Question

    One cool April 22 morning, people started the day as usual. Yet it was not a normal day. What’s so special about April 22? The answer is because it is Earth Day. People all over the world celebrate this important day. The idea of having a special day to celebrate Earth began in the 1960s. Life was very different then.1.  Most people had no idea how dirty our air and water were.

On April 22, 1970, twenty million Americans joined the first Earth Day activities. This showed that people really want to do something for the environment. Since then laws have been passed to protect the air, water, land, and animals. The vehicles (汽车) such as cars and buses you ride in must pass tests to make sure they don't cause too much pollution. Thanks to it, cars today give out about half as many bad chemicals as they did in the past.

2.It's a good thing because they have got a lot of help. The Cuyahoga River in Ohio     was so polluted that rubbish and oil on the river even caught fire! Today, the river is cleaner. It no longer burns.3.

Now the celebration has spread to other countries. More than 175 countries take part each year. Every April 22, millions of people get together to clean and protect the Earth. 4. Our job is to put this knowledge to work. You can help keep our planet healthy, too!

A.They also celebrate how far we have come.

B.It's healthy enough for birds, fish, and other animals.

C.As a result, the air we breathe is cleaner than it once was.

D.Few people talked or even thought about the environment.

E.Rivers and lakes are also cleaner today than they were before.

F.Many animals near and in the river come back again after that.

Answer

1.D

2.E

3.B

4.A

【解析】

文章大意：短文讲了每年的4月22日世界地球日，详细讲了人们在这一天认识到环境的重要性，及其环境不断得到保护和改善，鼓励人们保护环境。

1.

句意：很少有人谈论甚至考虑环境问题。

根据上文Life was very different then. 那时的生活非常不同。以及下文Most people. had no idea how dirty our air and water were.大多数人都不知道我们的空气和水有多脏。结合选项，可知D选项Few people talked or even thought about the environment. 很少有人谈论甚至考虑环境问题，符合语境，故答案选D。

2.

句意：今天的河流和湖泊也比以前更干净了。

根据下文It's a good thing because they have got a lot of help.这是件好事，因为他们得到了很多帮助。以及Today, the river is cleaner. It no longer burns.今天，河水更干净了，它不再被烧。结合选项，可知E选项Rivers and lakes are also cleaner today than they were before. 今天的河流和湖泊也比以前更干净了，符合语境，故答案选E。

3.

句意：它对鸟类、鱼类和其他动物来说都很健康。

根据上文Today, the river is cleaner. It no longer burns.今天，河水更干净了，它不再被烧。结合选项，可知B选项It's healthy enough for birds, fish, and other animals. 它对鸟类、鱼类和其他动物来说都很健康，符合语境，故答案选B。

4.

句意：他们还庆祝我们取得的成就。

根据上文Every April 22, millions of people get together to clean and protect the Earth. 每年的4月22日，数百万人聚在一起清洁和保护地球。结合选项，可知A选项They also celebrate how far we have come. 他们还庆祝我们取得的成就，符合语境，故答案选A。