1 . In the U. S., people eat more protein than they need to, which might not be bad for human health, but does pose a problem for the country’s waterways. The nation’s wastewater is loaded with the leftovers from protein digestion: nitrogen compounds(氯化合物) that can feed harmful algal blooms(藻华) and pollute the air and drinking water.
Maya Almaraz, a biogeochemist at the University of California, Davis, and her team wanted to see how much of this nitrogen entered into the U. S. wastewater system because of a protein-heavy diet. The researchers found that the majority of nitrogen pollution present in wastewater—some 67 to 100 precent—is a by-product of water people consume.
Once it enters the environment, the nitrogen can have a series of ecological impacts. It helps algae grow much faster than they would normally, which is harmful to humans, other animals and plants. And when the algae eventually die, the problem is not over. Microorganisms(微生物) that feed on dead algae use up the oxygen in the water, leading to “dead zones,” where many species simply cannot survive, in rivers, lakes and oceans.
Although it is possible to treat algal blooms, many of the current methods are not always effective at getting rid of all of the harmful growth. Some of these methods can even lead to additional pollution. So the best strategy for dealing with the effects of nitrogen pollution is prevention, says Patricia Glibert, an ocean scientist at the University of Maryland. Almaraz and her team suggest that controlling nitrogen pollution could be approached more quickly with a change in eating habits that could save billions of dollars in the long term.
1. Which aspect of Americans’ diet does Almaraz’s research focus on ?| A．Its variety. | B．Its effect. | C．Its make-up. | D．Its amount. |
| A．No oxygen for many species. | B．Death of lots of healthy algae. |
| C．Microorganisms’overconsumption of nutrients. | D．Poisonous chemicals released by harmful algae. |
| A．They are costly. | B．They may kill all algae. |
| C．They are slow to take effect. | D．They may cause secondary pollution. |
| A．It is high time to treat wild algae growth. | B．Eating too much protein harms the planet. |
| C．Prevention is better than cure in treating air pollution. | D．Researchers find solutions to the wastewater problem. |
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan was
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the
According to The Guardian, the Japanese government argued that they
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on March14 once again denounced (谴责) Japan’s unilateral (单边的) decision to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea,
3 . My husband and I always wanted to go to the Caribbean but didn’t know much about the islands or how we were going to afford it. By chance, a friend of ours in Australia mentioned “pet sitting” and that it is something you can do all over the world.
We quickly created an account on a pet sitting website and began searching for options. There were only a couple of sits available in that part of the world, but we tried our luck, sent a request, and to our surprise, landed a three-month job in Grenada, so our year was going to be taken up with Caribbean pet sits.
Inspired by a Canadian couple, we decided to start our own travel blog. We began by writing about The British Virgin Islands, highlighting the beautiful beaches. However, for every photo album of a beautiful beach, there were 10 photos of trash (垃圾). It was hard to ignore the plastic pollution issue, especially on such primitive and remote beaches. So, we began to share photos of the trash we saw and how much we could pick upon our daily dog walks.
The more we looked into plastic pollution, the more we realized the severity of the global plastic pollution. From that point, we used our platform to create awareness and highlight ways to say no to plastic and travel plastic-free. We changed our daily routines, our way of living, and even our diets to accommodate more organic foods and little to no plastic packaging.
It’s been over three years now and we continue to do what we can. This journey has led us to some amazing places, working with great brands and even organizing a country-wide beach clean-up campaign in Grenada.
Our aim now is to keep on going. We love connecting with like-minded people. It’s been amazing few years that was sparked by a conversation about pet sitting. Who would have guessed?
1. Why did the author do pet sitting?| A．To cover travel expenses. | B．To raise fund. |
| C．To conserve the environment. | D．To shoot beautiful beaches. |
| A．Pet sitting is a new sort of occupation. |
| B．The Caribbean is a perfect travel destination. |
| C．Travel blog is a superb way to gain popularity. |
| D．Actions should be taken to fight plastic pollution. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Significant. | C．Adventurous. | D．Unbearable. |
| A．Shifting Lifestyles by Pet Sitting | B．Address Global Environment Pollution |
| C．Unexpected Gains from Pet Sitting Travel | D．The availability of Pet Sitting in the Caribbean |
4 . The plastic value chain faces two key challenges: controlling plastic waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The chemical industry has a unique role to play in addressing these challenges. Cooperation between upstream and downstream partners is essential to develop solutions that reduce plastic pollution and emissions in plastic production. SABIC(Saudi Basic Industries Corporation)is at the forefront of these efforts.
SABIC has set specific goals, including a commitment to achieve icarbon neutrality(碳中 和) by 2050. To realize this goal, the company has outlined a Carbon Neutrality Roadmap that focuses on five pathways: energy efficiency; renewable energy; electrification; carbon capture, usage and storage(CCUS); and green/blue hydrogen.
Recognizing the scale of the challenges, SABIC understands that progress cannot be made alone. The company actively cooperates through initiatives, such as the Low — Carbon Emitting Technologies(LCET) initiative, where chemical companies work together to accelerate the development of technology solutions for carbon neutrality.
Partnerships are also vital in addressing plastic waste. SABIC is a founding member of the Alliance(联盟) to End Plastic Waste, an organization that brings stakeholders(利益相关者) from across the value chain together to take collective action on the ground. The alliance works towards a future where plastic products never end up in landfills or oceans, but instead are reused or transformed into new products. SABIC is also actively involved in driving the transition from a linear to a circular carbon economy. As responsible plastic producers, SABIC recognizes the importance of offering sustainable materials to customers.
Although the chemical industry has made significant progress, there is still more work to do to achieve the goals. SABIC is already making progress on the complex, long—term effort required and will continue to partner with others to increase the solutions needed to push meaningful change.
1. What kind of difficulty is the plastic value chain faced with?| A．Exploring renewable energy. | B．Reducing plastic production. |
| C．Decreasing plastic pollution. | D．Achieving carbon neutrality. |
| A．Technology development. | B．Partners’ cooperation. |
| C．Carbon neutrality. | D．Sustainable development. |
| A．Fruitless | B．Predictable. | C．Frustrating. | D．Rewarding. |
| A．SABIC: A leader mapping the path forward. |
| B．SABIC: A leader solving the plastic pollution. |
| C．SABIC: A leader reducing greenhouse gas emission. |
| D．SABIC:A leader founding the plastic value chain. |
5 . A sea of plastic is a disaster that we are currently facing. Our oceans are filled with plastic waste, and it is causing significant harm to marine life and the environment. The cause of this problem is the overuse of plastic in our daily lives, which is not being disposed (处置) of properly. Plastic waste is often thrown into the ocean, where it takes hundreds of years to decompose.
A recent study has shown that there are over 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, and this number is only increasing. This plastic waste is not only harming marine life, but it is also affecting human health. Fish that consume plastic are often caught and sold for human consumption, which means that we are also ingesting plastic.
To combat this problem, we need to reduce our use of plastic and properly dispose of it. We can start by using reusable bags, water bottles, and containers instead of single-use plastic. We can also recycle plastic waste and dispose of it properly to prevent it from ending up in the ocean.
Governments and businesses also need to take action to reduce plastic waste. They can implement (执行) policies and regulations to reduce the use of plastic and encourage recycling. Businesses can also switch to more sustainable packaging options to reduce their plastic waste.
In conclusion, a sea of plastic is a significant problem that we need to address urgently. By reducing our use of plastic and properly disposing of it, we can prevent further harm to the environment and marine life. It is time for us to take action and make a positive change for the future.
1. What worsens the plastic waste problem, according to paragraph 1?| A．The oceans are getting warmer and warmer. |
| B．The plastic is becoming cheaper to produce. |
| C．It turned out an issue that received little attention. |
| D．It takes several centuries for plastic waste to break down. |
| A．releasing | B．producing | C．swallowing | D．reducing |
| A．What the effects are of the plastic waste on humans. |
| B．What the three-Rs are to deal with the plastic waste problem. |
| C．What laws should be passed to deal with the plastic waste problem. |
| D．What individuals and society need do to solve the plastic waste problem. |
| A．It’s a call to action on it. | B．It’s an analysis of its cause. |
| C．It’s an introduction to a study on it. | D．It’s a warning of its consequences. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
When it come to the ocean, its pollution is becoming more and more serious. World Ocean Day, fall on June 8th, is aimed at raising aware of preserving the ocean.
The ocean plays a key role in our world. Not only does ocean offered us sufficient food, and it maintains the balance of nature. Thus, it is crucial for us preserve the ocean. First of all, place importance in our daily actions. For example, garbage can’t be thrown into the ocean.
What’s the more, we can also hand out booklets to call on more people to preserve the ocean. The more people are involved, the good the ocean environment is.
All in all, it is high time that we devoted ourselves to preserving the ocean. To preserve the ocean is to protect ourself.
7 . Microplastic pollution is increasing greatly around the globe, according to a study of plastic particles (微粒)carried in the air.
People are already known to breathe, drink and eat microplastics, and research suggests that pollution levels will continue to rise rapidly. The researchers said that breathing in these particles can be harmful to lung tissue and lead to serious diseases.
Professor Natalie Mahowald, at Cornell University in the US and part of the research team, said, “ But maybe we could solve this before it becomes a huge problem, if we manage our plastics better, before they accumulate in the environment and move around everywhere.”
The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Acadenry of Sciences, examined airborne (空气传播的)microplastics, which have been far less studied than plastics in oceans and rivers.
The team gathered more than 300 samples of airborne microplastics from 11 sites across the western US. These were the basis for atmospheric modeling that estimated the contribution from different sources (来源),and it was the first such study to do so.
They found that roads were the main factor (因素)in the western US, linked to about 85% of the microplastics in the air. These are likely to include particles from tires and brake pads on vehicles, and plastics from litter that had been broken down.
The researchers extended their modeling work to a global level and this suggested that while roads are also likely to be the major driver of airborne plastics in Europe, South America and Australia, plastic particles blown up from fields may be a much bigger factor in Africa and Asia.
Professor Andreas Stohl of the University of Vienna’s Faculty of Earth Sciences said, “The study confirms the global-scale (全球规模的)nature of microplastic transport in the atmosphere and does a good job in highlighting highly relevant and concerning possibilities, but more measurement data is needed to get a better idea of the sources.”
1. What can be known about microplastic pollution from this text?| A．The particles can do great harm to our lungs. |
| B．Airborne microplastics have been widely studied. |
| C．It has become the most pressing environmental problem. |
| D．There is less plastic in the air than in oceans and rivers. |
| A．Its results differ across many continents. |
| B．Africa and Asia are suffering most from it. |
| C．Roads and fields are largely to blame for it. |
| D．It spreads fast from one continent to another. |
| A．To predict the potential damage of microplastics. |
| B．To understand the nature of microplastic pollution. |
| C．To improve the method of collecting samples of microplastics. |
| D．To collect more data to understand the sources of microplastics. |
| A．Effects of microplastics on human health |
| B．Microplastic pollution on the global scale |
| C．Possible solutions to microplastic pollution |
| D．Microplastic pollution rising quickly in the air |
8 . Unless action is taken immediately, there is a good chance that all the oceans of the world will be dead. How can this possibly happen?
We have already seen that people allow all sorts of waste products to flow into the sea. It is almost impossible to measure how much waste water and industrial waste end up in our oceans, but we can find out how much oil is poured into them legally and illegally. It is illegal to pour oil into the sea close to the shore, but when a ship is many miles out to sea there are no such rules. Scientists have different ideas as to the amount of oil put into the sea, but the lowest figure for oil poured in European waters alone is nearly 200,000 tons every year. Some people say the figure could be ten times as high.
It is not only our coasts that suffer from oil pollution. Among other things, many shell fish (creatures which live in water), and have a hard shell — oysters and mussels, for example — now have high amounts of poisonous substances. Next time you have shell fish to eat, how can you be sure that they are free from oil pollution? You cannot see the effects and you cannot taste them, either. It is really quite a problem.
1. This passage is mainly about_________.| A．pollution in the oceans |
| B．the amounts of oil in the sea |
| C．the amounts of poison in shell fish |
| D．oil pollution in the waters |
| A．Oil ships which meet and strike each other. |
| B．Oil poured at sea when the oil tanks are cleaned out. |
| C．Oil coming out of the bottom of the sea. |
| D．Oil from waste water and industrial waste. |
| A．Pouring oil into the sea from land, especially when there is no other choice. |
| B．Allowing waste materials to flow into the waters. |
| C．Pouring oil at seaside. |
| D．Going fishing when the water is polluted by oil. |
| A．The seas around Europe and Africa. |
| B．The Atlantic Ocean. |
| C．The Arctic Ocean. |
| D．The Black Sea and the Mediterranean mainly. |
There are at least five hot spots of
These are gyres (海洋环流),
The scientists teamed up
They
As well as
This, they say, is yet another unintended consequence of plastic pollution for the ocean.
