Question

    Blue Planet II's latest episode (情节) focuses on how plastic is having a destructive effect on the ocean and slowly poisoning our sea creatures. Researchers recently also found that sea creatures living in the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, have plastic in their stomachs. Indeed, oceans are drowning in plastic.

Though it seems that the world couldn't possibly function without plastics, plastics are a remarkably recent invention. The first plastic bags were introduced in the 1950s, the same decade that plastic packaging began gaining popularity in the United States. This growth has happened so fast that science is still catching up with the change. Plastics pollution research, for instance, is still a very early science.

We put all these plastics into the environment, but we still don't really know what the outcomes are going to be. What we do know, though, is disturbing. Ocean plastic is estimated to kill millions of marine animals every year. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by it. One in three leatherback turtles, which often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, have been found with plastic in their bellies. Ninety percent of seabirds are now eating plastics on a regular basis. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 100 percent.

And it's not just wildlife that is threatened by the plastics in our seas. Humans are consuming plastics through the seafood we eat. I could understand why some people see ocean plastic as a disaster, worth mentioning in the same breath as climate change. But ocean plastic is not as complicated as climate change. There are no ocean trash deniers (否认者), at least so far. To do something about it, we don't have to remake our planet energy system.

This is not a problem where we don' t know what the solution is. We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to deal with it. We know how to recycle. We can all start by thinking twice before we use single-use plastic products. Things that may seem ordinary, like using a reusable bottle or a reusable bag-when taken collectively, these choices really do make a difference.

1.Why is plastics pollution research still a very early science?

A.The plastics pollution research is too difficult.

B.Plastics have produced less pollution than coal.

C.Plastics have gained popularity too fast for science to catch up.

D.The world couldn't possibly function without plastics.

2.How did the author support his opinion in Paragraph 3?

A.By citing quotes from leading experts. B.By making a comparison and contrast.

C.By listing examples from his own experience. D.By presenting solid statistics.

3.What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?

A.We reap what we sow. B.The shortest answer is doing.

C.All things are difficult before they are easy. D.Actions speak louder than words.

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.The oceans become choked with plastic. B.Ocean plastic is a global issue.

C.Blue Planet II has left viewers heartbroken. D.Plastics gain in popularity all over the world.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。研究人员最近还发现，生活在地球最深处马里亚纳海沟的海洋生物胃里有塑料。事实上，海洋正淹没在塑料之中。据估计，海洋塑料每年杀死数百万海洋动物，不仅仅是野生动物受到海洋塑料的威胁，人类也会通过食用海鲜来消耗塑料。作者认为最好的办法就是人类开始采取行动。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中This growth has happened so fast that science is still catching up with the change. Plastics pollution research, for instance, is still a very early science.(这种增长速度如此之快，以至于科学仍在追赶这种变化。例如，塑料污染研究仍然是一门非常早期的科学)可知，塑料污染研究仍然是一门非常早期的科学是因为塑料的普及速度太快，以至于科学无法跟上。故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段中One in three leatherback turtles, which often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, have been found with plastic in their bellies. Ninety percent of seabirds are now eating plastics on a regular basis. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 100 percent.(人们发现，三分之一的棱皮龟的腹部都有塑料制品，而它们经常把塑料袋误认为是水母。现在，90%的海鸟定期食用塑料制品。到2050年，这一数字预计将升至100%)可知，作者在第三段是通过提供可靠的统计数据来支持自己观点的。故选D。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段中We can all start by thinking twice before we use single-use plastic products. Things that may seem ordinary, like using a reusable bottle or a reusable bag-when taken collectively, these choices really do make a difference. (在使用一次性塑料产品之前，我们都可以三思而后行。一些看起来很普通的东西，比如使用可重复使用的瓶子或袋子——如果把它们放在一起，这些选择确实会有所不同)可知，作者在最后一段想告诉我们对于塑料污染最简短的回答就是采取行动。故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据文章第一段中Researchers recently also found that sea creatures living in the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, have plastic in their stomachs. Indeed, oceans are drowning in plastic.( 研究人员最近还发现，生活在地球最深处马里亚纳海沟的海洋生物胃里有塑料。事实上，海洋正淹没在塑料之中)结合文章主要内容为说明海洋被大量的塑料充斥着，影响了海洋生物和人类，故A选项“海洋被塑料堵塞了”符合文章主旨。故选A。