1 . With roaring ships, hammering oil drill, industrial fishing and coastal construction, humans have strongly influenced the underwater soundscape (声音景观) over the past couple of hundred years — in some cases posting a threat to whales, dolphins and other ocean creatures. Until recently, underwater sound pollution had not attracted the same attention. Now, a new paper published in the journal Science lays out the impacts, demonstrating that noise pollution can be just as harmful to the ocean environment as other kinds of pollution.
Even the cracking of glaciers and any drop of rain falling on the water’s surface can be heard deep under the sea. Sea life uses sound to study their habitat, and to keep in communication with each other. They also use sound by listening to know something about their environment.
“It’s a long-lasting problem that certainly weakens the animals all the way from individuals to populations,” says lead author Carlos M. Duarte, distinguished professor at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), “We are hoping that this report will not only reveal elements of how humans impact the ocean through sound pollution, but that it will also bring the topic to the attention of policymakers who will be able to act based upon the very real solutions.”
Marine (海洋) ecologist Kirsten Thompson of the United Kingdom’s University of Exeter, who was not involved in the study, said the report could not have come at a better time. “It summarizes the fact that we are in this new phase of human-caused noise in our oceans that is having a dramatic impact on different species.” What matters most, she notes, is the fact that the paper “doesn’t just point at the problem, it shows how to solve it.”
Unlike plastic pollution or fertilizer runoff, noise pollution will not take years to fix. The moment we switch our noise off the impact disappears, Duarte says, pointing to marine life surveys conducted around April 5, 2020. Having the world use more renewable energy would lessen the need to drill for oil and gas. The international team of researchers also called for a global regulatory framework for measuring and managing ocean noise.
1. Which of the following threatens ocean creatures?| A．Travel industry. | B．Human activities. |
| C．Construction companies. | D．Sailing off the coast. |
| A．Ocean animals can’t fall asleep. | B．It causes the cracking of glaciers. |
| C．It’s a signal to the lower sea level. | D．It disrupts the behavior of sea life. |
| A．She is one of the paper’s co-authors. |
| B．The report does not come at the right time. |
| C．The solutions are already available. |
| D．The report has raised great attention from seamen. |
| A．Technical advances and regulation. |
| B．A policy to measure the depth of ocean. |
| C．A global ban on drilling for oil and gas. |
| D．Noise standards for cars and trucks. |
2 . Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, consists of a discarded phones, printers, TVs, electric toothbrushes and many other electronic goods no longer in use.
A shocking 53. 6 million tons of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019 — less than a fifth of which was recycled, according to UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report.
Of the total e-waste last year, Asia contributed the biggest amount — 46.4 per cent — followed by the Americas(24.4 percent), Europe (22.3 percent), Africa (5.4 percent) and Oceania (1.3 percent).
The combined heap of e-waste for 2019 averaged 7. 3 kg for every man, woman and child on Earth. The UK averaged the second-biggest in the world, at 23.9 kg, behind Norway, which averaged 26kg.
The report also reveals that just 17.4 percent of the e-waste was properly collected and recycled. E-waste is a health and environmental hazard (危害), containing hazardous substances such as mercury, which damages the human brain.
After a device is discarded and e-waste is warmed up, toxic chemicals are released into the air, damaging the atmosphere. E-waste in landfills can also seep (渗透) toxic materials into groundwater, affecting animals and plants.
Gold, silver, copper, and other high-value materials were collectively valued at $57 billion. However, they were mostly dumped or burned rather than being collected for treatment and reuse. In countries with developing markets, an increasing number of household electronics like refrigerators, air conditioners, and lamps are now being bought, leading to the rapid increase in e-waste. A global obsession with smart phones, which tend to be replaced by an updated model after a year, also helps build e-waste piles.
It's not that countries don't have policies to fight e-waste since 2014, the number of countries that have adopted a national e-waste policy has increased from 61 to 78, the report says. But advances are slow, enforcement (执行) is poor, and policies fail to encourage the collection and proper management of e-waste. The lack of effective policies around the world needs to be addressed (解决) as soon as possible.
1. According to official figures, how much e-waste was recycled in 2019?| A．53.6 million tons. | B．10.8 million tons. |
| C．9.3 million tons. | D．20.1 million tons. |
| A．health condition | B．electronic products |
| C．energy resources | D．environmental protection |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Indifferent. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Critical. |
| A．E-waste is increasing. | B．E-waste is being reduced. |
| C．E-waste is harmful to people. | D．E-waste is being encouraged. |
1.
| A．People used the stoves less often. |
| B．Outdoor air pollution was not that serious. |
| C．Indoor air pollution was related to the way of cooking. |
| D．An increasing number of trees were cut down every year. |
| A．Taking advantage of greener energy. |
| B．Building a base in the Himalayas. |
| C．Depending on animal waste for fuel. |
| D．Finding land covered with forests. |
| A．It was resistant to water. |
| B．It was easy to pack and move. |
| C．It worked well on rainy days. |
| D．It looked like a pot or a pan. |
4 . Last night's meteor shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley's mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city's lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.
“My family was so frustrated," admitted town resident Duane Cosby, "We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”
Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets-have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.
There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, "100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”
Countless more animal casualties (伤亡) result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings. But some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person's chances of getting cancer.
Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.
1. What do the astronomers complain about?| A．Meteor showers occur less often than before. | B．Their observation equipment is in poor repair. |
| C．Light pollution has remained unsolved for years. | D．Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Unconscious. | C．Conservative. | D．Concerned. |
| A．lessen the chance of getting cancer | B．create an ideal observation condition |
| C．ensure citizens a good sleep at night | D．enable all creatures to live in harmony |
| A．Saving wildlife is saving ourselves. | B．Great efforts should be made to save energy. |
| C．Human activities should be environmentally friendly. | D．New equipment should be introduced for space study. |
5 . A recent study published in the journal Science Advances has revealed that the United States ranks as high as third among countries contributing to coastal plastic pollution. The new research challenges the once-held assumption that the US is adequately “managing” its plastic waste. A previous study using 2010 data that did not account for plastic waste exports had ranked the US 20th, globally, in its contribution to ocean plastic pollution.
Using plastic waste generation (产生) data from 2016 — the latest available global numbers — scientists calculated that more than half of all plastics collected for recycling (1.99 million tons of 3.91 million tons collected) in the US were shipped abroad. Of this, 88% of exports went to countries struggling to effectively manage plastics; and between 15-25% was low-value or contaminated (受污染的). It means it was unrecyclable. Taking these factors into account, the researchers estimated that up to 1 million tons of US-generated plastic waste ended up polluting the environment beyond its own borders.
Using 2016 data, the paper also estimated that between 0.91 and 1.25 million tons of plastic waste generated in the US was either littered or illegally dumped into the environment domestically. Combined with waste exports, this means the US contributed up to 2.25 million tons of plastics into the environment. Of this, up to 1.5 million tons of plastics ended up in coastal environments. This ranks the US as high as third globally in contributing to coastal plastic pollution.
“The US generates the most plastic waste of any other country in the world, but rather than looking the problem in the eye, we have outsourced it to developing countries,” said Nick Mallos, senior director of Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program and a co-author of the study. “The solution has to start at home. We need to create less, by cutting out unnecessary single-use plastics; we need to create better, by developing innovative new ways to package and deliver goods; and where plastics are inevitable, we need to greatly improve our recycling rates.”
“Previous research has provided global values for plastic input into the environment and coastal areas, but detailed analyses like this one are important for individual countries to further assess their contributions,” said Dr. Jenna Jambeck, Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Engineering and a co-author of the study. “In the case of the United States, it is critically important that we examine our own backyard and take responsibility for our global plastic footprint.”
1. Compared with the previous study, the new one ________.| A．covers data more comprehensively |
| B．excludes plastic waste shipped abroad |
| C．is contrary to the latest global numbers |
| D．challenges the recycling way of plastics |
| A．Over half of it ended up polluting the environment outside the US. |
| B．Most of its exported plastic waste wasn’t worth recycling. |
| C．Less than half of it was actually recycled domestically. |
| D．More of it is littered or illegally dumped than exported. |
| A．plastic pollution in developing countries is more serious |
| B．US has been irresponsible in dealing with its plastic waste |
| C．US should cooperate with others to handle its plastic waste |
| D．innovative means are needed to eliminate single-use plastics |
| A．Plastic Pollution Great Risk to Marine Life |
| B．US Top Contributor to Coastal Plastic Pollution |
| C．Plastic Waste Major Source of Coastal Pollution |
| D．Recycling Effective Way to Address Plastic Waste |
6 . Living downstream from a waste-treatment plant can leave fish tired, a new study finds, led by Graham Scott, a biologist in Canada. “Wastewater treatment plants are pretty good at taking out the waste and treating it before it gets into our waterways,” he said. “But not everything can be taken out,” he added.
For example, some plants beside the stream were not designed to remove remains of drugs. So when some medicines are left over after people use them, they can be released into the environment. These include the drugs used to treat depression and high blood pressure.
Life-sustaining chemical reactions in an animal’s body (including ours) allow it to grow, move and reproduce. These reactions, taken together, are known as the creature’s metabolism (新陈代谢). Some studies have shown that even just one drug can change the metabolism of fish, making their metabolism slow down. Then that will impair their bodies.
That creates a problem for the animals — using the extra energy to rid their bodies of the pollutants which can damage their cells and tissues. “That’s energy they burn just to stay alive,” explained Scott. That is also the energy no longer available to avoid predators (天敌), to find food and to mate.
And they report that fish exposed to a mix of chemicals can use up some of their energy just to deal with those pollutants. Therefore, they will have less energy to eat and avoid being eaten, says Paul Craig, a biologist in Ontario.
“It is up to us to help reduce the types of pollutants in. wastewater,” Craig says. “That includes not throwing leftover medicines down the toilet.” he recommends.
1. What do Scott’s words mean in paragraph 1?| A．There are still some pollutants in the treated water. |
| B．Wastewater treatment plants don’t work well. |
| C．Things in waterways are difficult to deal with. |
| D．Canadians tend to throw waste down the toilet. |
| A．Form. | B．Harm. | C．Benefit. | D．Examine. |
| A．They will stop growing. |
| B．They will avoid their mates. |
| C．They will have to rid their bodies of the polluted cells. |
| D．They will consume extra energy to survive. |
| A．To explain how pollutants affect animals. |
| B．To show ways of fighting against pollution. |
| C．To advise people to stop buying polluted fish. |
| D．To urge people to reduce pollutants in wastewater. |
7 . In the deepest dive in a manned submersible(潜水器), US explorer Victor Vescovo spotted and video-recorded a plastic bag and a pile of candy wrappers on the seabed.
His
Since the patent(专利) for plastics was
Most of the discarded(丢弃) plastic products
Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste flow into the ocean. It is
This plastic waste
We must do something to
But that’s so much
| A．report | B．discovery | C．record | D．accumulation |
| A．everywhere | B．anywhere | C．somewhere | D．nowhere |
| A．as | B．although | C．but | D．so |
| A．abolished | B．acquired | C．registered | D．advertised |
| A．with | B．without | C．off | D．above |
| A．end up | B．wake up | C．grow up | D．walk up |
| A．continent | B．park | C．island | D．garden |
| A．suggested | B．estimated | C．weighed | D．congratulated |
| A．thousand | B．hundred | C．million | D．billion |
| A．feeds | B．saves | C．cares | D．kills |
| A．looking | B．winding | C．floating | D．jumping |
| A．earth | B．air | C．water | D．environment |
| A．pollution | B．existence | C．temperature | D．cycle |
| A．production | B．supply | C．pyramid | D．trade |
| A．change | B．clean | C．satisfy | D．realize |
| A．otherwise | B．instead | C．therefore | D．meanwhile |
| A．exercise | B．activity | C．fact | D．habit |
| A．harder | B．more effective | C．more courageous | D．easier |
| A．calling for | B．looking for | C．sending for | D．waiting for |
| A．start | B．refuse | C．continue | D．hope |
8 . There will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050. That is what a new report from the World Economic Forum and Ellen MacArthur Foundation warns. If the current trend continues, the report said, oceans will contain one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish in 2025. By 2050, plastics will weigh more than fish. The problem is that each year at least 8 million tons of plastics end up in oceans around the world. This is the same as dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute.
Not all plastic ends up in the ocean because someone throws a plastic bottle into the water. Plastic containers and other trash thrown onto streets and sidewalks often are swept into oceans. Unlike other types of trash in the ocean, the plastic never bio-degrades. There is a way to slow the amount of plastics going into the oceans — people can recycle more. Currently only about 14 percent of plastics are recycled. Research in Europe shows as much as 53 percent of plastic could be recycled using available technology. The report says that another solution is using less plastic for packaging products. But that is not likely to happen.
“Given plastic packaging’s many benefits, both the possibility and desirability of an across-the-board dramatic reduction in the volume of plastic packaging used is clearly low, ”the report said. But the authors note reducing the use of plastics should be tried“where possible. ”For decades, scientists warned that plastics are killing fish. Research shows that fish are dying from choking after eating plastics. Another cause of death is that plastics cause“intestinal blockage and starvation, ”the environmental group said.
1. Why is the garbage truck mentioned in Paragraph 1 ?| A．To explain how plastics end up in the ocean. |
| B．To warn people against the ocean pollution. |
| C．To clarify the seriousness of the problem. |
| D．To point out some details of the report. |
| A．There is too much of it. | B．It poisons the ocean water. |
| C．It is from different sources. | D．It is hard to break down. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Curious. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Terrified. |
| A．People are not aware of the problem. | B．Recycling is limited by lack of technology. |
| C．Plastic packaging has become part of our life. | D．Fish in the ocean will be replaced by plastics. |
9 . The measurable threat to the environment has been worsened by the spread of COVID-19 that increases the need for plastic protective equipment. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Millions of tons of greenhouse gas are released from the development of these resources and plastic production and burning.
The end life of plastic is just worrisome. Less than 10% of the plastic produced has been recycled. Even more of it has been burned. But the vast majority of plastic has been buried inland, and it is increasingly polluting the environment. We hear mostly about ocean plastic and the harm done to sea creatures that mistake plastic bags and bits for food. But microplastic is even more worrisome. Plastic doesn't break down biologically but instead breaks down into tiny particles（a very small piece of something）, which have been found in every corner of the planet, on land and in the air, in drinking water and food sources.
Yet the public has not given this global environmental disaster the attention it requires. Instead, they have viewed single-use plastic—which makes up about 40% of plastic used each year—as a litter issue that can be solved through better recycling and waste management. That attitude must change because the recent global breakdown of the market for recycling has made it clear that it has never been, nor ever will be, able to keep up with plastic trash use.
California has been the forerunner of plastic waste reduction—it was the first state to ban single-use plastic bags and may be the first state to transform the way goods are packaged. The state also came close to passing an act which would have required that products sold in plastic packaging in the state have a proven recycling rate of 75% by 2032. California, though influential, can't solve this crisis alone. The US has long been producing a great amount of plastic trash and it should engage in reducing the use of plastic as well.
1. Why does the author mention the release of greenhouse gas in paragraph 1?| A．To show the harm of plastic |
| B．To warn of the climate change. |
| C．To call for the development of fossil fuels. |
| D．To highlight the importance of plastic equipment. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Curious. | D．Opposed. |
| A．A pioneer. | B．A failure. |
| C．An objector. | D．A predictor. |
| A．Microplastic Products Are Harmful |
| B．Waste Recycling Is an Urgent Matter |
| C．Plastic Waste Pollution Is a Wake-up Call |
| D．Global Environmental Disasters Are Increasing |
Coca-Cola
The annual audit(审计)，
“The world's top polluting corporations claim to be working hard to solve plastic pollution,
Coca-Cola came under fire from environmental campaigners earlier this year when it announced it would not abandon plastic bottles, saying they
