【生态环保、自然灾害类】话题阅读练习（三）
（阅读理解 9 篇+完形填空 1 篇）
Passage 1
In the world of water, 2021 was another year for the record books. Parts of Western Europe suffered from
deadly floods while large areas of the southwestern United States remained locked in a massive drought.
One might think that our impressive water management would safeguard society from such catastrophic events.
Yet when it comes to water, the past is no longer a good guide for the future and most of the water engineering is
unprepared for consequences of increasingly occurring extreme weather. One of the most alarming wake-up calls
came from the city of Cape Town, where the water taps of 4 million residents were nearly forced to be shut off
during severe drought because its reservoir (水库) dried up.
Appealing as it might be, the solution is not to further build bigger and higher dams (大坝 ) that often result in
more disastrous flooding. Instead, it is to work more with natural processes.
The Netherlands avoided major damage from the historic floods in July 2021 thanks to its recently completed
project, which gives rivers room to spread out by redirecting floodwaters into wetlands, lowering parts of the rivers
by more than a foot. Agricultural practices offer another strategy. Scientists have found that boosting organic
matter in the soil by 1% can increase the soil's
water-holding capacity by up to 18,000 gallons per acre, creating flexibility to both the rains and dry periods.
This means farmland practices such as the planting of cover crops can not only raise output but improve water
management.
Solutions don't come easily, but they are key to a livable future. While it's too late to avoid the impacts of
climate change, we can avoid the worst of those impacts by investing more in such nature-based water solutions.
1. Cape Town is mentioned to show
A. the reservoir was of no use
B. new water management is in need
C. how awful it was without tap water
D. the existing water management is impressive
2. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?A. The Netherlands was spared from flood damage.
B. The river's water level was reduced to over a foot.
C. Improving soil's water-holding ability is practical.
D. Planting crops boosts organisms at the cost of production.
3. Which of the following water projects might win the author's favor?
① “Restoring Healthy Soil”
② “Filling Wetlands”
③ “Strengthening Dams”
④ “Making Room for Rivers”
A.12 B. 23 C. 34 D. 14
4. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Water disasters: way out of control
B. Investment in water: a key to the future
C. Nature-based solutions: ways out for water
D. Good news: farming practices working well
Passage 2
It's a warm June afternoon, and in a group of bushes and trees, a bird sings. A small insect climbs over a leaf.
The Muziekplein forest, next to an 18-story building and a railway line, is about the size of a basketball court;
before it was planted in 2018, the area was a parking place. The forest is one of seven such extremely small forests
in the Dutch city of Utrecht, and 144 across the Netherlands. By the end of this year, according to IN Nature
Education, the organization proposing the country's initiative (计划) , there will be 200.
Since the first forest was planted in the Netherlands in 2015, the concept has become popular. Daan Bleichrodt,
who launched IN's Tiny Forest initiative with the goal of making it easier for children to get into and connect with
nature, said that he thought it is popular because people are becoming more aware of major environmental
challenges. It's a very practical way to do something positive in the light of climate change and loss of biodiversity.
Jeroen Schenkels, a senior adviser for the city of Utrecht on green planning, said he saw the mini-forests as
nature-based approaches that are able to help the city weather heat waves and improve water retention (保持).But
one of the biggest interests is social. " One of the most important things is that they give people the opportunity to
be involved in nature in the neighbourhood," Schenkels said.Between 2018 and 2020, 40 different plant and animal groups and 121 total animal species were found in the
Muziekplein forest alone. According to Wageningen University researchers, across the 11 tiny forests in their study,
volunteers observed 636 animal species. They also identified 298 plant species in addition to the original species
planted in the plots. Maintenance (维护) of the forests occasionally involves removing aggressive weeds, but in
general new plant species, such as wildflowers that appear, are allowed to grow.
1. What do we know about the Muziekplein forest?
A. It is newly planted.
B. It sits in an urban area.
C. It grows along a railway.
D. It is shaped like a basketball court.
2. What's the purpose of the Tiny Forest initiative?
A. To make people realize environmental challenges.
B. To make nature more accessible to children.
C. To increase the Netherlands' biodiversity.
D. To call for action on climate change.
3. What does Paragraph 3 focus on?
A. Benefits of mini-forests in cities.
B. Ways to keep neighbourhoods green.
C. Inspiration for planting forests in cities.
D. Importance of being exposed to nature.
4. How does the author state the forests effect on biodiversity?
A. By listing figures.
B. By giving examples.
C. By doing experiments.
D. By making comparisons.
Passage 3
On the face of it, the Laysan albatross（信天翁）is doing fairly well. Its population is around 1.6 million, and
may be growing. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as " nearly endangered" and
places it on the second level from the bottom of the organization's seven ladders to extinction. However, like thereasonably abundant monarch butterfly(帝王蝶），the Laysan albatross has an Achilles heel. Though monarchs
range across much of North America, many have lived over winter in the same few small woods in central Mexico.
Destroy those trees and you would endanger the species. The Laysan albatross is alike in this respect.
Adult birds cross much of the Pacific Ocean. But more than 90% of the Laysan albatross started life on one of
two sites, Midway and Laysan, which have been developed from their original mountainous volcanic islands to
their current state, only coral rocks sticking out a few meters above sea level. Wipe out those breeding (繁殖）
places and the Laysan albatross would shoot right up the IUCN ladder.
And that is just what some experts fear, for both Midway and Laysan, which are among the oldest parts of the
Hawaiian chain, have been damaged over time. A storm in 2011 destroyed hundreds of thousands of nests, and
thousands are lost even in normal years. Rising sea levels may make this worse. Then it is time to spread the
species' risk by building breeding places for the Laysan albatross elsewhere.
A project set up by a group called Pacific Rim Conservation(PRC) began to do so in 2015. They moved albatross
eggs to Oahu, home of Hawaii's capital Honolulu. After developing and hatching, they are shifted to a wildlife
shelter and hand-fed for five months until they mature and leave the island.
The group also broadcasts albatross calls and places some model birds, hoping these tricks will encourage the
baby birds to come there to breed as adults. That seems reasonably good. Of the 46 Laysan albatrosses
successfully raised, seven have so far returned. And, as a bonus, the model birds and calls have also attracted
hundreds of adult Laysan albatross visitors, including the four pairs that have begun to nest.
1. What's the similarity between the monarch butterfly and the Laysan albatross?
A. They are native to central Mexico.
B. Their habitats are greatly destroyed.
C. Their populations are on the increase.
D. They rely much on certain conditions.
2. What are some experts afraid of?
A. Rising sea levels.
B. The harmful storms.
C. Loss of albatrosses' living places.
D. Destruction of the Hawaiian chain.
3. Which of the following best describes the PRC project?
A. It's never too late to mend.
B. Actions speak louder than words.C. Prevent trouble before it happens.
D. Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
35. Why does the group use albatross calls and model birds?
A. To attract the albatross back to nest.
B. To help keep the ecosystem balanced.
C. To make the conservation more lively.
D. To offer chicks a healthy environment.
Passage 4
Sewing can be fun and creative. But have you ever thought that a sewing machine can also mean the world to
many people around the globe that use it as their main source of income?
When Margaret Jankowski discovered this, she decided to found The Sewing Machine Project, an organization
that collects donated used machines and redistributes them in remote places like Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Guam,
and Kosovo. It also aims to help those in Detroit and New Orleans.
In 2004, when a tsunami(海啸）hit Sri Lanka,Margaret was deeply touched by the story of a particular woman.
After the village she lived in was destroyed by the natural disaster, she lost everything, including her sewing
machine, her approach to future earnings. This story made Margaret decide to collect used sewing machines and
send them to Sri Lanka. After attending a local news program where she presented her idea, she started receiving
scores of sewing machines.
The Sewing Machine Project covers a basic yet necessary need of many impoverished people around the world.
For them, sewing can be a tool for survival. Whether in a factory or at home, a sewing machine can be the door to
brighter financial opportunities.
After Hurricane Katrina occurred in 2005, a community of New Orleans that wears skilfully made suits for their
own traditional festival lost many of their sewing machines. Since then, the non-profit organization has distributed
hundreds of machines among the creators of the costumes, helping them maintain their cultural identity as well as
their income.
1. Why does the author raise the question in the first paragraph?
A. To make readers reflect. B. To lead up to the project.
C. To stress the role of sewing. D. To introduce sewing machines.
2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?A. Destruction of the 2004 tsunami. B. Inspiration for the organization.
C. The story of a woman in Sri Lanka. D. The experience of Margaret in 2004.
3. What does the underlined word " impoverished"Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Disabled. B. Suffering. C. Poor. D. Displaced.
4. Why is the community in New Orleans mentioned the end?
A. To introduce its cultural identity.
B. To prove the importance of keeping traditions.
C. To explain the project's achievement.
D. To show another function of sewing machines.
Passage 5
Plastics are amazing materials, which are widely used in our daily life. Besides, they're often cheap to make.
About 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic has been produced to date. That's about 1,400 times the weight of the Great
Pyramid of Giza. Some of that plastic is still in use. But about 5. 8 billion metric tons have been thrown away.
All that plastic waste is an environmental scourge（祸根）. Only about 9 percent of plastic waste has been
recycled. Another 12 percent has been burned. The remaining 79 percent has wound up in landfills or in nature.
And that plastic, like a single Lego block, takes a long time to decompose(分解）.
Plastic litters the world from the highest mountaintop to the deepest seafloor. Many animals mistake this
rubbish for food. If they get full, these animals may forget to eat real food and suffer. Plastic rubbish in the oceans
also leaves birds, turtles and other wildlife in a jam.
Big pieces of plastic aren't the only problem. Abandoned plastic can break into tiny bits called microplastics.
Winds blow these bits far and wide. Ocean currents can spread them throughout the sea. These pollutants build up
inside animals. They also get into our food and drinking water. Each American is likely to consume more than
70,000 microplastic pieces per year. Right now, no one knows what risk that might bring.
Scientists have some ideas about how to clean up this mess. The Ocean Cleanup is developing cleanup systems to
fish out plastic pieces from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Microbes or mealworms with an appetite for plastic
might someday eat the garbage. And new nanotechnology could help microplastics decompose in the environment.
But many of these plans are still far from effective so far. The best way to help Earth right now is to stop buying
so much plastic - and then throwing it out - in the first place.
1. What does the Lego block show about plastic waste?A. It is hard to break down.
B. Little of it has been burned.
C. It is easy to accumulate.
D. Most of it ends up in landfills.
2. How might the plastic rubbish influence animals?
A. By starving them.
B. By reducing their food.
C. By piling up in their homes.
D. By changing the environment.
3. What is the author's attitude to the present methods of cleaning plastic waste?
A. Opposed. B. Supportive. C. Objective. D. Doubtful.
4. Why does the author write the text?
A. To criticize plastic production.
B. To suggest ways to handle plastic.
C. To advocate environmental protection.
D. To introduce the state of plastic pollution.
Passage 6
ReconAfrica, a Canadian oil and gas company, has rented over 34,000 sq km of land in one of the last great
wildernesses in Africa for plans to develop a new oilfield. The exploratory work has started, and experts disclose
that the new oilfield could be among the biggest of recent years. But conservationists are afraid that the oilfield
across Botswana and Namibia would lead to the devastation of local wildlife and communities.
The plans are the latest threat to elephants in the area, hundreds of which have passed away in the past years.
Scientists are making efforts to discover the cause of their death but believe global heating provides the perfect
environment for algae(藻类）to fast grow and that when there is a large quantity of algae in their waterholes,
deadly poisons can be produced.
" It is incomprehensible that ReconAfrica's hunt for fossil (化石) fuels is pressing ahead," Rosemary Alles
from Global March for Elephants and Rhinos said."Here we are with hundreds of elephants dying, but a few
kilometers away they want to start drilling for yet more oil. " She noted that vibrations (颤动 ) and noise from
exploratory work are known to disturb elephants, and the increase in construction, roads and traffic would not only
drive the animals away but also open the area up to hunters.The Namibian government said only exploratory licences had so far been given, adding that the
exploratory wells Were not found in any "environmentally sensitive region and will have no significant effect on
our wildlife". But environmentalists and local communities said the project could harm main water supplies. "
Every part of this operation —from new roads to drilling locations —will threaten the regional ecosystem," said
Nnimmo Bassey, director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation.
1. What does the underlined word " devastation" mean in the first paragraph?
A. Division. B. Destruction. C. Difference. D. Defence.
2. What might have directly caused elephants' death?
A. The overuse of fossil fuel.
B. An increasing amount of algae.
C. Climate change on the earth.
D. Poisonous water polluted by oil.
3. What does Alles think of ReconAfrica's plans?
A. Unfavourable. B. Challenging. C. Urgent. D. Illegal.
4. What is the text mainly about?
A. The ecosystem in Africa is being damaged.
B. ReconAfrica plans to construct a new oilfield.
C. A new oilfield threatens the survival of elephants.
D. The number of African elephants is declining.
Passage 7
We're all familiar with migration（迁徙）：Wildebeests dash across Africa; monarch butterflies fly across the
Americas... But did you know that forests migrate, too?
In his new book The Journeys of Trees, science writer Zach St. George explores an extremely slow
migration, as forests creep inch by inch to more pleasant places.
"The migration of a forest is just that many trees sprout（发芽）in the same direction," St.George writes.
"Through the fossils that ancient forests left behind, scientists can track their movement over thousands of years.
They move back and forth across continents, sometimes following the same route more than once, like migrating
birds or whales. " This has happened over thousands of years, and climate change tends to be the driving force.
Of course, today, climate change is speeding up, and trees can't keep pace. Take California for example: It's
getting hotter and drier and scientists estimate that—Before too long, Sequoia National Park may not be able tokeep giant seguoias（巨杉）.
"The scientists there had never seen anything like St. George says. " They worried, and I think at some point we
will lose these ancient trees and that we will have to think about what we do with the places, and whether we
should plant new groves where they are easy to grow. "
This is known as " assisted migration" - humans plant trees in other places where they're more likely to flourish.
But this process carries risks—people can accidentally introduce insects and diseases to new places, where they
may wipe out entire native populations.
So, St. George writes, there's a debate among conservationists and foresters today: Should humans help the trees
escape?
" There may be cases where people are probably going to step in and help species move to places where they'll
be more suitable in the future," St. George says. "So far, there are no huge movements of citizen groups moving
trees north. But that is kind of one vision of the future that the people I interview sort of hope to see. "
1. What can be learned about the migration of a forest?
A. It is mainly the result of climate change.
B. It often follows certain migrating species.
C. It takes thousands of years to complete it.
D. It is very difficult to track the migration.
2. Why does the author mention Sequoia National Park?
A. To stress the park is facing a severe situation.
B. To show trees fail to adapt to climate change.
C. To prove "assisted migration" carries risks.
D. To state scientists are hopeful about the environment.
3. What does the underlined word " flourish " in Paragraph 6 mean?
A. Become valuable. B. Develop rapidly. C. Grow well. D. Escape diseases.
4. What's St. George's attitude towards helping the trees escape?
A. Skeptical. B. Supportive. C. Objective. D. Disapproving.
Passage 8
When you walk on a sandy beach, it takes more energy than walking down a sidewalk - because the weight of
your body pushes you into the sand. It turns out that the same thing is true for vehicles driving on roads.
"The weight of the vehicles creates a very shallow indentation （四痕）in the pavement — like it'scontinuously driving up a very shallow hill," said Jeremy Gregory, a scientist at MIT. He modeled with his
teammates how much energy could be saved and how much greenhouse gases could be avoided by simply
hardening the nation's roads and highways.
And they found that hardening 10 percent of the nation's roads every year could prevent the emission equal to
440 megatons of carbon dioxide over the next 5 decades - that amount is equal to how much CO, you'd spare the
planet by keeping a billion barrels of oil in the ground or by growing 7 billion trees for a decade. It reduces 0. 5%
of projected transportation emissions over that time period.
As for how to harden roads, Gregory says you could combine small amounts of certain fibre with high
technology into paving materials. Or you could pave the roads with specially-made concrete, which is harder than
ordinary construction materials.
This system could also be a way to shave carbon emissions without some of the usual barriers. " Usually, when it
comes to reducing emissions in the transportation sector, you're talking about changing policies related to vehicles
and also driver behavior, which involves millions and millions of people — as opposed to changing the way we
design and preserve our pavements. That's just on the order of thousands of people who are working in
transportation agencies. " And when it comes to improving our streets and highways - those agencies are where
you might say the rubber meets the road.
1. How does the author develop Paragraph 3?
A. By giving examples. B. By making classification.
C. By listing figures. D. By analyzing causes.
2. What does Gregory suggest for hardening roads? *
A. Mixing fibre with special concrete.
B. Changing regular paving materials.
C. Creating hi-tech computer models.
D. Using ordinary building materials.
3. What is an advantage of the road-hardening system?
A. It reduces construction costs.
B. It profits transportation agencies.
C. It regulates driver behavior.
D. It avoids involving too many people.
4. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Walking Down Beaches or Sidewalks?B. Hardening Roads Helps Save Energy
C. How to Cut Down Carbon Emissions
D. A System of Hardening Roads
Passage 9
How important is fish farming? Very. Although it's an ancient business, the rise of aquaculture has been one of the
biggest revolutions in food supply over the past half century.
Aquaculture has made fish more affordable for consumers around the world, popularizing the consumption of
what used to be expensive, and easing the pressure on hard-pressed wild stocks. Aquaculture also has many clear
environmental benefits: compared with other ways of growing animal protein, it uses little or no land, and has low
greenhouse emission. And while the world has traditionally had a bad record of regulating wild fishing, fish
farming generally occurs within the boundaries of governments, meaning it should, in theory, be much easier to
ensure that good practices are upheld.
Crowding large numbers of fish into limited spaces means that waste products, including waste, uneaten food
and dead fish, are poured into the surrounding waters, polluting them. Besides, the pesticides and drugs used to
treat conditions that upset fish in Concentrated numbers can also affect local wildlife.Many farmed fish are fed on
other fish, so the industry also puts pressure on wild stocks: about a fifth of all caught fish, some 18 million tonnes,
are used for fish oil and fishmeal production. There is also the problem of fish escaping, with potentially dangerous
effects on surrounding ecosystems.
In 2018 the Scottish Parliament's environment committee published a report on the fish farming industry's
environmental effects, stating that key problems simply hadn't been tackled, and that the Scottish government's plan
to double salmon output by 2030 could cause" irrecoverable damage" to ecosystems. Since then, protection has
been toughened. There is now more pressure from regulators to situate farms in remote, deep-water locations.
Meanwhile, though, catches of Scottish wild salmon have fallen to their lowest level since records began in 1952.
"There are good reasons for fish farming and real dangers to it as well," concludes an official. "The question is how
to make it work. "
1. How has fish farming benefited people?
A. It has many clear environmental effects.
B. It can monitor the wild fish in limited areas.
C. It makes it easier for more people to consume fish.D. It's easier for the government to make fish product.
2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A. The reasons for fish farming.
B. The downside of aquaculture.
C. The development of sea exploring.
D. The effects on surrounding ecosystems.
3. What do we know about fish farming according to the Scottish report?
A. The massive fish farming may damage ecosystems.
B. The problems of fish farming are likely to be solved.
C. The fish farming industry has no effect on the environment.
D. The Scottish government plans to double fish output now.
4. What is the writer's attitude towards aquaculture?
A. Objective. B. Doubtful. C. Critical. D. Disapproving.
Passage 10
On a cold November night, Layton was on his way home when he got an urgent call from his mother. "The
mountain's on fire," she 1. " and many rental guests are up there. "
Layton's family 2. a dozen rental cottages on Shields Mountain. At the thought of this, Layton 3.
the gas.
He 4. first to their rental cottages to make sure that their guests were 5. Fortunately, all their guests
were. At that point, he made up his mind to 6. their cottages to rescue tourists 7. other cottages
nearby.
Over the next two hours, he travelled through the 8. mountain, knocking on doors and leading 9.
people to safety. Knowing the mountain so well, he drove one after another family down the mountain on roads 10.
in smoke in his pickup. When one family was 11. from the fire, Layton would take the pickup 12. up
the mountain in search of another 13. person. He helped one elderly woman flee barefoot 14.
the hot road surface to reach her car. He also found a man nearly unconscious in a burning cottage and 15.
him to his pickup. He helped 14 people out of danger despite the fact that he 16. escaped burns.
17. his brave and immediate action, the fire didn't 18. a single life on Shields Mountain. And
though his home and business were destroyed, Layton remains 19. . " I wasn't worried about the property20. , not when I saw those families trapped on the mountain," he says. "I knew I was gonna help them. "
41. A. explained B. declared C. whispered D. screamed
42. A. shared B. owned C. discovered D. built
43. A. hit B. watched C. caught D. picked
44. A. walked B. flew C. headed D. ran
45. A. gone B. missing C. scared D. awake
46. A. fix B. save C. sell D. leave
47. A. touring B. renting C. repairing D. deserting
48. A. smoky B. foggy C. cloudy D. rainy
49. A. confused B. hesitant C. curious D. panicked
50. A. highlighted B. ruined C. covered D. lost
51. A. happy B. safe C. absent D. tired
52. A. back B. home C. away D. out
53. A. disabled B. excited C. stubborn D. trapped
54. A. across B. into C. through D. over
55. A. led B. pulled C. carried D. pushed
56. A. unfortunately B. narrowly C. accidentally D. generally
57. A. Apart from B. Due to C. Except for D. As for
58. A. claim B. spare C. protect D. drop
59. A. intelligent B. generous C. philosophical D. critical
60. A. income B. price C. value D. damage
