”
“Sir, what are all those tiny black spots on the photographs?
We’re not certain. They seem to be metal particles that move along certain paths. They give gases, make noise and keep crashing into each other.
“Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of Zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there ?"
“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in the Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere.”
1. What does the underlined word feasibility in paragraph 2 mean?A.Possibility. | B.Flexibility. | C.Simplicity. | D.Responsibility |
A.Serious | B.Aggressive | C.Humorous | D.Frustrating |
A.Over population. | B.Global warming. | C.Damaged forests. | D.Heavy traffic |
A.To tell us a dream of Venusian scientists | B.To disclose the secret of life on other planets. |
C.To persuade people to try living on the earth | D.To remind people on the earth of some crises. |
10 . 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. |