This new packaging material looks like conventional plastic, but it's actually made from fish waste and algae(海藻)--and unlike plastic, if it escapes into the ocean, a fish could likely eat it safely. The material, called MarinaTex, is the winner of this year's James Dyson Award.
"It began with my desire to work with waste," says Lucy Hughes, a recent graduate from University of Sussex, who once visited a fish processing factory to see the massive quantity of waste generated by the industry and find new ways to use it. She focused on fish skins and scales (鳞片). "When I had it in my hands, I realized this has got potential, she says. "It's super strong and flexible." Hughes spent months experimenting with fish waste in her kitchen, running more than 100 experiments to find a binder and a process that could hold together the proteins in the fish skins and scales. "I had a lot of failed attempts—a lot of things either were too easily broken or too soft or easily went bad," she says. She finally landed on a type of algae that can be locally got.
The material can be used to replace oil-based plastic in packaging such as bags or the half transparent windows used to show products in boxes. As her research continues, Hughes says that she'll be studying how MarinaTex works and how long it could be used to store food.
Unlike some "compostable" plastics, which need to be processed in an industrial composting facility to break down, the new material can break down in four to six weeks in a backyard compost bin. ''All the ingredients are food-grade safe," Hughes says." So, this breaks down much like a piece of food would break down."
1.Why did Hughes develop MarinaTex?
A.She wanted to look for a new plastic.
B.She would like fish to eat it safely.
C.She wanted to win James Dyson Award.
D.She wanted to make use of fish skins and scales.
2.What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.The fish processing factory. B.The fish waste.
C.Fish scales. D.Fish skins.
3.What is the main advantage of MarinaTex compared with conventional plastic?
A.It is stronger and more flexible.
B.It can be used as plastic bags.
C.It has the nutritional value for fish.
D.It can break down very easily and fast.
4.Which one is the best title for the passage?
A.Working with Waste B.Developing New Ideas
C.Making Bags from Fish Waste D.Getting Rid of Plastic Pollution
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
This new packaging material looks like conventional plastic, but it's actually made from fish waste and algae(海藻)--and unlike plastic, if it escapes into the ocean, a fish could likely eat it safely. The material, called MarinaTex, is the winner of this year's James Dyson Award.
"It began with my desire to work with waste," says Lucy Hughes, a recent graduate from University of Sussex, who once visited a fish processing factory to see the massive quantity of waste generated by the industry and find new ways to use it. She focused on fish skins and scales (鳞片). "When I had it in my hands, I realized this has got potential, she says. "It's super strong and flexible." Hughes spent months experimenting with fish waste in her kitchen, running more than 100 experiments to find a binder and a process that could hold together the proteins in the fish skins and scales. "I had a lot of failed attempts—a lot of things either were too easily broken or too soft or easily went bad," she says. She finally landed on a type of algae that can be locally got.
The material can be used to replace oil-based plastic in packaging such as bags or the half transparent windows used to show products in boxes. As her research continues, Hughes says that she'll be studying how MarinaTex works and how long it could be used to store food.
Unlike some "compostable" plastics, which need to be processed in an industrial composting facility to break down, the new material can break down in four to six weeks in a backyard compost bin. ''All the ingredients are food-grade safe," Hughes says." So, this breaks down much like a piece of food would break down."
1.Why did Hughes develop MarinaTex?
A.She wanted to look for a new plastic.
B.She would like fish to eat it safely.
C.She wanted to win James Dyson Award.
D.She wanted to make use of fish skins and scales.
2.What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.The fish processing factory. B.The fish waste.
C.Fish scales. D.Fish skins.
3.What is the main advantage of MarinaTex compared with conventional plastic?
A.It is stronger and more flexible.
B.It can be used as plastic bags.
C.It has the nutritional value for fish.
D.It can break down very easily and fast.
4.Which one is the best title for the passage?
A.Working with Waste B.Developing New Ideas
C.Making Bags from Fish Waste D.Getting Rid of Plastic Pollution
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
In an effort to fight plastic pollution, Indian company EnviGreen has produced a new material that looks like plastic, but is 100% organic and eco-friendly. You can even dispose (处理) of such a “plastic” bag by eating it.
EnviGreen founder Ashwath Hedge came up with this idea after seeing people struggling to find alternatives to plastic bags, following bans released by several Indian cities. So he decided to work on something that would solve this problem while being environment-friendly.
Hedge spent four years experimenting with various materials, but one day he discovered a combination of 12 ingredients, including potatoes, corn, vegetable oil, bananas etc, which looked and felt like plastic, but caused none of the environmental problems. The process is obviously a closely-guarded secret, but Hedge did reveal that the raw materials are first changed into liquid form, and then taken through a six-stage process to create the bags.
The cost of an EnviGreen bag is about 35% higher than that of a plastic bag, but the benefits of using the former are more than worth the extra cost. EnviGreen bags dissolve naturally in less than 180 days, and if placed in water at room temperature, they dissolve in less than a day. Placed in boiling water, they dissolve in about 15 seconds.
EnviGreen has begun to produce EnviGreen bags for commercial use. The company has set up a factory in Bangalore, where it produces around 1,000 tons of eco-friendly “plastic” bags a month. That’s not very much, considering that the city of Bangalore alone consumes over 30,000 tons of plastic bags every month, but Hedge says that he wants to set up enough factories before they start distributing to individual customers. They have started supplying the bags to big supermarkets like Metro and Reliance. Apart from protecting the environment, Hedge also plans to use EnviGreen bags to support local farmers.
Nowadays, over 15,000 tons of plastic waste is produced in India every day, only 9,000 of which are collected and processed. Inventions of EnviGreen can help solve this problem, so let's hope it lives up to its potential.
1.What can we know about EnviGreen bags?
A.They give out wonderful smells.
B.They cost much less than plastic bags.
C.They are beneficial to the environment.
D.They are developed by the Indian goverment.
2.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.it is very easy to produce EnviGreen bags
B.EnviGreen bags are made from various fruits
C.the details of how to make EnviGreen bags aren’t made public
D.the Indian government has banned plastic bags across the country
3.EnviGreen bags dissolve most quickly when they are ________.
A.thrown in the wild B.washed in cold water
C.buried in the soil D.put in boiling water
4.What can we infer about EnviGreen bags from the passage?
A.Individual customers cannot buy them so far.
B.They will replace all plastic bags in India soon.
C.They are not well-accepted by big supermarkets.
D.Local farmers are in great need of EnviGreen bags.
5.What does the author think of EnviGreen bags?
A.Wasteful. B.Practical.
C.Ridiculous. D.Crazy.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Researchers have discovered a new bacterium that feeds on polyurethane, a kind of plastic that is difficult to recycle or destroy. Scientists say the discovery could help reduce a flood of hard — to — recycle plastics that are ending up in the world's landfills（垃圾填埋地） and polluting oceans.
A team from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, found the new type of soil bacteria. It was spotted in an area that contained a large amount of plastic waste. The team discovered the bacteria were feeding on polyurethane diol, which was widely used in many different products.
One problem is that recycling polyurethane requires a lot of energy. The plastic material does not melt when heated. Most polyurethane-based products end up in landfills, where they can release dangerous chemicals. The team round that the bacterium can produce enzymes（酶）that eat away polyurethane. This would make it possible to break down the material in the environment. The results were recently reported in a study in the publication Frontiers in Microbiology. Hermann Heipieper helped write the report. He said in a statement the finding “represents an important step in being able to reuse polyurethane products.”
German study noted that plastic-eating bacteria could be easily controlled and produced for industrial use. The researchers said the next step is to find more information about the bacterial enzymes that can break down polyurethane.
Scientist Douglas Rader wrote about the issue in a 2018 article for the Environmental Defense Fund. He said much more study should be carried out to learn about the complex relationships between bacteria and marine ecosystems. “Such research is needed before we can take action such as putting plastic-eating bacteria into the ocean,” Rader wrote.
1.What is the problem about polyurethane?
A.It seems difficult to transport when it goes to landfills.
B.It affects the quality of plastic products if widely used.
C.It melts easily when exposed to the sun for a long time.
D.It pollutes the environment unless recycled or destroyed.
2.What do we know about the new type of bacteria from the text?
A.It can produce harmful chemicals. B.It can gradually destroy polyurethane.
C.It is very hard to discover and control. D.It is very likely to increase plastic waste.
3.What is Douglas Rader's attitude towards the future use of the new bacterium?
A.Doubtful. B.Disapproval.
C.Cautious. D.Enthusiastic.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.Plastic-eating Bacteria B.Plastic Waste — A Big Problem
C.Plastic and Ocean D.Polyurethane — A Bacteria killer
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
This kind of material can be used to ________ plastics.
A. take place B. take up
C. take on D. take the place of
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Are you looking for something to do? You might like to try one of these four experiences.
Crocodile watching
Do you fancy getting up close to some of the most terrifying animals on earth? Crocosaurus Cove, in Darwin (Australia) has the “Cage of Death”. It’s an enclosure that’s lowered into a pool. This gives you a 360 degree view of a crocodile as it’s being fed. The cable broke once and the cage sank to the bottom, but they’ve fixed it since then.
Edge walk
How about walking along the edge of a building several hundred meters up in the air? If that sounds like fun, head off to the CN Tower in Toronto (Ontario, Canada). Built in 1976, the tower is 553.33 meters tall.
The Edge walk consists of a 20-30 minute stroll along a 1.5 meter wide platform that runs around the tower’s restaurant roof. During the walk, you’re encouraged to lean forwards as you look over Toronto’s skyline (轮廓线).
Plastic ball rolling
Do you fancy rolling down a hill in a plastic ball?
Plastic ball rolling is popular all over the world, but the place to give it a go is in Rotorua (New Zealand). Brother David and Andrew Akers came up with the idea in 1994. A typical orb (球) is about 3 meters in diameter, with an inner orb size of about 2 meters. There’s no brake or steering mechanism, but the inner layer of the plastic ball helps absorb the shock.
Volcano bungee jumping
If you’re looking for the adventure of a lifetime, how about going bungee jumping off a helicopter into the crater of a live volcano? As part of the jumping, a helicopter ride takes you to the Villarreal volcano, one of the most active in Chile. Once you’re at the drop zone, you leap off the helicopter and fall into the volcano. Finally, you enjoy the ride back to the airport flying at 130kph.
Attracted by the above? If so, please contact us. Only half price from March 22 to April 25th For more information, please click here.
1.According to the passage, there was an accident once when people _____.
A.jumped into the Villarreal volcano
B.walked along the platform of the CN Tower
C.rolled down a hill in a plastic ball in Rotorua
D.watched crocodiles in the “Cage of Death” in Darwin
2.Which of the following was first invented in New Zealand?
A.Edge walk. B.Crocodile watching.
C.Plastic ball rolling. D.Volcano bungee jumping.
3.It can be inferred that all the four experiences are ______.
A.interesting sports B.exciting and extreme
C.held on high places D.fit for middle to old people
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Plastic waste is a huge problem in Indonesia, and this has led the country's second-largest city to come up with a novel approach to encourage residents to recycle—free bus rides in exchange for used plastic bottles and cups. The city of Surabaya launched the initiative back in April—the first Indonesian city to put it into practice, and citizens can ride city buses by either dropping off the plastic bottles and cups at terminals(终点站) or using the plastic items to pay their fare directly.
Under the new recycling initiative, a two-hour bus ticket costs up to five plastic bottles or 10 plastic cups, depending on the size. The city hopes this scheme will help it meet its target of becoming free of plastic waste by 2020.
''Garbage, like plastic bottles, piles up in my neighborhood, so I brought it here, so the environment is not only cleaner but also to help ease the workload of garbage collectors,'' said Linda, a resident of Surabaya.
According to Reuters, data show that 15 percent (nearly 400 tons) of the city's daily waste is plastic. The data also show that one bus can collect up to 550 pounds of plastic each day, totaling about 7.5 tons each month. After collecting the plastic waste, workers remove labels and bottle caps before the plastic is sold to recycling companies. This money then goes toward bus operations and to fund urban green spaces.
1.What does the underlined word ''initiative'' probably mean?
A.A new price of riding buses.
B.Dropping off the plastic bottles.
C.Selling plastic items to get fares.
D.The first action to recycle plastic.
2.What's Surabaya’s new way to deal with plastic waste?
A.Plastic items are only sold to companies.
B.Citizens are encouraged to sort plastic bottles.
C.Natives can take city buses instead of driving.
D.People can trade plastic waste for free bus rides.
3.What's Linda's attitude towards the program?
A.Doubtful. B.Supportive. C.Negative. D.Uncaring.
4.What's the purpose of Surabaya's taking the measure?
A.To develop the city's economy.
B.To call on green travel in the city.
C.To raise the environmental awareness.
D.To solve the worldwide social problem.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
An ordinary cotton T- shirt can be changed into body armour(盔甲), thanks to scientists from South Carolina, Switzerland and China. They combined the carbon in the cotton with boron to create a tough, lightweight fabric of boron carbide(碳化硼), the same material used to protect tanks.
Available at Wal-Mart, the new T- shirt would be not only bulletproof, but also resistant to ultraviolet light from the sun and life -threatening radioactive rays.
“The present armour is strong, but it’s not flexible and it’s very heavy. We tried to solve this problem with a different approach. In our approach, we used cotton T- shirts,” said Xiaodong Li, a scientist at the University of South Carolina. The trick for the scientists was combining melting boron with the carbon fibers inside the cotton fibers to form boron carbide. The great research began with a package of plain, white T-shirts purchased at Wal-Mart, which the scientists cut into pieces. They put those white cotton pieces into a black liquid of boron. After an hour, the cotton pieces were taken out from it and baked in an oven at a temperature of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius for an hour. As a result, only carbon and boron was left and then boron carbide came into being.
The resulting material is very different from the original ones at the start of the process—it’s lighter, stronger, tougher and stiffer than the original cotton, but it can still be bent, unlike normal boron carbide armour.
Li said that the physical features of the new material are still being tested, but “from our initial results we can say the test has been very, very promising.” “We expect that the material can stop a bullet,” Discovery News quoted Li as saying.
Covering cars or aircraft with cotton-based boron carbide, instead of the metal used today, would make these vehicles much lighter and more fuel- saving.
1.What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?
A.The features of new boron carbide. B.The advantages of new boron carbide.
C.The disadvantages of former boron carbide. D.The process of making new boron carbide.
2.What can we know from the text?
A.Many T- shirts are used to produce new materials.
B.The new T- shirts must be popular with children.
C.The new boron carbide contains many chemicals.
D.The new material has more advantages.
3.What’s Li Xiaodong’s attitude towards the new material?
A.Confident. B.Negative. C.Neutral. D.Ambiguous.
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A.Traditional T-shirts are out of date. B.An ordinary T- shirt can become body armour.
C.New boron carbide has been widely used. D.Cotton- based boron carbide will easily change our life.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
—Good morning. Can I help you?
—I’d like to have this package_____, madam.
A. be weighed B. to be weighed
C. to weigh D. weighed
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
—Good morning. Can I help you?
—I'd like to have this package _____, madam.
A. be weighed B. to be weighed
C. to weigh D. weighed
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
—Good morning. Can I help you?
—I’d like to have this package ________.
A. be weighed B. to be weighed C. to weigh D. weighed
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析