1 . London is in a valley. So towns in valleys see the surrounding air staying to the lower point. During the night, cold air from surrounding hills falls down in the valleys. The fog reputation of London, which called the smog, comes from the fact that the houses were, in the past, heated by coal. Houses and factories gave off much pollution in the air and, in order to condense (浓缩) into tiny water droplets, moisture (湿度) needs to be in contact with something that has a mass. So, the valley, the city, the coal heating, a high pressure with no wind and staying air... and you get the London’s smog.
In common with many countries, Britain has serious environmental problems. In 1952,more than 4,000 people died in London because of the worst smog. The government introduced new laws to stop smog from coal fires and factories and the situation improved a lot.
Today, London is much cleaner but there is a new problem: smog from cars. In December 1991,there was very little wind in London and pollution increased a lot. As a result, about 160 people died from pollution in just four days.
Part of the problem is the new “out of town” shopping centers. In the past, people often walked to shops near their homes or went by bus. Now, many people drive to the new shopping centers. As a result, the small shops have disappeared and more people have to travel to do their shopping.
Many people are trying to reduce the use of cars in Britain. Some cities now have special bicycle paths and many people cycle to work. Some people also travel to work together in one car to reduce the pollution and cost.
Sometimes people take “direct action”. In 1995,for example, many people wanted to stop a new road from being built near Newbury. They set up houses in trees and lived there for many months. It took a long time to force the people out of the trees before the construction work on the road could continue.
1. Which of the following isn’t the direct cause of smog in London?| A．The valley. | B．The staying air. | C．The coal heating. | D．The developed industry. |
| A．The government once introduced a law against smog from cars and factories. |
| B．London is much cleaner than before so nobody dies from pollution any longer. |
| C．Now smog in London mainly comes from cars. |
| D．The “direct action” taken in 1995 was a successful example of people reducing the use of cars. |
| A．They prefer to do shopping in big shopping centers outside the town. |
| B．Small shops near their homes have disappeared. |
| C．Many new shopping centers have appeared outside the town. |
| D．It has become a fashion to do shopping in large shopping centers. |
| A．To Reduce the Use of Cars | B．The Disadvantages Brought by the Use of Cars |
| C．Smog from Cars in Britain | D．People’s Actions against Smog |
My aim in life is
There is no
Plastic pollution at sea is reaching worrying levels. According to a review of hundreds of academic
As plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, it also enters the marine food chain and
While consumers can help reduce plastic pollution by
Environmental problems are becoming more and more serious all over the world. For example, cars have made the air
There are different kinds of
The forms of pollution can be mainly divided into three kinds—solids, liquid and gas. The pollution is threatening our existence. Massive destruction of environment has brought about negative
We must face the situation that exists and take action
The earth is our home and we have the duty to take care
Air pollution, global warming and overflowing landfills are the most serious environmental problems we are currently facing today.
The main cause of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels.Other human activities,such as construction and the burning of waste,also contribute to air pollution.The effects on our health can be very serious.You can easily contribute to
Global warming
Landfills are used for waste disposal in many countries around the world.However,due
A sandstorm,
很多人认为目前我们正在面临“一次性文化”(throw-away culture)的冲击。我们习惯使用各种一次性用品，原因是它们方便、卫生，但是后果也是非常严重的——这些用品会破坏水源、污染土地和空气。假如你是李华，请写一封信给世界自然保护联盟，谈谈你对一次性用品的看法，包括以下内容：
●你是否有使用一次性用品的习惯以及理由;
●具体说明如何面对一次性用品造成的环境问题。
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8 . We all have an idea about the common types of environmental problems. However, light pollution may be a new term to many of us. But, the fact is that it does affect mankind, other living forms and the environment as a whole.
What is light pollution? It presents all forms of misused man-made light. The obvious cause of light pollution is the use of outdoor lighting products improperly. It can be office lighting, car headlights, station lights, streetlights and many more.
Light pollution is harmful to both animals and plants. Upon studies, it is found that obvious effects are observed in the behaviour of animals that are active at night. Needless to mention, bright light at night makes it difficult for these animals to hunt, wander and perform their regular activities. Light pollution is directly or indirectly responsible for causing several diseases. Its effects are related to disturbance in the physical rhythm (节奏). It contributes to risks of developing cancerous cells. So, it’s nothing less than a threat to human health.
You have already seen the negative effects of light pollution on animals and human health. Apart from this, the actual cost of misused light is about millions of dollars every year. It also leads to the release of greenhouse gases and global warming. After all, coal or gas is used for producing electricity.
While outdoor lighting and using man-made lighting products are part of our modern lifestyle, some simple ways will surely help in reducing light pollution. For example, while installing (安装) outdoor lighting, make sure that they are pointed downwards. Also, use only the required lighting equipment for both home and offices. Believe it or not, many people living in the urban areas cannot view clear sky and stars at night. Let’s contribute our part in reducing the pollution.
1. What can we learn about light pollution?| A．It has little effect on plants. |
| B．It contributes to most cancers. |
| C．It is a negative fruit of light technology. |
| D．It affects animals’ behavior during the day. |
| A．It increases the temperature at night. |
| B．It creates clouds in parts of the Earth. |
| C．It stops the release of greenhouse gases. |
| D．It is related to the burning of coal and gas. |
| A．Forbid the use of outdoor lighting. |
| B．Use clean energy to produce electricity. |
| C．Avoid unnecessary lights at home and offices. |
| D．Reduce money spent on light in urban areas. |
| A．Citizens should be banned to install outdoor lighting. |
| B．Only simple ways can help reduce light pollution. |
| C．There is no clear sky or stars over the urban areas. |
| D．Light pollution needs to be dealt with urgently. |
9 . The Dutch inventor Boyan Slat spends a lot of time thinking about the ocean.
After five and a half years of hard work, the 23-year-old Slat will watch from dry land as System 001 — a floating barrier nearly 2, 000ft long — snakes (曲折前行) its way out under the Golden Gate Bridge into the Pacific.
If all goes to plan, Slat says, a group of 60 systems could reduce the amount of plastic there by half by 2025. “I hope that this will be a turning point for the plastic pollution problem,” Slat tells TIME in a phone interview. “For sixty years it has only gotten worse and worse. Now hopefully we’re going to make a difference.”
Saving our oceans has been Slat’s single-minded goal ever since he was 16 years old, when a trip to Greece provided more plastic bag sightings than fish. Coming up with the idea for a floating barrier that could collect plastic using the power of ocean currents (洋流) alone, Slat founded his business, The Ocean Cleanup, aged just 18.
The idea caught people’s imagination around the world. In 2015, an early design of System 001 was featured on TIME’s list of the best inventions of 2015. The project has received millions of dollars of funding thanks to fast-changing public opinion on plastic.
Slat sees his mission as a race against time. Plastic gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics which can finally enter the food chain. “So the sooner we get it out, the better,” Slat says.
A big question that remains is what will happen to the plastic once it is brought back to land from The Ocean Cleanup’s systems. It’s possible that lots of the waste returned to land will be recycled into more single-use plastics that might one day return to the oceans again. “Big problems require big solutions,” he says. “If anyone has any better ideas, we’d love to know.”
1. What can Slat’s invention System 001 be used for?| A．Cleaning up ocean plastic. |
| B．Keeping a beach dry and clean. |
| C．Transporting passengers by sea. |
| D．Protecting living things in the Pacific. |
| A．He has a good head for business. |
| B．He is good at selling his idea to the media. |
| C．He has a deep sense of social responsibility. |
| D．He wants to change public opinion on the ocean. |
| A．It received great technical support worldwide. |
| B．It was unacceptable to fishermen. |
| C．It came into use very soon. |
| D．It was highly rated. |
| A．Making his invention available to the public. |
| B．How to deal with the collected plastic waste. |
| C．Recycling the waste created by his invention. |
| D．How to get more funding from the government. |
10 . A Plastic Ocean is a film to make you think.Think,and then act.We need to take action on our dependence on plastic.We’ve been producing plastic in huge quantities.Drinking bottles,shopping bags and even clothes are made with plastic.
The film begins as a journey to film the largest animal on the planet,the blue whale.But during the journey the filmmakers make the shocking discovery of a huge,thick layer of plastic floating in the Indian Ocean.
In the film there are beautiful shots of the seas and marine life.
They present short-term and long-term solutions.These include avoiding plastic containers and recycling as much as you can.The filmmakers also stress the need for governments to work more on recycling programmes.
We make a shocking amount of plastic.Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year,and at least 8 million of those are dumped into the oceans.The results are disastrous,but it isn’t too late to change.
| A．This causes them to travel around the world to look at other affected areas. |
| B．Once you’ve seen the film,you’ll realize it is time to do our part. |
| C．It has raised public concern all over the world. |
| D．We live in a world full of plastic,and only a small amount is recycled. |
| E．But the film doesn’t only present the negative side. |
| F．In conclusion,we only have one earth to live on. |
| G．These are contrasted with dumps of plastic rubbish. |
