Record fires sweeping across the Amazon this month have been grabbing global headlines as scientists and environmental groups are worried that they will aggravate climate change crisis and threaten biodiversity (生物多样性).
As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is often called "the lungs of the world". It is also home to about 3 million species of plants and animals, and 1 million local people. The vast rainforest plays an important role in the world's ecosystem because they absorb heat instead of it being reflected back into the atmosphere. They also store carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, ensuring that less carbon is released, mitigating the effects of climate change.
"Any forest destroyed is a threat to biodiversity and the people who use that biodiversity," Thomas Lovejoy, an ecologist at George Mason University told National Geographic. "The overwhelming threat is that a lot of carbon goes into the atmosphere," he stressed. "In the midst of the global climate crisis, we cannot afford more damage to a major source of oxygen and biodiversity. The Amazon mu:st be protected/5 U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) show that the number of forest fires in Brazil quickly increased by 82 percent from January to August this year from a year ago. A total of 71,497 forest fires were registered in the country in the first eight months of 2019, up from 39,194 in the same period in 2018, INPE said. "We estimate that the forest areas in the Brazilian Amazon have decreased something between 20 and 30 percent compared to the last 12 months," Carlos Nobre, a researcher at the University of Sao Paulo, told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Brazil owns about 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest, whose degradation could have severe consequences for global climate and rainfall. The extent of the area ruined by fires has yet to be determined, but the emergency has transcended (超出)Brazil's borders, reaching Peruvian, Paraguayan and Bolivian regions.
1.Which of the following best explains "mitigating” underlined in Paragraph 2?
A.Worsening. B.Causing. C.Easing. D.Benefiting.
2.What can we learn from Thomas's and Antonio's words?
A.The biodiversity makes the rainforest unique.
B.The rainforest fires result in serious consequences.
C.The global climate crisis brings more rainforest fires.
D.The dry weather leads to the rainforest fires.
3.Why does the author list the numbers in Paragraph 4?
A.To present the reduction of rainforest areas.
B.To show the influence of forest fires.
C.To explain the process of the research.
D.To prove the importance of rainforest.
4.Which section of a magazine is this text probably taken from?
A.Sports and music. B.Science and technology.
C..Business and culture. D.Nature and geography.
If you’ve ever visited London, it’s likely that you’ve heard the loud chimes（鸣响）of Big Ben, the 157-year-old clock bell of the UK’s Houses of Parliament（议会）.
But on Aug 21, the world’s most famous bell fell silent. This is because the Palace of Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, needs to be repaired. The workers who’ll carry out the repairs don’t want their ears to be damaged by the sounds of the huge bell, reported BBC News. Big Ben won’t ring again regularly until 2021.
There’s been quite an emotional response to the move. Several members of parliament gathered in front of the Houses of Parliament to hear the bell’s last regular chime for four years. A few even shed tears, as if they were attending a friend’s funeral.
But a number of politicians are angry about the lengthy silencing of Big Ben, calling it a symbol of Britain, according to ABC News. And some members of public agree with it. “It’s our heritage,” David Dummigan, from Cumbria in the north of England, told The New York Times. “People come from all over the world to look at it and listen to it. It’s part of British history.” This kind of emotional reaction could be linked to “fears about Britain losing its voice and place in the world, which is part of the threat that comes from Brexit”, according to CNN. “The reality of losing a place at the top table is being made obvious,” it wrote.
Worries aside, fans of Big Ben will still be able to hear its unique chimes during special occasions such as New Year’s Eve. But if we do miss hearing Big Ben on a regular basis, we could always set its sound as our message tone.
1.Why did Big Ben fall silent?
A.To get Big Ben repaired.
B.To create a quiet environment for residents.
C.To protect the workers’ ears.
D.To remove some politicians’ anger about it.
2.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A.Big Ben needs to be repaired.
B.Big Ben is a symbol of Britain.
C.The UK is losing its voice in the world.
D.Big Ben should ring on special occasions.
3.Why did Britons react emotionally?
A.Fears about Big Ben falling silent forever.
B.Threat coming from the rise of other countries.
C.Worries about not being able to visit Big Ben anymore.
D.Worries about the UK losing its influence on the world.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Britons React Emotionally to Big Ben’s Silence.
B.Britons are Worried about the Fall of the UK.
C.Britain is Losing its Place at the Top Table.
D.Big Ben Falls Silent for Four Years.
Recently, Whitewater Middle School students in the US looked at 200 pounds (90.7 kg) of food. Their classmates threw it away after a meal in the cafeteria. They found the remains of pizzas. They saw untouched green salads and pieces of bread bitten only once. It was，they said, both disgusting and educational.
"You don't realize how much food waste you're making till you see it," said student Cody Gist.
To deal with this problem, Whitewater added environmental science as a school-wide program this year. Teachers are guiding their students through research on the ways food is linked to environment, poverty, and people's health.
The school changed to compostable (可用作堆肥的)paper trays (托盘)as well. Working with Every Tray Counts, a US nonprofit group, the school hopes for a change from disposable trays to compostable paper trays.
This isn't just an exercise at school. Whitewater is joining a network of schools, businesses and neighborhoods. They try to make composting as mainstream as recycling.
"The larger issue is protection of landfill (垃圾填埋场)space," said Laurette Hall, an environmental management official. The area has enough space to last for maybe 25 more years, she said. That isn't as much as it sounds in such a rapidly growing area.
Principal Beth Thompson said students advise each other on new ways to deal with trash.
"Students understand why it matters so not one student refused to do extra work when throwing away their waste," Thompson said.
Whitewater teachers make sure students know how their own eating habits are part of bigger problems. In environmental literature class, students read books such as Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.
Mollie Lyman works with several language arts classrooms. Their classes discuss such issues as how poor neighborhoods often have less access (使用权)to healthy food.
Lyman says she wants students to ask some basic questions: "What do we eat? What do we waste?”
1.Why did Whitewater Middle School students look at the food?
A.To prepare students for the environmental science course.
B.To find out the calories of different kinds of food.
C.To see how food was connected with other problems.
D.To check what foods were most popular among students.
2.What measures did Whitewater Middle School take?
① Introducing a new course about the environment.
② Using compostable paper trays in the cafeteria.
③ Setting up a group called Every Tray Counts.
④ Joining others to make composting common.
A.①②④ B.①②③ C.①③④ D.②③④
3.What did Laurette Hall worry about?
A.People don't want to protect landfill space.
B.Students don't know how to recycle trash.
C.There won't be enough landfill space in the future.
D.Students don't understand the waste problem.
4.What is the purpose of the article?
A.To tell readers how important it is to save food.
B.To share how a US school is making an effort for the environment.
C.To encourage schools to have environmental protection classes.
D.To call on students to care about poor people.
Scientific Books
Amazon offers a wide range of books for readers to choose from. Here are some splendid books for lovely kids.
How to be a Scientist
Steve Mould
Price: $8.81
This book is for the child who is forever asking questions. It encourages young readers to hug those questions, seek out answers, and try out some fun experiments that will entertain the whole family. We can't wait to get our hands on this one!
LEGO Women of NASA: Space Heroes
DK
Price: $11.72
Not only is this splendid book filled with many LEGO characters, but it's also filled with educational facts! Your little one will love learning about ladies like Mae Jemison, Sally Ride, Margaret Hamilton, and Nancy Grace Roman through this fun-to-read book.
Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly
Price: $12.75
You've likely seen the Academy Award-winning film Hidden Figures, but now you can introduce these amazing women to your kids as role models. This picture book explores the story of these amazing mathematicians and the barriers they overcame to have extraordinary careers with NASA.
If I Built a Car
Chris Van Dusen
Price: $ 6. 39
It' s a fact—kids love things that move. They are cars, planes, trains, and all you name it! This fun story describes little Jack's dream about designing a perfect car, including a pool, a fireplace, and much more. The young engineer in your family will be begging you to read If I Built a Car each night before bedtime.
1.For whom is the book How to be a Scientist most suitable?
A.Parents admiring famous scientists.
B.Parents loving entertainment.
C.Kids with curiosity about science.
D.Kids with a preference for Chinese characters.
2.Which of the following books was made into a film?
A.How to be a Scientist
B.If I Built a Car.
C.LEGO Women of NASA : Space Heroes.
D.Hidden Figures.
3.Who wrote the book about a young designer?
A.Chris Van Dusen. B.DK.
C.Steve Mould. D.Margot Lee Shetterly.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When is the opening day of America's Cup Park?
A.July 4th. B.July 7th. C.September 9th.
2.What sport is the America's Cup about?
A.Running. B.Swimming. C.Sailing.
3.How many teams will be competing in the Challenger Series?
A.Two. B.Three. C.Four.
4.Which team won last year's Challenger Series?
A.An American team. B.An Italian team. C.A Swedish team.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why was the man so late?
A.He was caught in the traffic.
B.The bank opened late.
C.He forgot about time in the bank.
2.Who did the man meet at the bank?
A.His old friend. B.A tourist. C.His co-worker.
3.What did Nicolas give the man?
A.His phone number. B.Some money. C.A map.
4.What will the speakers do after eating and drinking?
A.Go back home.
B.Go on touring.
C.Look for Nicolas.
