1 . Information from this year’s IQAir World Air Quality Report showed only seven countries met the World Health Organization’s pollution recommendations in 2023, which were Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand. Of the 134 countries and regions measured, 124 had higher levels than called for in the WHO pollution guidelines.

The report said the five countries with what it called the lowest air quality had particle (颗粒物) levels at least nine times higher than what the WHO recommends. Three South Asian countries — Bangladesh, Pakistan and India — had the world’s lowest air quality. In 2022, India was eighth and Bangladesh was fifth.

The information came from the Swiss company IQAir. The report used measurements from over 30,000 stations across 134 countries. IQAir used the WHO standard of PM 2.5 to measure the size of breathable pollutant particles in the air. The PM2.5 measurement means the particles are 2.5 microns (微米) or less in diameter (直径). The diameter of human hair, for example, is about 30 times larger than a particle of 2.5 microns.

In Bangladesh, the concentration of PM2.5 particles reached 79.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. In Pakistan, the number was 73.7. India’s level was 54.4, Tajikistan in Central Asia was 49 and Burkina Faso in West Africa was the fifth-most polluted nation at 46.6.

Firoz Khan, an air pollution expert at North South University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, said 20 percent of the early deaths in the country were caused by air pollution. He added spending on pollution-related healthcare was equal to four to five percent of the nation’s economy.

Christi Chester Schroeder oversees air quality science for IQair. She said South Asia’s geography and climate conditions influence its air quality. “The pollution has nowhere to go,” she added. “Because of agricultural practices, industry and population density, it really does look like it is going to get worse before it gets better.”

1. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Bangladesh’s air quality may have decreased in 2023.

B．India’s air quality was greatly improved in 2022.

C．Mauritius had the fifth-worst air quality in the world in 2022.

D．Pakistan’s air quality was the third-worst in the world in 2023.

2. Why does the author mention “human hair” in paragraph.3?

A．To demonstrate how to use hair products.

B．To offer suggestions to people with hair problems.

C．To emphasize the difficulty of measuring pollutant particles.

D．To explain the size of breathable pollutant particles in the air.

3. Which statement will Christi Chester Schroeder probably agree with?

A．Developing agriculture will help improve air quality.

B．Geographical conditions have little influence on air quality.

C．The future of air quality in South Asia does not look bright.

D．South Asian countries should try to increase their populations.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A report on global air pollution.	B．Plans to fight against air pollution.
C．The harm of air pollution to humans.	D．Advice on cutting air pollution.

2 . 阅读下面的短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Honking cars, blasting stereos and babbling neighbors are     1     (whole) affecting people’s daily life: consider it all part of the symphony that plays daily on New York City streets. Everyone knows the city is loud, and a losing war against noise     2     (wage) for a long time. Now they have a new weapon     3     (invite) to many citizens: noise cameras.

The cameras     4     (pair) with a sound meter to detect noise of at least 85 decibels (分贝) from a source 50 ft or more away have recently been fixed on certain streets in Manhattan’s wealthy Upper West Side. It’s part of a program run by the city’s department of environmental protection.

However, Erica Walker, who studies the joint     5     community noise and health, believes most noise   comes from poor city planning rather than individual bad actions, and that noise cameras are merely Band -Aids for a more systemic issue. Actually,     6     (far) research still needs to be done on the economic effects of noise cameras. The public is supposed to zero in on the dangers and economic costs of noise pollution     7     can blight some proceeds and urge that appropriate actions     8     (carry) out.

On the other hand,     9     lecturer at Columbia University expressed concern about the surveillance (监视) capabilities of noise cameras. “It is being tried for the possibility     10     (leak) privacy still. Does this present a   privacy risk for residents of the city? ” she held the question.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How much rubbish have people created in Britain this year?

A．416 million tons.

B．404 million tons.

C．400 million tons.

2. What can we learn from the research?

A．Britain is the most wasteful country in the world.

B．People who live on their own create more rubbish.

C．The rubbish problem is not so serious as scientists think.

3. What is the most terrible thing according to Dave?

A．People don’t like to use rubbish bags.

B．The rubbish always gives out a bad smell.

C．People’s incorrect behavior makes recycling difficult.

4. What is the main purpose of the talk?

A．To criticize rich families for producing so much rubbish.

B．To call on people to find ways to deal with the rubbish problem.

C．To explain why people pay little attention to the rubbish problem.

4 . After a week of talks in Canada, negotiators (谈判者) from 170 countries have a “clear path to landing an ambitious deal” on plastic pollution at a final round of negotiations in South Korea in November, Inger Andersen, executive director of the U. N. Environment Programme, said in a statement.

“The work, however, is far from over,” she added. “Some countries continue to block a crucial measure: a global limit on the production of new plastic, which is essential to control pollution.”

Plastic is made from fossil fuels, and major oil and natural gas producers like Russia and Saudi Arabia have been widely criticized for throwing up roadblocks in the negotiations in order to protect future profits. However, scientists and environmentalists say the United States also bears a lot of blame. The country is the top producer of oil and gas globally, and it has the world’s biggest economy, which has historically given the U. S. huge power in environmental negotiations.

Critics say American negotiators haven’t been willing to push for a global cap (限额) on plastic production, and are instead throwing their weight behind measures like recycling that are favored by the country’s fossil fuel and petrochemical industries.

Erin Simon, head of plastic waste and business at the World Wildlife Fund who attended the talks in Canada, says the U. S. and a lot of other countries are brainstorming and trying to come up with creative solutions to meet everybody’s needs as best as possible.

The State Department has said that for an agreement to be effective, it needs to be supported by every country, including nations that are major producers of fossil fuels and plastics. More than 50 countries now say they want an agreement to include targets for reducing plastic production.

“The drumbeat to reduce plastic production is growing from countries worldwide,” Ana Rocha, the director of global plastics policy in Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, said in a statement. “More and more leaders are waking up to what the science and our lived experiences tell us: plastic is pollution, and we need to stop it where it starts.”

1. What is the key to controlling plastic pollution according to Inger Andersen?

A．Limiting the use of second-hand plastic.

B．Raising people’s environmental awareness.

C．Reducing the worldwide production of plastic.

D．Passing laws to regulate the disposal of waste plastic.

2. What measures do Americans prefer to handle plastic pollution?

A．Stopping producing plastic.	B．Sharing quality plastic.
C．Forbidding using plastic.	D．Recycling used plastic.

3. What is necessary to make the agreement effective?

A．All countries’ support.	B．The shared laws.
C．Everyone’s permission.	D．Creative solutions.

4. What can we infer from Ana Rocha’s words?

A．Plastic production is reducing all the time.

B．The plastic pollution should be handled technically.

C．People’s awareness of reducing plastic pollution is increasing.

D．More leaders realize lived experiences can help handle plastic pollution.

5 . Plastic is everywhere, from the Arctic ice to vital organs in the human body. In fact, previous estimates suggest that the average person swallows a credit card-worth of microscopic plastic particles(颗粒) every week. But new research shows that this could actually be an understatement.

Microplastics are plastics smaller than 5 millimeters, found in industrial waste, beauty products, and formed during the degradation of larger plastic pieces. Over time, they break down into even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles can pass through our intestines and lungs into our bloodstreams, reaching vital organs like the heart and brain.

While the idea of eating plastic is unsettling in itself, the major concern here is that these plastic particles contain chemicals that can interrupt our body’s natural release of hormones, potentially increasing our risk of reproductive disorders and certain cancers. They can also carry toxins(毒素) on their surface like heavy metals.

In the past, researchers have shown bottled water can contain tens of thousands of identifiable plastic fragments in a single container. However, until recently, only the larger microplastics were detectable with available measuring tools, leaving the area of nanoplastics largely a mystery.

Using Raman microscopy (显微镜学), capable of detecting particles down to the size of a flu virus, the team measured an average of 240, 000 particles of plastic per liter of bottled water, 90 percent of which were nanoplastics, a revelation 10 to 100 times larger than previous estimates.

These plastics likely originate from the bottle material, filters used to “purify” the water, and the source water itself. “It is not totally unexpected to find so much of this stuff, ” the study’s lead author, Columbia graduate student Naixin Qian, said in a statement. His team hopes to expand their research into tap water and other water sources to better inform our exposure to these potentially dangerous particles. “The idea is that the smaller things get, the more of them I reveal, ” he added.

1. What is the primary focus of the new research?

A．The presence of plastic particles.	B．The use of plastic in everyday products.
C．The detection methods for microplastics.	D．The potential risks of nanoplastics to human.

2. What is the advantage of Raman microscopy?

A．Finding the source of plastic particles.	B．Helping to cure the deadly flu virus.
C．Detecting the smaller plastic particles.	D．Improving the quality of bottled water.

3. Why will the team expand their research into tap water?

A．To focus on areas with higher plastic pollution.

B．To be aware of the dangerous particles in daily life.

C．To further measure the types of particles in tap water.

D．To detect the smaller plastic particles in industrial areas.

4. What is Qian’s attitude towards his research?

A．Skeptical.

B．Objective.

C．Conservative.

D．Positive.

6 . 语法填空

China will closely track     1     assess the impacts of Japan's "extremely selfish and     2    (responsible) " plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, the National Nuclear Security Administration said.

Japan's plan prioritizes its own interests     3     the long-term well-being of humanity, the administration said in     4     media release on Thursday, the same day that Japan is set to start releasing     5     (treat) radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean     6     part of its plan to decommission the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida     7     (give) the final go-ahead for the plan to gradually release more     8    1 million metric tons of radioactive water from the plant into the ocean at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"We urge the Japanese government to listen to the voice of the international community and     9     (effective) dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a     10     (science), safe and transparent manner under strict international supervision," the administration said.

7 . In the first test of its kind in Europe, and only the second in the world, Belgian researchers tested 39 brands of straws (吸管) for the group of synthetic (合成的) chemicals known as poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The straws are made from five materials — paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel and plastic. PFAS were found in the majority of the straws tested and were most common in those made from paper and bamboo. They were not found only in steel straws tested.

PFAS are used to make everyday products, from outdoor clothing to non-stick pans, resistant (抵抗to water, heat and stains. They are, however, potentially harmful to people, wildlife and the environment. They have been related to a number of health problems, including lower response to vaccines (疫苗), lower birth weight, thyroid disease, liver damage, kidney cancer and testicular cancer. They break down very slowly over time and can last thousands of years in the environment, a property that has led to them being known as “forever chemicals”.

A growing number of countries, including the UK and Belgium, have sopped the sale of single-use plastic products, including drinking straws, and plant-based versions have become popular. The PFAS concentrations (浓缩物) were low in them and, bear in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally, bringing a limited risk to human health. However, PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time.

It isn’t known whether the PFAS were added to the straws by the producer for waterproofing or the PFAS were the result of contamination. Potential sources of contamination include the soil the plant-based materials were grown in and the water used in the production process. However, the presence of the chemicals in almost every brand of paper straws means it is likely that it was, in some cases, being used as a water-resistant coating, say the researchers.

1. Why are PFAS called “forever chemicals”?

A．They are commonly seen in daily life.

B．They bring humans health problems.

C．They remain in the environment for long.

D．They can resist water, heat and stains.

2. How can PFAS harm people’s health?

A．By bringing people air pollution.

B．By polluting humans’ food.

C．By building up little by little in humans’ body.

D．By making people addicted to drinking easily.

3. What does the underlined word “contamination” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Pollution.

B．Discovery.

C．Experiment.

D．Development.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．More and more countries give up single-use plastic products.

B．PFAS are widely used in the production of daily necessities.

C．Certain kinds of new synthetic chemicals were discovered.

D．Environment-friendly drinking straws are actually harmful.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a shocking finding about the air we breathe. It has found that almost everyone on Earth breathes unhealthy air. The WHO made     1    (it) air quality update ahead of World Health Day on April 7. The update reported that 99 per cent of the world’s population breathes air     2     goes beyond WHO air quality limits. It looked at data from over 6,000 cities in 117 countries. People     3    (live) in lower- and middle-income countries breathe the poorest-quality air. Millions of people die in these countries because of pollution-related diseases. The WHO said: “After surviving a pandemic, it is unacceptable to still have 7 million preventable deaths due     4     air pollution.”

The WHO said its report highlighted the need to move away from fossil fuels. It asked governments to do more     5     (reduce) levels of air pollution. It said: “Current energy concerns highlight the importance of speeding up the transition to cleaner and     6    (healthy) energy systems.” It added that high gas prices, energy     7    (secure), the dangers of air pollution, and climate change mean the world must be less dependent on fossil fuels. The WHO report     8    (include) many recommendations for change. One of these is     9     use of clean energy for cooking, heating and lighting. Another is to “build safe and affordable public transport systems and pedestrian- and cycle-friendly     10    (network)”.

9 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The babies of women living in high air pollution neighborhoods may have lower IQs. A study followed low-income pregnant women in the South Bronx and upper Manhattan. The women     1     (wear) monitors during the last months of pregnancy. They lived in areas     2     had high pollution from cars, buses and trucks.

Before     3     (start) school, the children took IQ tests. The children most exposed     4     air pollution scored lower than children with lower exposure did. The four or five points may affect schoolwork.

Experts say the     5     (different) do not mean that children will not learn to read and write. It shows that air pollution may harm children as much as lead (铅) does. The research may explain     6     these children do not do well in school.

    7     (early) research than this showed that air pollution could increase the risk of cancer, lower birth     8     (weigh) and asthma (哮喘). Researchers plan     9     (continue) monitoring and testing the children. They want to know if school performance     10     (affect) over a long time. Experts said this research was important. They said there should be more studies.

10 . Walking along any beach in the world, you will find plastic of some kind on the shoreline, offering a reminder of the throwaway culture of the present day world. Now, a study has sounded a fresh warning on the damage caused to the marine (海洋的) ecosystem due to plastics, which eventually has an effect on human health due to the seafood we eat

In a paper titled “A Growing Plastic Smog”, researchers called on governments around the world to take firm action to handle the “plastic pollution” of the world's oceans.

The plastics break down over time into minute particles(微小颗粒) that cannot be seen by eyes, but find their way into the ocean ecosystem and into the seafood humans consume. “Microplastics are a problem because they are mistaken for food and eaten by small marine animals.” Charlene Trestrail said. “Once eaten, microplastics can damage an animal’s intestines(肠), and give out potentially harmful chemicals inside animals.”

Charlene Trestrail, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, said “the study shows just how big the problem is and that much of the blame was placed on the plastics industry for failing to recycle or design for recyclability.”

Paul Harvey, an environmental scientist, said “Globally, we have reached a point where we can no longer ignore the plastic pollution pandemic(流行病) that is infecting our oceans. This research shows us that beach cleanups and citizen science projects that focus on the environmental problems of plastics have little impact on solving the problem.”

Marcus Eriksen, lead author of the study, said that the findings were a “stark warning that we must act now at a global scale”. “Cleanup is useless if we continue to produce plastic at the current/rate, and we have heard about recycling for too long, while the plastic industry refuses any commitments to buy recycled material or design for recyclability. It is time for policymakers, governments and businesses to wake up and take the issue seriously.”

1. What is the third paragraph mainly about ?

A．The effect of chemicals.	B．The harm of microplastics.
C．The food of marine animals.	D．The breakdown of microplastics.

2. Who is to blame most for plastic pollution in the ocean?

A．Plastics industry.

B．Government.

C．Tourists.

D．Cleaners

3. What does Paul Harvey think of beach cleanups?

A．Useful.

B．Negative

C．Positive

D．Indifferent

4. What will the author talk about next?

A．The tendency of plastic pollution.

B．The bad effects of plastic pollution.

C．The measures to deal with plastic pollution.

D．The reason for plastic pollution in the ocean.