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Topic 3 The World and the Environment
(世界与环境)

Polar bears live in such environment that is too cold for most animals. For much of the year, they live and hunt on the 1 (freeze) Arctic sea ice. Nature has prepared them for the cold conditions but nothing has prepared them for the danger 2 threatens(威胁) their only home.

The polar bears’ world is melting. Polar bears 3 (suffer) in a warmer world are in danger. Studies show that the polar ice 4 (reduce) by 9.8% every 10 years since 1978. At present, about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears depend on the sea ice for their 5 (survive). “The sea ice is more than just the platform that the bears walk 6 ,” says Andrew Derocher, who studies North American polar bear populations. “Without 7 , they can't exist.”

Some melting and refreezing of the polar ice is natural. But in a 8 (warm) world, these cycles speed up, and bears have less time to hunt. 9 (normal), they have three months in the spring when they gain more weight and the extra fat is used later, 10 the bears are not actively hunting. Therefore, it is urgent to protect the environment and maintain the ecological balance.

In science fiction, space is often described as a silent, empty place but things are different. 1 reality,all of the equipment 2 (use) to keep a space station functioning can be so noisy 3 the astronauts working there cannot communicate with one another 4 (easy) — they have to shout. The high levels of sound may affect their work, and can sometimes even mean that they are 5 (able) to sleep. In addition,they must face other problems in space. Scientists have identified确认) over 70,000 items of rubbish left by former astronauts 6 still remain in orbit(轨道) around the earth. Most of them are 7 (small) than a tennis ball, but they still threaten the 8 (safe) of exploring in space. Even a small piece of metal couldcause a terrible disaster if it hit a manned spacecraft. Although generally astronauts do make 9 effort to bring most of their rubbish home, they don't always manage it. And they don't just leave their rubbish 10 (float) in space either.

To control the nation's growing problem with food wastage, the South Korean government has started a unique campaign—“Pay as You Trash”. 1 One is through an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)card—when users tap this card over a specially designed food waste bin, the lid will open. The waste is automatically weighed and recorded in the user's account. The user needs to settle this bill every month.

The second billing method is through pre paid garbage bags. 2 For instance, in Seoul, a 10-liter garbage bag costs around one dollar. 3 Residents (居民) throw food waste directly into bins and pay for it by purchasing bar code stickers attached to the bin.

Nearly every residential area in the nation is equipped with one of these three payment systems. Even before the pay-by-weight system was introduced, South Koreans were still being charged for food waste. The cost was simply divided equally among the residents of each apartment block. The new system is not only fair, but is also designed to make consumers really feel the price of food waste. 4

Thanks to the initiative, some housewives in Seoul are now adopting creative methods to avoid food waste. 5 They make sure to squeeze all the liquid out of leftover food before throwing it away.

A. There's also a bar code management system in place.

B. Three methods are in place to charge citizens for the food thrown away.

C. The food waste will go into the dustbin.

D. They began to realize that saving food is of importance.

E. While preparing vegetables, they try to use as many the eatable parts as possible.

F. These specially designed bags are priced based on volume.

G. The more food they throw out, the more they end up paying.

1._____2._____3._____4._____5._____

If you want to have a garden full of life and motion, you have to attract some wildlife.

It's not as difficult as it may sound. Your garden will attract insects, bugs, birds and mammals. 1 You will make yourself happy and at the same time you will provide a living space for these beautiful creatures.All you need to do is to follow this advice and you will have the garden of your dreams. If you think your garden has to be messy and untidy, you're wrong. You need waves and long-living plants and strong curves of hedges(树篱) and paths. 2 It's important to provide everything animals will need to live in your garden.

Provide food. 3 Planting native plants is what you have to do in order to attract wildlife. Plants like roses, honeysuckle and lavender attract different insects like bees and butterflies. Hummingbirds are fans of fuchsia and geraniums. Trees and shrubs that produce fruit, berries and seed are good sources of food for your little friends.

Provide some shelters for wildlife. You need to plant evergreen plants, too, because they are a suitable place for wildlife to take shelter.

Provide water. It's important to provide water. Some animals can use even your pool to have a bath.Bees love shallow water. You can have a fountain and a small artificial pond. It's vital to change the water in your pond regularly to avoid breeding mosquitoes.

Provide a place for wildlife to raise young. A birdhouse or a pile of brush can be a nice place for wildlife to raise their young. It's good to have climber-covered walls and fences to increase the possibilities not only for raising children, but also for feeding, nesting, roosting and hibernating.

4 Some species will overtake your garden and make it unfriendly. If there are wild cats that threaten the wildlife in your garden, it would be wise to take steps to keep those out.

A. It's advisable to have the grass.

B. Keep invasive species away.

C. Silence won't bother you anymore and you won't be alone.

D. It's reasonable to keep native species.

E. Kill invasive species as soon as it appears.

F. This can be as simple as placing a bird feeder.

1._____2._____3._____4._____

读后拓展 【微阅读】Smog Free Tower (雾霾净化塔)

In a city where smog routinely blankets the streets, a Dutch artist has offered an eccentric solution: a 7-meter (23-foot) metal structure that takes in smog and expels cleaner air.

一位荷兰艺术家为时常遭遇雾霾锁城的城市(北京)提供了一个不同寻常的解决办法:一个7米高的金属建筑,它能吸走雾霾,放出洁净的空气。

Daan Roosegaarde's Smog Free Tower opened recently on a small, grassy lot in Beijing's famed 798 arts district. Comprised of 45 silver plates resembling partially open window blinds, the tower contains an air-purifying machine that runs continuously with a low hum.

丹·罗斯加德设计的雾霾净化塔近日在北京著名的798艺术区一处小型草地广场亮相。雾霾净化塔由45块银色金属板组成,外形类似半开的百叶窗,塔内有一个连续低噪音运行的空气净化器。

【微技能】选句填空解题技巧(三):主题概括句

主题概括句以考查段落标题为主,设题位置一般在段首或段尾,考查文章的段落大意。在段首设空:通常是段落主题句。认真阅读该段下文的内容,根据段落大意,查找反复出现的同义词或其他相关的词,推断出答案。如与下文是并列、转折、因果等关系。着重阅读设空之后的第一、二句,锁定线索词,然后查找有相关特征的选项。如D篇的最后一空位于句首,是本段的主题句,在前几段中,都是祈使句位于段首,所以此空应是一个祈使句式,又知该段主要讲述防范外来入侵物种,而不是杀死它们,故选择B项。 7Ety+e2kXE1gb5qWTrxzHFzvp+WkBwyTaCCYap1ruh3wH9zYplGdFl1oT8rkHr9n

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