1 . Lego is considering a brick(积木)rental plan in an attempt to cut down on plastic waste.The Danish toymaker has promised to make all its bricks from sustainable(可持续的)materials by 2030 and is investing significant resources in finding alternatives.

Tim Brooks,vice-president responsible for sustainability,said the company was“totally open”to the idea of the product rental plan but admitted that lost pieces could produce a significant problem.“What are the chances of giving them to an eight-year-old child and getting them all back again?”Mr.Brooks added.

“There is a lot of technical thinking that needs to be done. We are right at the beginning.” Mr. Brooks said Lego was exploring several ideas with a view to producing the highest value from products while consuming the fewest resources. He said many would “probably never see the light of day”and that there is no current plan to try out the rental plan.

Lego has come under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint for growing international alarm about the impact of plastic waste on the environment.It produces 19 billion pieces per year—36,000 a minute—that are made entirely of plastic while much of the inside packaging is also plastic.

So far,the only breakthrough has been the development of a line of bricks made of plant-based plastic sourced from sugarcane.The green trees,plants and flowers were first included in Lego sets late last year but currently make up only 1%— 2% of total plastic elements produced.Henrik Nielson,a production supervisor(主管)in Lego’s factory,said last year:“We need to learn again how to do this.”

Lego reportedly releases around a million tons of carbon dioxide each year, with about 75% coming from raw materials that go into factories. The company has invested more than 100,000,000 euros and hired 100 people to research non-plastic alternatives.It is aiming to keep all of its packaging out of landfill by 2025.

1. What is Lego making great efforts for?

A．promote its brick rental plan	B．explore ways to reduce plastic waste
C．raise its production efficiency	D．develop new products

2. What does Mr.Brooks think about Lego’s brick rental plan?

A．It is well under way.	B．It is totally useless.
C．It has a long way to go.	D．It goes against Lego’s interests.

3. How does the writer tell of Lego’s stress of reducing plastic waste?

A．By means of comparison.	B．By means of examples.
C．By means of figures.	D．By means of classification.

4. What is Lego’s attitude toward developing non-plastic alternatives?

A．Defensive.	B．Doubtful.
C．Disapproving.	D．Determined.

2 . The World Health Organization warns that millions of people are dying every year from indoor air pollution. The WHO finds that poor cooking, heating and lighting technologies are killing millions of people each year. Indoor air pollution results from the use of dangerous fuels and cook-stoves in the home. To help fight the problem, the WHO announced, new guidelines aimed at reducing household pollutants.

WHO officials say nearly three billion people are unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting. And they say more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Of that number, the WHO says about 4. 3 million people die from household air pollution given off by simple coal cook-stoves. WHO officials say indoor pollution leads to early deaths from stroke(中风), heart and lung disease. The main victims are women and girls in developing countries, where they usually stay at home and do the household work.

Carlos Dora is Coordinator in the WHO’s Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. He says people should not use unprocessed coal and kerosene (煤油) fuel indoors. He says opening a window or door to let out the harmful air will not improve the situation. It will only pollute the outdoors.

Nigel Bruce is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. He says researchers are developing good cook-stoves and other equipment to burn fuels in a more efficient way.

WHO experts note some new, safe and low-cost technologies that could help are already available. In India, you can buy an induction (电磁) stove for about $ 8.00. And in Africa you can buy a solar lamp for less than $ 1. 00. But, this, the agency says, is just a start. It is urging developing countries to use cleaner fuels and increase access to cleaner and more modern cooking and heating items.

1. What does “the problem” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Indoor air pollution.	B．Cooking habits.
C．Poor cook—stove.	D．Use of natural gas.

2. Why are women and girls the main victims of the indoor pollution?

A．They are very weak in the developing countries.

B．They are more sensitive to the indoor pollution.

C．They are exposed to the indoor pollution more.

D．They are lack of doing more exercise outdoors.

3. Which of the following is a good way to avoid indoor air pollution?

A．To open a window while cooking.

B．To use unprocessed coal indoors.

C．To popularize the traditional cook— stoves in the home.

D．To promote the cleaner and modern cooking items.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．How to prevent pollution

B．How to protect women and girls

C．Indoor pollution kills millions each year

D．The importance of health in developing countries

3 . The Japanese government, citizens and groups are debating what to do with radioactive water from the disabled nuclear power plant near Fukushinma. An earthquake on March 11, 2011 caused severe damage to three of the six nuclear reactors at the Fukushinma Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Since then, Japanese officials have been trying to contain and clear up the damage.

The Associated Press recently observed the decontamination (净化) process taking place there. Officials are trying to decide what to do with 1.2 million tons of radioactive water being stored at Fukushinma. The nuclear center is operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Co. _, or TEPCO. The company says it needs to free up space as work on the damaged reactors reaches an important point. Many people expect TEPCO to slowly release the water into the ocean near the nuclear center. The government has already approved the plan.

However, it is not clear when the company will carry out the plan. Local people oppose it because that could hurt the fishing industry. Sales of fish caught off the coast near Fukushinma are half what they were before the nuclear disaster. Fish caught in the area have been approved for sale after radioactivity testing by health officials.

TEPCO Chief Decommissioning Officer Akira Ono said the water must be removed. He says crews need the space currently occupied by the water tanks. In their place, workers will set up structures to hold melted reactor wreckage(反应堆残骸).

People wear protective clothing and head coverings to work in the most radioactive areas around the nuclear center. But underground conditions remain dangerous and radioactive water is leaking from the melted reactors and mixing with groundwater. This water is being pumped into containers to keep it from flowing into the sea. The polluted water from underground is processed and filtered to remove dangerous radioactive elements. Tritium(氚) is the only radioactive material that remains. Japan's industry ministry and nuclear officials say tritium is not harmful in small amounts. However, although officials try to ease public fear, there are worries that fish might be affected if the water is released into the sea.

1. What do we know from the text?

A．The Fukushinma disaster was caused by humans.

B．Tons of radioactive water has been leaked into the ocean.

C．Melted reactor wreckage will take up most of the region.

D．Japan is struggling with the clean-up of radioactive pollution.

2. What does the underlined word "it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Making room for the damaged reactors.

B．Releasing the water into the nearby ocean.

C．Filtering the water near the nuclear center.

D．Storing the radioactive water in the nuclear center.

3. What does the text say about the material tritium from the fifth paragraph?

A．It can be found in the polluted water.

B．It has aroused great panic among residents.

C．It does no harm to fish.

D．It exists in a solid form.

4. What does the text imply?

A．The groundwater has been severely polluted in Fukushinma.

B．People in Fukushinma used to earn their living by fishing.

C．It is hard for the authorities to earn the public's trust.

D．It is unclear when TEPCO will remove the radioactive water.

4 . Most of us are used to the sound we hear in daily life, such as loud music, the television, people talking on their phone and even pet dogs barking in the middle of the night.     1     . However, when these sounds keep you from sleeping all night or the traffic starts to give you a headache, it turns into noise pollution. For many of us, the concept of pollution is limited to nature and resources. However, noise that tends to damage the natural rhythm (节律) of life makes solid pollutant.

    2    . Man-made noises such as horns, airplanes and even cars can be too loud for our hearing range. Constant exposure to loud noise can easily result in the damage of our eardrums and loss of hearing.

Too much noise pollution in working areas such as offices, construction sites, bars and even in our homes can influence psychological health. Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive behavior, disturbance of sleep, and constant stress can be linked to excessive(过度的) noise levels.     3    .

Loud noise can certainly influence your sleeping pattern.     4    , if you don’t have a good nights’ sleep. For example, your performance may go down in the office as well as at home. It is therefore recommended to take a sound sleep to give your body proper rest.

As of now, there do not exist many solutions to such pollution.     5    , when it comes to what an individual can do. It is only when our understanding of noise pollution is complete, can we take steps to get rid of it completely.

A．You’ll feel it hard to deal with others

B．It may lead to problems related to tiredness

C．But everybody can help to reduce the noise in their homes

D．These, in turn, can cause more severe health problems later in life

E．Many firm measures should be taken to remove loud noises in our life

F．Our ears can take in a certain range of sounds without getting damaged

G．All of these have become a part of the urban culture and rarely disturb us

5 . A new study shows that air pollution can cause a huge reduction in our intelligence. The study was a project involving researchers at Peking University in China and Yale University in the United States.

The researchers reported that long-term exposure to air pollution can affect a person's mental abilities in two areas: Language and math.

The researchers studied about 25,000 people from across China. Between 2010 and 2014, these Chinese men, women and children were given language and math tests. Then researchers compared the test results with measurements of pollution in the air, namely nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide （二氧化硫）.

Xi Chen of the Yale School of Public Health led the study. He and his team found that breathing polluted air can reduce a person's education level by about one year.

Chen said that the effect generally is worse for those over 64 years of age, for men and for those with little or no education.

“The older persons—they are more affected. And we find, quite amazingly, males are more affected than females. And people working outdoors are more affected than people working indoors.

He noted that the youngest people in the study were 10 years old, while the oldest was 90 years old. They came from China's 33 provinces. In his words, the data and facts are convincing and this range of ages and locations across the country provided a real, objective and representative sample.

The researchers noted that the effect of air pollution on verbal ability is even more serious as people age, especially among men and the less educated. The researchers also stressed that every country, whether developed, developing or poor, should focus on air pollution or humans will face a bad situation.

1. What is the result of the study?

A．Air pollution has a bad effect on people's intelligence.

B．Females are more affected by air pollution than males.

C．Americans are more affected by air pollution than Chinese.

D．People working indoors are actually not affected by air pollution.

2. What did Chen say about the study?

A．It is doubtful.

B．It is extremely unfair.

C．It is common and not representative.

D．It is relatively objective and persuasive.

3. What did the researchers emphasize in the last paragraph?

A．The data from the 33 provinces is convincing.

B．The whole world should pay attention to air pollution.

C．The less educated take more responsibility for air pollution.

D．Air pollution's influence on verbal ability is less serious as people age.

4. Where is the text most likely taken from?

A．A life diary.	B．A guidebook.
C．A science magazine.	D．A biography.

6 . Will you stop using plastic?

If you take a look around your kitchen or office right now, chances are that you’ll notice you’re surrounded by plastic—water bottles, to-go coffee cups, straws (吸管), plastic grocery bags, food wrappers, take-out containers, single-serve coffee pods and produce bags.     1    

It’s certainly not realistic to remove all plastic from your life, but let’s examine some statistics that may encourage you to reduce your single-use plastic footprint by throwing away straws, switching to reusable water bottles, bringing cloth bags to the grocery store and more.

According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, the popularity of plastic, which began rising in the 1950s, is growing out of control.     2     And there’s no sign of slowing down, considering scientists say that another 12 trillion kilograms will be produced worldwide by 2050.

“Every piece of plastic that has ever been created will remain in the environment in some form, but once we conveniently throw out our rubbish at home, wind and runoff carry our waste from landfills and streets to the ocean,” says Mystic Aquarium’s chief clinical veterinarian Jennifer Flower, DVM, MS. “Given that we are globally producing over 320 million tons of plastic annually, the marine environment is taking a big hit from our daily disposal of plastic.

    3     For example, newborn fish are mistaking tiny bits of plastic waste for food. If they die, there will be fewer big fish—and that could damage the food chain. Often our society is so focused on making our lives more convenient in the short term, but in the long run, our health and the health of marine life are at the expense of those everyday conveniences.”

    4     A recent report suggests that when heated, certain food additives (添加剂) can damage hormones, growth and development, as well as increase chances for children of being fat.     5     It is found in plastic containers and metal cans. Parents are urged to avoid using microwaves to warm food and drinks or placing plastics in the dishwasher.

A．Our plastic consumption is directly affecting the life in the ocean.

B．People are concerned about the results of overusing plastic containers.

C．8.2 trillion kilograms of plastic have been produced around the world.

D．Using plastic containers in microwaves is also harmful to children’s health.

E．Let’s stop using plastic for the benefit of the environment and human beings.

F．These are all examples of single-use plastic products, which is a hot topic nowadays.

G．The most concerning artificial additive BPA is a chemical used in the production of plastics.

7 . Bees and other pollinators(传粉者) use smells to track down fresh flowers. Air pollutants can weaken those scents(气味). Scientists had worried this might make it harder for some pollinators to find a meal.

Many animals help pollinate plants. Species that do this include bees, butterflies, etc. But for many reasons, the pollinators available to help plants in this way are decreasing. Scientists think a loss of habitat(栖息地) can be one factor. Diseases and exposure to poisonous chemicals also count.

Jose Fuentes points to air pollution as another possible factor. He’s an atmospheric scientist at Pennsylvania State University. In an earlier study, he showed some air pollutants could weaken or destroy scents emitted(发出) by flowers.

Searching for a meal leaves pollinators out in the open and at risk of becoming other animal’s lunch. And any time spent hunting food is time away from their duties back home, like protecting a hive(蜂巢) or nest, explains T’ai Roulston. He’s an insect biologist at Virginia University. Roulston worked with Fuentes on the new study.

In the study, the researchers focused on five kinds of representative scent molecules(分子) plants emit. One molecule they looked at, for example, is called beta-myrcene. Many flowers give off this chemical into the air. Normally, this gas can travel some 800 meters from its flower source. But in polluted air, this same molecule could travel only half as far.

Worse still, air pollution might do more than just weaken scent plumes(气味烟云). Chemical reactions between air pollutants and plumes may transform the flowers’ smells, creating new scents. And these scents may be unrecognizable to pollinators.

That’s certainly Fuentes’ concern. So, he says his next research project will look at how insects handle any new flower scent. “It’s possible that some insects will change ways to detect and use these new molecules to find food,” he says.

1. What does the underlined word "this" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Weakening scents.	B．Pollinating plants.
C．Finding a meal.	D．Smelling flowers.

2. How would bees be affected by their difficulty in finding meals?

A．They may get lost.	B．They may get burnt out.
C．They may die from hunger.	D．They may be killed by enemies.

3. Why do bees spend longer time in search of flowers in polluted air?

A．They lose their ability to smell flowers.

B．Scented plumes travel in a new direction.

C．Flower scents spend more time reaching them.

D．Air pollution makes flowers emit fewer scents.

4. What is Jose Fuentes’ attitude towards insects’ ability to adjust to new conditions?

A．Positive.

B．Worried.

C．Unclear.

D．Disappointed.

8 . Sound travels very well through water-much better, in fact, than it does through air. So it shouldn’t be surprising that many ocean animals make noise. They use sound to communicate and hunt. As biologist Brandon Southall says, “Their whole world is related to sound.”

Dolphins whistle, organizing hunts. Lovesick whales sing so loudly they can be heard hundreds of miles away. But these days they aren’t the only ones sounding off. They have more and more competition from human machines.

Every day, thousands of huge container ships sail across the world’s oceans. On top of the engine noise, the ships’ propeller (螺旋桨) make a loud noise all the time. All that can make it hard for ocean animals trying to listen out for friends, or dinner. Animals swimming nearby a ship can be deafened or even killed.

Underwater construction can also be dangerously loud. When construction machines called pile drivers were used during repairs to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, dead fish appeared.

Geologist (地质学家) pound on the seafloor too, trying to find oil wells and map Earth’s surface. The results are useful lo science, but all that hammering probably gives ocean animal a headache.

As people realize how important sound is to ocean animals, they are looking for ways to reduce human noise. Ships could get quieter just by slowing down. Engineers are also trying to find quieter propeller ships.

Now some companies are using a simple invention called a bubble curtain, which makes sound waves passing through it lose energy and gel quieter. It seems to work - when bubble curtains were fixed on the San Francisco bridge project fish deaths dropped.

We still have a lot to learn about sound in the oceans, but together we can help keep the sea a quieter place.

1. Dolphins and whales are mentioned to show       .

A．sound travels very well through water

B．they are surprisingly noisy in the sea

C．the ocean is filled with sound

D．ocean noise is a big problem

2. What is happening to ocean animals these days?

A．Human noise is causing danger to their safety.

B．There is less food in the ocean for them.

C．They are being killed in large numbers.

D．They are losing their hearing.

3. During the first repair to the bridge, some fish       .

A．started to die	B．were attracted to it
C．got quiet underwater	D．suffered from headaches

4. Bubble curtains are used to       .

A．research on fishes underwater	B．build the San Francisco bridge
C．stop noisy machines working	D．reduce construction noise

9 . As the population of the planet increases, so does the number of homes, business, parking lots, schools, airports and roadways. All these structures use electricity and need to be lighted. Humans demand light. They want their homes more comfortable and they want their streets safe. The problem is that researchers are finding that all the light is having a negative effect on humans and wildlife as well.

Less than 10 years ago I drove to a thinly populated section of my own, lay down in the middle of the road and watched an attractive meteor shower(流星雨). If I did that today, I wouldn’t be able to see the meteor shower.

Nowadays scientists are finding light pollution can be almost as bad as carbon dioxide （二氧化碳）pollution. One of the saddest parts of light pollution is that most of it is unnecessary and most of the outdoor light that we use is wasted. One only needs to look at a row of street lights to see how much of the lights shines upwards and lights the sky: a total waste of electricity.

Additionally, the production of electricity creates pollution by releasing greenhouse gases. This affects the air we breathe and our quality of life.

Scientists are also studying the effects of light pollution on wildlife. Thousands of birds die each year when they crash into highly lighted buildings, as they become puzzled by the light. It has been long known that tiny baby sea turtles become lost and follow the light on the shore instead of heading towards the sea.

Fortunately, light pollution is one of the easiest sources of pollution that can be corrected without a negative effect. Following some guidelines and a little searching on Google can give you many ideas on how to reduce your contribution to light pollution.

1. According to the passage, the best way to deal with light pollution is to ______.

A．Reducing the output of lights

B．Educating people about light pollution

C．Avoiding the use of unnecessary lighting

D．Inventing environmentally-friendly lights

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Astronauts can’t see clearly in space nowadays

B．Global warming results in light pollution in some way

C．We are almost at a loss how to deal with light pollution

D．Some animals use natural light to direct their movements.

3. What will probably be provided following the last paragraph?

A．Benefits of searching on Google

B．More bad effects of light pollution

C．Helpful tips for suffering the Internet

D．Ways to decrease light pollution