When travelling overseas, do you buy water in plastic bottles or take your chances with tap water? Imagine you are wandering about on a Thai island or
That’s the conclusion of a recently
Confronted with this evidence, several bottled-water manufacturers including Nestle and Coca-Cola undertook
2 . At any moment, about half the world’s population is wearing denim (牛仔布). But few realize tiny bits of denim have been adding up to a surprising amount of pollution in water, as a new study shows.
Sam Athey, one of the study’s authors, says, “Even though denim is made of a natural material—cotton—it contains chemicals.” Cotton fibers are treated with many types of chemicals, she notes. Some improve its durability (耐久性) and feel. Others give denim its distinctive blue color.
Athey and her team washed jeans and found that about 50,000 microfibers come off from each pair per wash. Not all of those fibers make their way into the environment. Wastewater treatment plants catch about 83 to 99 percent of them. Catching 99 percent may sound pretty good. But one percent of 50,000 is still 500 fibers per wash. And since every pair of jeans is washed again and again, it still adds up to lots of microfibers entering water environments.
Denim microfibers showed up in sediment (沉淀物) from the Great Lakes. More of these fibers polluted a series of shallow lakes in southern Ontario. They even turned up in sediment from the Arctic Ocean in northern Canada. The team found denim accounted for 12 to 23 percent of microfibers in the sediment. There were other microfibers too. But the team focused on denim because so many people wear jeans.
“Everyone wears jeans so they could be our largest input of microfibers into our streams and soils,” Athey says. “An easy way to limit that is by washing our jeans less often.” Athey grew up thinking she should wash her jeans after every couple of wearings, but most jean companies recommend washing them no more than once a month. “The solution is not that you shouldn’t wear jeans,” she says. “We need to buy fewer denim clothes and only wash them when they truly need it.”
1. Why are chemicals used to deal with cotton according to the passage?A.To avoid its harm. |
B.To make it into denim. |
C.To remove its blue color. |
D.To prevent fibers from falling. |
A.wastewater treatment plants are good at dealing with microfibers |
B.few microfibers are entering water environments |
C.catching 99 percent means doing no harm to the environment |
D.the effects of microfibers can not be ignored |
A.The seriousness of denim pollution. |
B.The types of water pollution. |
C.The wide uses of denim. |
D.The large water area of Canada. |
A.Wash jeans more often. |
B.Avoid wearing jeans. |
C.Produce less jeans. |
D.Reduce denim consumption. |
3 . 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. |
4 . Are you a tea drinker? If so, you’re not alone. Every day around the world millions of cups of this popular brew are drunk, and it’s been that way for thousands of years. The oldest discovered tea is from the Han Dynasty, dating from 206BC to 220AD. But it’s thought that the tea trend really took off during the Tang Dynasty in the 8th Century, when it became China’s national drink. Now, Turkey, the Republic of Ireland and the UK are believed to be the biggest tea—drinking nations, per capita.
Tea is consumed in many ways-slurped, sipped or glugged. It can be poured from pots, infused or brewed in the cup using tea bags—and it’s this latter process that is causing concern. Research last year found some premium tea bags might be leaving billions of microscopic plastic particles in the cup. Scientists from McGill University in Montreal found that some ‘plastic’ tea bags shed high levels of micro plastics into water. However, The World Health Organization says such particles in drinking water do not appear to pose a risk.
Most tea bags are made from paper, with a small amount of plastic used to seal them shut— made from oil. This has led to debate about whether they can be recycled, but many are still composted. However, gardener Mike Armitage has told the BBC that the plastic contained in the soil could be washed into streams and rivers and ultimately out to sea.
Unilever, the owners of the tea brand PG Tips, said their tea bags are made with a small amount of plastic—used to seal them—and that they are suitable for composting. And the brand Yorkshire Tea said their bags do contain 25% polypropylene, but they were “actively developing plant—based and biodegradable alternatives”.
While tea bag manufacturers might be doing their bit to reduce plastic pollution, it could be a good time to switch your favourite beverage to coffee, or if that isn’t your cup of tea then try using loose-leaf tea, which can have a better flavour.
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?A.Tea can be consumed in many ways. |
B.The use of tea bags doesn’t appear to pose a risk |
C.The use of tea bags is causing concern. |
D.Some tea bags might be leaving microscopic plastic particles in the cup. |
A.reduce the amount of plastic used to seal tea bags |
B.wash the plastic in the soil into streams, rivers and sea |
C.develop plant-based and biodegradable alternatives |
D.switch to coffee or try to use loose-leaf tea |
A.Supportive | B.Indifferent | C.Opposed | D.Neutral |
A.Potential Plastic Pollution |
B.Chinese tea culture |
C.What is your favorite drink? |
D.The Humble tea bag |
5 . Not even the sea is safe from the glare (强光) of humans’ light at night. Researchers published the first global maps of ocean light pollution. It shows large parts of the sea lit up at night. And that risks confusing or disrupting the behaviors of sea life.
Tim Smyth led a team to research where in the water this glow is strongest. Smyth and his colleagues started with a world map of man-made night-sky brightness that had been created in 2016. Then they added data on the ocean and atmosphere. Some data came from shipboard measurements of man-made light in the water. Others came from satellite images that judge how clear the water is. Particles (微粒) in the water, such as tiny floating plants and animals, can affect how far downward light travels. These factors vary from place to place and may change with the seasons. The team also used computers to copy how different wavelengths of light move through water.
Next, they wanted to know how that underwater light might affect animals. Not all species will be easily affected. The team focused on copepods (桡足亚纲甲壳动物) . These common creatures are a key part of many ocean food webs. They use light as a signal to move all together to the dark deep, seeking safety from other surface creatures. Normally they use the sun or the winter moon as their signal. Too much man-made light can mess up their usual patterns.
Light pollution is strongest in about three feet of the water. Here, man-made light can be strong enough to confuse the copepods. Nearly 2 million square kilometers of ocean get such strong night light. That’s an area about the size of Mexico. Farther down, the light gets weaker. But even 65 feet deep, it’s still bright enough to bother copepods across 840,000 square kilometers of ocean.
The team described its findings December 13 in Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene.
1. Which of the following best explains the underlined word “disrupting” in Paragraph 1?A.Upsetting. | B.Observing. | C.Ensuring. | D.Protecting. |
A.They are not affected by underwater light. |
B.They can escape attacks with the help of light. |
C.They are main eaters of other creatures. |
D.They can weaken the effect of man-made light. |
A.By stating opinions. | B.By listing numbers. |
C.By raising questions. | D.By giving reasons. |
A.Light Pollution from Sea Life | B.Living Conditions of Copepods |
C.Discoveries of Copepods | D.Light Pollution Even in Sea |
6 . In 1907, Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite — the first ever plastic. Since then, plastics have been used widely in various industries and people’s lives. Plastic bags were introduced to supermarkets in 1977. Now, 160,000 plastic bags are used globally every second!
Plastic bags live on much, much longer — perhaps as much as 1,000 years in a landfill (垃圾填埋地).
When plastic breaks down in the ocean, it doesn’t break down completely.
Plastic bags cause the death of many sea animals when they are mistaken for food. In 2008, a whale was found beached in California. It died due to the more than 22 kilos of plastic found in its stomach.
The key to improving our environmental behavior is to make a plan. And you should build your environmental muscle memory: Put your recyclable bags somewhere that will ensure you always remember to bring them with you.
If you drive to the store, keep your bags in your car.
Through this act of green, you have created a plan to ensure you will always have your reusable grocery bags on hand when you need them.
A.If you bike, keep them in your basket. |
B.But it only counts if you stick to the plan. |
C.It remains harmful even when it breaks down. |
D.Plastic bags are billed for their “convenience”. |
E.It just gets smaller and ends up getting eaten by fish. |
F.So we know that we should never use plastic grocery bags. |
G.You’ll feel proud when you see what a difference you’ve made! |
7 . There is an “environmental silver lining” as a result of the corona virus (冠状病毒) —carbon emissions have been reduced by more than 4%, many wildlife markets around the world have been closed and air quality in some places has slightly improved, Dave Ford, founder of the environmental literacy organization Soul Buffalo, says.
However, because of an increase in pandemic-related, non-recyclable materials such as take-out plastic containers and masks, 30% more waste has entered our oceans, he notes. “There's 129 billion facemasks being made every month—enough that you could cover the entire country of Switzerland with facemasks at the end of this year if trends continue,” he says. “And a lot of these masks are ending up in the water.” The masks look like jellyfish—in other words, food—to turtles and other wildlife creatures, thus, attractive to those animals and then endangering them, he says.
Very little of the plastic we use is actually recyclable. Sharon Lerner of The Intercept told Here & Now last year that "the vast majority of plastic that has ever been produced—79%—has actually ended up in landfills or burned, but not remade into new products." Even if the plastics we have can be reused, Ford says recycling programs across the globe are facing severe budget cuts.
“We're starting to see recycling programs stopped, waste picking communities operating at 50% or actually shutting down. They are the last line of defense between plastic and the environment,” he says.
Last year, Unilever planned to cut its use of non-recycled plastics in half by 2025. In an interview with Here & Now, Richard Slater, Unilever's chief research and development officer, drew on the industry argument that plastic packaging is lighter, which means less shipping and therefore fewer dangerous emissions that cause climate change.
Yes, plastics are lightweight and can cut down on fuel spending. But on the other hand, plastic waste is being found in every aspect of life—even in the deepest ocean.
1. What does “environmental silver lining” in Paragraph 1 refer to?A.An environmental organization. |
B.The closure of some wildlife markets. |
C.Benefits on environment from the corona virus. |
D.The decrease of carbon dioxide emissions. |
A.There is a continuous shortage of food in the ocean. |
B.They contain certain unique chemicals. |
C.Many sea creatures like to chase plastic by nature. |
D.They look like the sea creatures' food. |
A.The majority of it is buried or burned. |
B.Most of it is recycled into new products. |
C.129 billion facemasks end up in the ocean. |
D.There is enough budget for plastic recycling. |
A.Plastic can cut down fuel spending |
B.The corona virus has caused more ocean plastic |
C.Recycling programs are shutting down |
D.Solutions to ocean plastic pollution are being explored |
8 . Flower scents (香味) help pollinators (传粉者) locate their favorite plants. Scientists have established that air pollutants change those scents, throwing off the tracking abilities of such beneficial insects as honeybees. But new lab experiments are the first to confirm that one pollinator, the tobacco hawkmoth, can quickly learn that a pollution-changed scent comes from the jasmine tobacco flower that the insect likes.
Chemical ecologist Markus Knaden and colleagues focused on one pollutant-ozone, the main element in smog. In the lab, his team blew an ozone-changed scent from a tiny tube into a tunnel, with a moth (飞蛾) awaiting at the far end of the tunnel. Usually, when the moth smells the unchanged scent, it flies upwind and uses its long, skinny mouthparts to probe the tube the way that it would a flower. The researchers expected that the changed scent might throw the moth off a little. But the insect wasn’t attracted at all.
In addition to scent, tobacco hawkmoths track flowers visually, so Knaden’s team used the feature, along with a sweet snack, to train the moth to be attracted to a pollution-changed scent. The researchers wrapped a brightly-colored artificial flower around the tube to trick the moth back across the tunnel, despite the unfamiliar scent. And the team added sugar water to the artificial flower. After a moth was given four minutes to taste the sweet stuff, it was attracted to the new smell when sent into the tunnel 15 minutes later, even when neither the sugar water nor the visual signal of the artificial flower was present.
This study focused on only one moth species, but Knaden’s team is now working on planning experiments with other pollinators that are easier to follow than tobacco hawknoths. While he guesses honeybees might also be as adaptable as the moth was, that won’t be true of every pollinator. “The situation can become very bad for insects that are not as clever or cannot see that well. I don’t want the take-home message to be that pollution is not a problem.”
1. What does the underlined word “probe” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Surround. | B.Favour. | C.Access. | D.Examine. |
A.not all moths were attracted to ozone-changed scent as expected |
B.the current research conducted by Knaden is pioneering and wide-ranging |
C.not all pollinators are adaptable to human-driven changes to their environment |
D.the moth didn’t like the new smell without sugar water and artificial flower |
A.Positive. | B.Cautious. | C.Unclear. | D.Critical. |
A.A moth can be rid of the tracking ability to locate its favourite plants. |
B.A moth is able to establish a relationship between pollution and scents. |
C.A moth may outsmart smog by learning to like pollution-changed scent. |
D.A moth is born with an ability to adapt to the changes in the environment. |
9 . A new report says plastics are responsible for $13 billion in damage to the oceans and the undersea environment. The findings were announced recently at a United Nations conference.
Plastic thrown away carelessly makes its way into rivers and other waterways.
The report also calls on panies to improve methods for using plastics.
A.The plastic eventually reaches coastal areas and ocean waters. |
B.But people can make a big difference. |
C.Plastics should be gathered together and reused. |
D.Then, fish may eat the plastics. |
E.It is convenient to use plastic bags in everyday life. |
F.It asks for them to better measure and direct plastic use. |
G.The report tells about harm to sea life and what might be done to improve the situation. |
1. What’s getting less and less these days according to the talk?
A.Empty land. | B.Garbage. | C.Water. |
A.Burying it. | B.Sending it out of our planet. | C.Using it as an energy source. |
A.It is hardly ever done. |
B.It causes air pollution. |
C.It is useless for hard materials. |