Are Oceans Silent?
Most sea creatures, from whales and dolphins to fish, sharks and shrimps, respond to sound, and many can produce it. They use it to hunt and to hide, find mates and food, send messages and give warnings, establish territories, warn off competitors, confuse their targets, deceive enemies, and sense changes in water and conditions. Marine animals click bones, grind teeth and belch gases (磨牙打嗝); use special organs to make various noises. Far from the ‘silent deep’, the oceans are so noisy.
Into this age-long confused noise, in the blink of an evolutionary eye, has entered a new thunder: the trembling sound of mighty engines as 46,220 large ships passed the world’s shipping courses. Scientists say that background noise in the ocean has increased roughly by 15 decibels (分贝) in the past 50 years. It may not sound like much in overall terms, but it is enough, according to many marine biologists, to mask the normal sounds of ocean life going about its business. At its most intense, some even say noise causes whales to become disoriented, dolphins to suffer from ‘the bends’, fish to go deaf, leave their breeding grounds or fail to form groups—enough to disorganize the basic biology of two thirds of the planet.
“Undersea noise pollution is like the death of a thousand cuts”, says Sylvia Earie, chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Each sound in itself may not be a matter of critical concern, but taken all together, the noise from shipping, earthquake-related surveys, and military activity is creating a totally different environment than existed even 50 years ago. That high level of noise is bound to have a hard, sweeping impact on life in the sea.
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A. generated B. mechanically C. partnership D. reforming E. powered F. efficiency G. growing H. greatly I. sustainable J. revolutionize K. emissions |
The Inevitable Plastics Revolution
The Guardian once called plastic “Man’s worst invention”. One of the lesser-known uses of plastic is to reduce carbon emissions. For example, plastics make vehicles lighter thereby increasing their
Currently that isn’t the case. Of the 24.5 million tons of plastic waste
That has to change, says Marc, one of the world’s leading chemicals and plastics manufacturers. “With a
Today most plastic is made from petrochemicals, using processes
91. The Problem of Packaging
A large source of rubbish is packaging material. It often makes up more than 30 percent of the total. To understand why this is true, think of the packaging commonly used for a simple product, such as toothpaste. The packaging includes not only the tube for the toothpaste, but also the box for the tube. This box is put into a plastic wrapper. Then, the boxes are transported in a cardboard container.
Most packaging material ends up in a landfill after it is thrown away. Though necessary, landfills take up valuable space, often stink, and can leak harmful substances into the soil. Landfills not included, the production of packaging material itself is a major source of air and water pollution.
People are now trying to solve the problems caused by packaging materials. In 1991, Germany took the lead by requiring companies to recycle the packaging used for their goods. To do this, the companies set up recycling bins in every neighborhood. Consumers now separate their rubbish into three categories—metal, plastic and paper cartons. They then put it into the appropriate bin. The rubbish sorted, it is transported to recycling company for processing.
The programme worked well at first. However, the amount of rubbish has begun to increase again. One reason for this is that many consumers no longer reduce waste because they think the problem is solved. It seems that to properly deal with the problem of rubbish, everyone must remain alert and do their part.
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4 . What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world’s oceans. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California.
PLASTIC
It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. More than half of this plastic is less
The strong and floating plastics show resiliency(韧性) in the marine environment, allowing them to be transported over
Once these plastics enter the gyre(环流), they are unlikely to leave the area until they
LOCATION
Due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, the GPGP’s location and shape are constantly changing. Only floating objects that are
By simulating concentration levels in the North Pacific, the researchers were able to follow the location of the patch and found on average it orbits around 32°N and 145°W. However, the team observed seasonal
IMPACT ON WILDLIFE
Plastic has increasingly become a very common substance in the ocean. Due to its size and color, animals
Studies have shown that about 700 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these
IMPACT ON HUMANS AND SOCIETY
Once plastic enters the marine food web, there is a possibility that it will contaminate the human food chain as well. Through a process called bioaccumulation, chemicals in plastics will enter the body of the animal
A.ACCUMULATION | B.DRIFT | C.FLOATING | D.PROMOTION |
A.light | B.thick | C.tiny | D.dense |
A.adjusted | B.overdone | C.deposited | D.extended |
A.upgrade | B.degrade | C.assemble | D.disassemble |
A.transportation | B.estimation | C.concentration | D.location |
A.predominantly | B.rarely | C.previously | D.slightly |
A.similarity | B.shift | C.boost | D.figure |
A.exchange | B.substitute | C.leave | D.confuse |
A.implications | B.interactions | C.interferences | D.influences |
A.resting | B.feeding | C.risking | D.waiting |
A.mariner | B.prey | C.tracker | D.predator |
A.present | B.absent | C.current | D.reliable |
A.Likewise | B.However | C.Moreover | D.Therefore |
A.result in | B.remove from | C.stem from | D.bring about |
A.insufficient | B.adequate | C.insignificant | D.substantial |
Boyan Slat, a Dutch inventor is cleaning the world’s most polluted rivers in an effort to save the oceans. He has made it his mission
Just 10 rivers are responsible for around 90% of all that plastic,
The Ocean Cleanup is effectively using floating trash collectors called “Interceptors”. These solar-powered, autonomous systems use the rivers’ currents to guide the trash onto a conveyor belt that carry the waste to
The first interceptor went to work in Jakarta, Indonesia, to pull plastic from a waterway called the Cengkareng drain. A second interceptor began collecting trash flowing down the Klang river in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On the other side of the world,
“
The Ocean Cleanup is working with the local governments and communities to help retrieve (取回) the plastic the Interceptors collect. “By stopping plastic in rivers, we hope to not only address the big global plastic pollution issue, but also really help make life better for the people
The Ocean Cleanup’s goal is to tackle the thousand most polluted rivers within 5 years. Soon interceptors
“We are getting out tons of plastic every single day,” Slat said. “We accept that we won’t deliver magic in one go. But we’re doing this, step by step.”
1. Which of the following can prove the air quality in Britain has improved in the last 30 years?
A.Total emissions of smoke in the air have been controlled within 85% since 1960. |
B.The dense “ smogs ” of the 1950s haven’t appeared again in major cities except London. |
C.Winter sunshine has increased by 70% or so since the late 1950s in central London. |
D.The government has successfully taken measures to reduce emissions from new vehicles. |
A.The possible impact of dense “ smogs ” on health. |
B.The emissions from a larger number of motor vehicles. |
C.The new vehicles adopted to reduce extensively emissions. |
D.The pollutants produced by new vehicles and factories. |
A.It promotes air quality management by structuring a new framework. |
B.It provides a national project containing air quality targets for the year 2050. |
C.It suggests local institutions bear the duty to monitor air quality in their boundaries. |
D.It includes pilot schemes to be taken forward in 40 areas before full implementation. |
A.Different types of pollution. | B.Some effects of pollution. |
C.The prevention of noise pollution. | D.Noise is a kind of pollution. |
A.They can’t be heard all the time. |
B.They are not familiar to most people. |
C.They only exist in the remote countryside. |
D.They’ve become a part of our daily life. |
A.To find out all the sources of noise pollution. |
B.To become more sensible of our surroundings. |
C.To realize the importance of protecting ourselves from it. |
D.To change the way of making noise in our normal life. |
如今,随着网购和物流业的发展包装的浪费现象十分严重。请你具体说明包装的浪费现象,并提出建议。你的文章必须包括:
1). 生活中此类浪费现象的具体表现;
2). 你对减少该现象的具体建议。
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9 . Last week came solid evidence that living in toxic Britain can seriously harm your health. Cardiologists at Queen Mary University of London found that even "safe" levels of air pollution are linked to heart abnormalities similar to those seen during the early stages of heart failure. Their study of almost 4,000 people was backed up by a major US study which showed that higher exposure to fine particles and nitrogen oxides is linked to an acceleration in the hardening of the arteries (动脉).
We have long known that air pollution leads to coughing, shortness of breath and irritation in the eyes, nose and throat. It is also clearly linked to respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as diabetes and some cancers. It is now beyond doubt that children's health is greatly affected, and links have been made between it and Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia and congenital birth defects.
The statistics are alarming. In the UK, more than 2 million people suffer from cardiovascular (心血管的) diseases, and nearly one in seven men and one in 12 women will go on to die from them. Heart disease costs the UK economy nearly £30 bn a year to treat, as much as the state spends on secondary education. It is one of the greatest single drains on the public purse. Britain, however, rejects common sense, and shows little sign that it wants to seriously address pollution any time soon.
Despite the mounting evidence of air pollution's costs and health impact, Britain has had to be dragged screaming through the courts to make it comply with minimal clean air guidelines and laws. Successive governments have continually tried to evade their legal responsibilities, spending millions of pounds fighting in the courts and lobbying the EU to be allowed to continue to pollute.
The government now has a new draft clean air strategy our for consultation until 14 August and claims to be acting faster to tackle air pollution than almost every other major developed economy. It pledges to halve the number of people living in places that do not meet World Health Organization pollution guidelines, and it propose to end the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040.
But intending to cut the air pollution bill by around 12.5% in 12 years and waiting 20 years to be rid of the worst vehicles seems criminally weak. Meanwhile, government is knowingly forging ahead with infrastructure plans that will inevitably increase air pollution. The effect will inevitably be to massively increase air pollution and health costs for millions of Britons.
So could the car-clogged streets of Sunder-land, Birmingham and London, where I lived for many years, have contributed to my disease and those of millions of others? Probably. Could the oil companies be responsible for far more than climate change? Certainly. Could Britain's monstrous and mounting bill for heart disease be partly due to the highly polluting diesel cars that governments so scandalously encouraged us to drive? Quite possibly.
What is certain is that air pollution is now an international scandal, and the cause of a health emergency that governments and industry have failed to address. It undoubtedly threatens life more than any war or disaster. When there are clear alternatives to burning fossil fuels then politicians who do not act to prevent it must stand accused not just of failing to act, but of condoning the mass poisoning of their people.
1. According to the study, ________ is probably unrelated to air pollution.A.diabetes | B.stomachaches | C.Alzheimer | D.artery hardening |
A.British government has been screaming for help in court |
B.EU has dissuaded British government for help in court |
C.British government has tried to have EU's permission for more pollution |
D.The government firmly refused to act in accordance with the clean air guideline. |
A.Britain will implement it faster than other major developed economies. |
B.It presents a practical way to end pollution from vehicles. |
C.Its goal will be achieved at the price of massive health cost. |
D.It's aiming too low when more pollution is expected. |
A.Government officials should feel disgraced for non-action as leaders. |
B.The government should cover the bills for air pollution and related diseases. |
C.Oil companies should not be held accountable for the international scandal. |
D.British government is an irresponsible one for encouraging people to use vehicles. |
10 . COVID-19 lockdowns had strange effects on air pollution across the globe
Ever since the covid-19 spread, many changes have come with the
Researchers found it a strange but
During the lockdown, passenger traffic plumbed, and traffic-related emissions—particularly CO2 and NO2—
A.seemingly | B.absolutely | C.relatively | D.theoretically |
A.criticized | B.issued | C.imposed | D.publicized |
A.suffered | B.witnessed | C.reformed | D.respected |
A.worth | B.busy | C.demand | D.symbolic |
A.rare | B.precious | C.applicable | D.respective |
A.halved | B.growing | C.increasing | D.double |
A.meaningful | B.honorable | C.tough | D.rough |
A.adapt | B.acknowledge | C.accomplish | D.adopt |
A.exchanging | B.reminding | C.persisting | D.concerning |
A.expect | B.treasure | C.test | D.appreciate |
A.relieve | B.settle | C.comfort | D.signal |
A.turned | B.kicked | C.fell | D.crushed |
A.key | B.indirect | C.wide | D.negative |
A.leak | B.collapse | C.lift | D.resist |
A.strike | B.take | C.investigate | D.analyze |