1 . Rain is vital to life on Earth. However, rain isn't just made of water anymore-it's partly made of plastic.
Millions of tiny pieces of plastic, called microplastics, are wandering around Earth's atmosphere and traveling across entire continents, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on April 12. Another study, published in the journal Science in June2020, has revealed that every year more than 1, 000 tons of the particles (颗粒)-equivalent to over 120 million plastic bottles-fall in rain.
Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter (直径)and come from a number of sources. Plastic bags and bottles released into the environment break down into smaller and smaller bits. Some microplastics are manufactured deliberately to provide abrasion(研磨)in a host of products, such as toothpaste and cleansers, according to the Daily Mail. Another major source is your washing machine. When you wash synthetic(合成的)clothing, tiny microfibers get flushed away. Even though the water is treated by a wastewater plant, the microplastics remain, and they are released into the sea, according to the American magazine Wired.
Plastic rain may remind people of acid rain, but the former is far more widespread and harder to deal with. The tiny particles, too small to be seen with the naked eyes, are collected by the wind from the ground. They are so light that they stay in the air to be blown around the globe. As they climb into the atmosphere, they are thought to act as nuclei(核心)around which water vapor (水蒸气)condenses(凝结)to form clouds. Some of the dust falls back to land in dry conditions, while the rest comes down as rain, according to the Daily Mail.
Microplastics have been found everywhere you can imagine. From fish and frogs to mice and mosquitoes, their bodies have been fund, on average, to contain 40 pieces of microplastics, reported the Daily Mail. As the top of the food chain, humans are exposed to microplastics, too. "We live on a ball inside a bubble," microplastic researcher Steve Allen at University of Strathclyde, Scotland, told Wired. "There are no borders, and there are no edges. It rains on the land and then gets blown back up into the air again, to move somewhere else. There's no stopping it once it's out."
1. What do we know about microplastics?| A．They are light and can be easily dealt with. |
| B．They result in both acid rain and plastic rain. |
| C．They have a diameter of at least 5 millimeters. |
| D．They have nearly affected the whole word food chain. |
| A．Smoothed. | B．Thrown. | C．Washed. | D．Squeezed. |
| A．No place is safe from microplastic pollution. |
| B．It is important to remove microplastics somewhere else. |
| C．The atmosphere possesses the capacity to self-cleanse. |
| D．Countries should work together to fight plastic pollution. |
| A．To compare acid rain and plastic rain. |
| B．To warn people of the dangers of microplastics. |
| C．To call on people to reduce using plastic products. |
| D．To introduce the sources and effects of microplastics. |
2 . When you think of the icy Arctic Ocean, do you picture cold blue waters, on which float (漂浮) icebergs home to animals and fish not seen elsewhere on the planet? Think again, or rather add 300 billion pieces of plastic (塑料) to your picture. That's the amount of plastic that scientists believe is floating around the Arctic Ocean. Most of the plastic is in the area to the east of Greenland and north of Scandinavia.
Where did it come from? After all, the lands near the Arctic are not really full of people. It turns out that ocean currents are carrying plastic thrown into the ocean all the way to the Arctic. An ocean current is an unending movement of sea water from one point to another. It is caused by several things including heat from the Sun, wind and movement of the Earth.
Many of these plastic pieces seem to have travelled for years before reaching the Arctic. This was worked out by scientists studying the plastic problem after they observed the condition of the pieces. While much plastic floats on top of the water, a lot also may be on the sea floor.
Plastic has been widely used for 60 years on Earth and our careless throwing of plastic things is slowly turning the once perfectly clean Arctic into a dangerous place. Unlike food waste and plant waste, plastic doesn't break down so easily. In fact the United States Environment Protection Organization reports that “every bit of plastic ever made still exists”.
What's the effect? Seabirds, sea turtles and other ocean creatures could get hurt and die when they accidentally swallow plastic. Plastic waste affects fishing, affecting people who earn money through fishing. Plastics can let out dangerous poisons (毒物) into the water. These may be swallowed by fish, and when these fish are caught and eaten by people or bigger animals, they could get poisoned too!
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．The Arctic Ocean is heavily polluted. |
| B．The plastic is mostly in the area in the east of Greenland. |
| C．An ocean current is just caused by the movement of the earth. |
| D．Much more plastic floats on top of the water. |
| A．Humans throw away plastic things at will. |
| B．Ocean currents carry plastic things everywhere. |
| C．Plastic can let out harmful things into the water. |
| D．Plastic is hard to break down. |
| A．Break down. | B．Take in. |
| C．Accept. | D．Touch. |
| A．Are Men to Blame for Plastic Ocean? | B．Arctic Ocean and Its Future! |
| C．Is Plastic Harmful? | D．Arctic Ocean or Plastic Ocean? |
3 . In recent years, Ethiopia has become a regional leader in solid waste management. Last year, the country transformed the landfill (垃圾填埋场) in Addis Ababa into a new waste-to-energy plant, the first such project on the continent. The plant incinerates up to 1, 400 tonnes of waste every day, about 80 percent of the city's rubbish, supplying the capital with 25 percent of its household electricity needs.
However, despite these important steps, challenges remain in Ethiopia. Although the country has permitted the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions, laws and policies for environmentally sound management of hazardous (有害的) wastes are still not effective in pre- venting littering waste illegally.
To help Ethiopia meet these challenges, the Chemicals and Waste Management Program is supporting the country with a three-year project to enhance its capacity for sound management of hazardous wastes.
In the initial stages, a project management unit will be formed, made up of many representatives from government departments and private organizations. This unit will be responsible for reviewing and assessing Ethiopia's current legal system, which, despite numerous advances in recent years, does not specifically target the recycling of hazardous waste. Once legal gaps are identified, the project will seek to update existing policies and strategies.
Many people in Ethiopia are not aware of the possible effect of environmental damage and the need to report such crimes to the police. To resolve this pressing issue, Ethiopia will be conducting a series of capacity-building activities, including creating awareness-raising programs, training trainers and providing equipment.
Ethiopia will also work to establish a national mechanism for chemicals and waste management by engaging government departments and civil society groups. Authorities will also make budgetary provisions (预算拨款) in national, regional and institutional planning to ensure funding for these activities is sustainable even after the project's completion.
1. Which can replace the underlined word “incinerates” in paragraph 1?| A．Produces. | B．Burns. | C．Gathers. | D．Absorbs. |
| A．The relevant laws are not sound. | B．The shortage of workers is severe. |
| C．The pollution level is too high. | D．The funds are not sufficient. |
| A．Restrict their environmental movement. | B．Call on them to start some programs. |
| C．Reward them with budgetary provisions. | D．Raise their environmental awareness. |
| A．Ethiopia is facing serious environmental problems. |
| B．Ethiopia has achieved success in waste management. |
| C．Ethiopia is putting efforts into waste management. |
| D．Ethiopia has reduced environmental pollution levels. |
4 . It's no secret that inhaling(吸入)smoke is bad for your lungs. But now, scientists are suggesting smoke may also carry and spread infectious diseases. The theory, published in Science Magazine, is based on the research that found wildfire smoke is full of thousands of species of microorganisms(微生物).Some of these microorganisms, including bacteria and fungal spores(真菌抱子).are known to cause disease.
The new research suggests that when a wildfire burns plants or animal matter and disturbs soils, it exposes thousands of species of bacteria and fungi that otherwise might not easily become airborne. You might think the high heat from fire would kill these organisms, but one study mentioned in the article found that some bacteria even multiply after fires. Scientists say the organisms stick with smoke particulates(颗粒物), allowing them to travel thousands of miles across continents.
Dr. Peter Chen, director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, is interested in the theory but somewhat skeptical that the microorganisms in smoke would actually cause infections. Many bacteria and fungi don't cause lung infections, says Chen, but it's certainly possible that a significant number could worsen symptoms in someone with a preexisting lung condition. "I always thought it was the particulates in smoke that were causing these issues," says Chen. "But when I read this, I started thinking, could it be the microorganisms that are also worsening existing illnesses?"
Whether the microorganisms in smoke actually cause infections or simply worsen potential respiratory(呼吸的)issues, the article raises a new health threat that is "certainly alarming", says Kelsey Jack, an associate professor of environmental and development economics. This is especially true for lower-income populations, Jack says, because people with fewer protective means are often more exposed to the environment. If smoke is affecting the air quality in a certain area, the people who work outside, or who have to go to the office on foot or by bike will inhale more smoke than those who drive.
But until more research is done, Chen says the best thing people can do is just follow existing recommendations when air quality is poor-including staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, using HEPA filters and running air conditioning.
1. What can we know about the microorganisms from Paragraph 2?| A．Some could reproduce after fires. |
| B．They could be killed by high heat. |
| C．They could possibly travel through air by themselves. |
| D．Some could copy the smoke particulates. |
| A．They will cause lung infection. | B．They might worsen lung diseases. |
| C．They will destroy living environments. | D．They might damage respiratory systems. |
| A．They live in poor areas. | B．They drive to and from work· |
| C．They have suffered from lung disease. | D．They are exposed to polluted air more frequently. |
| A．To wait for the results of more researches. |
| B．To ignore the air quality and to work out outdoors. |
| C．To follow previous suggestions on dealing with poor air quality. |
| D．To avoid using filters and air conditioning. |
5 . Methods to Help Solve Air Pollution
With the development of the industry, air pollution has become an internationally concerned issue. The governments are taking efficient measures to prevent the situation getting worse.
1.Leave your cars at home.
Cars, being the greatest source of air pollution, can be left at home this weekend.
2.Volunteer yourself
This is one of the best things you can do. Why? Because it will do you good too.
3.Green-up your home.
This is one of the most common things that people do whenever Earth Day rolls around. That is to switch off their lights. However, this is not something you should do just for a day and for only an hour.
4.Pledge (保证) to do more every day
You know what the best way to celebrate Earth Day is? Extend your celebrations. That’s right! Do something every day that will improve your surroundings to make the planet a better place to live in.
| A．Bathing every day is bad for our health. |
| B．Voluntary work does good to your body and mind. |
| C．Travelling via public transport is the better option. |
| D．Join other like-minded individuals in a common task. |
| E．Always remember that every step, every initiative counts. |
| F．But as a member of the earth village, you can also help a lot. |
| G．Conserve energy by switching off all power whenever they are not in use. |
6 . Eating too much fatty food, exercising too little and smoking can raise your future risk of heart disease. But there is another factor that can cause your heart problems more immediately：the air you breathe.
Previous studies have linked high exposure (暴露) to environmental pollution to an increased risk of heart problems，but two analyses now show that poor air quality can lead to heart attack or stroke (中风) within as little as a few hours after exposure. In one review of the research, scientists found that people exposed to high levels of pollutants (污染物) were up to 5% more likely to suffer a heart attack within days of exposure than those with lower exposure. A separate study of stroke patients showed that even air that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)considers to be of “moderate” (良好) quality and relatively safe for our health can raise the risk of stroke as much as 34% within 12 to 14 hours of exposure.
The authors of both studies stress that these risks are relatively small for healthy people and certainly modest compared with other risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure. However, it is important to be aware of these dangers because everyone is exposed to air pollution regardless of lifestyle choices. So stricter regulation by the EPA of pollutants may not only improve environmental air quality but could also become necessary to protect public health.
1. The text mainly discusses the relationship between ________.| A．heart problems and air quality |
| B．heart problems and exercising |
| C．heart problems and smoking |
| D．heart problems and fatty food |
| A．relatively high | B．extremely low |
| C．relatively low | D．extremely high |
| A．Eating fatty food has immediate effects on your heart. |
| B．The EPA conducted many studies on air quality. |
| C．Moderate air quality is more harmful than smoking. |
| D．Stricter regulations on pollutants should be made. |
| A．inform | B．persuade |
| C．describe | D．entertain |
