A way to Turn Plastic Waste into $78 Million ...

A way to Turn Plastic Waste into $78 Million of Biofuel

16-year-old Egyptian student Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad, meanwhile, was at work finding a way to make use of waste plastic. The young scientist discovered a catalyst(催化剂) that could turn Egypt’s one million tons of annually waste plastic into a $78 million worth of biofuel each year. She hopes that the development could “provide an economically efficient method for production of hydrocarbon(碳氢化合物) fuel,” and many appear to agree; Faiad has been awarded the European Fusion Development Agreement Award at the 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists, and is seeking patents for her discovery.

A Pee(尿)-Powered Energy Generator(发电机) Created by Four Nigerian Teenagers

Four Nigerian teenage girls amazed visitors to the Maker Faire Africa with their pee-powered energy generator. Able to source an impressive six hours of power from just one liter of urine(尿)， the 14-and15-year-olds’ renewable energy generator holds interesting possibilities for providing electricity in remote areas or in disaster zones.

Turning Banana Peels(皮) into Bioplastics

16-year-old Turkish student Elif Bilgin developed her very own technique for turning the ordinary banana peel into bioplastics, a discovery which she hopes could reduce dependence on petrol chemicals and make use of some of the 200 tons of banana peel thrown away daily in Thailand alone. Her development relies on the properties of the starches(淀粉) and cellulose(纤维) found in the outer layer of banana peels, which through a chemical process developed by Bilgin herself, can be transformed into a non-decaying(不腐烂的) bioplastics.

1.What do we know from the first invention?

A.The young student was working in a factory though she is young.

B.The young student’s invention will surely solve the energy problem.

C.The young Egyptian student’s invention is very environmentally friendly.

D.People seemed to have different opinions on the young student’s invention.

2.What is the purpose of Elif Bilgin’s invention?

A.To increase the dependence on nature.

B.To make use of petro chemicals resources.

C.To throw away unnecessary banana peels.

D.To be less dependent on petrol chemicals.

3.What do the three inventions have in common?

A.They all make full use of nature resources.

B.They all try to save a lot of energy.

C.They are unique inventions by the young.

D.They all can be put into use easily.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women’s shoes.

Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy’s, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin is the company’s co-founder. He explains how they turn plastic into soft material for women’s feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The knitted stuff and the inner part of the shoe are then attached to the shoe’s outer part, called the sole (鞋底). This outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly material: responsibly sourced no-carbon rubber.

Rothy’s shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors and designs. They cost either $ 125 or $ 145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. “We’re not going to run out of water bottles any time soon. So we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future.” When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled materials to make other products.

For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international shipping in the near future.

1.How are used plastic bottles usually dealt with?

A.They are buried or burned.

B.They are used to make shoes.

C.They are changed into soft materials.

D.They arc returned to factories for reuse.

2.What does the underlined word knitted in the third paragraph mean?

A.Attached. B.Fixed.

C.Combined. D.Repaired.

3.Which of the following directly helped to increase the sales of Rothy’s shoes?

A.The design and color. B.The reasonable price.

C.The company’s advertisement. D.The star power of Gwyneth Paltrow.

4.What is the purpose of the text?

A.To advertise a new kind of shoes.

B.To describe the process of making shoes.

C.To introduce a new way of recycling plastic waste.

D.To stress the importance of environmental protection.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women's shoes.

Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy's, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin is the company's co-founder. He explains how they turn plastic into soft material for women's feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The knitted stuff and the inner part of the shoe are then attached to the shoe's outer part, called the sole. This outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly material: responsibly sourced no-carbon rubber.

Rothy's shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors and designs. They cost either $ 125 or $ 145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. “We're not going to run out of water bottles any time soon. So we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future.” When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled material to make other products.

For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international shipping in the near future.

1.How are used plastic bottles usually dealt with?

A. They are used to make shoes.　　 B. They are buried or burned.

C. They are changed into soft materials.　　 D. They are returned to factories for reuse.

2.What does the underlined word “knitted” in the third paragraph mean?

A. Combined.　　 B. Fixed.

C. Spotted.　　 D. Repaired.

3.Which of the following directly helped to increase the sales of Rothy's shoes?

A. The design and color.　　 B. The reasonable price.

C. The company's advertisement.　　 D. The star power of Gwyneth Paltrow.

4.What is the purpose of the text?

A. To advertise a new kind of shoes.

B. To introduce a new way of recycling plastic waste.

C. To describe the process of making shoes.

D. To stress the importance of environmental protection.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

______in a proper way, waste can be turned into useful things.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Plastic-Eating Worms

Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that winds up in landfills(垃圾填埋场), and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. So far there is no effective way to get rid of it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms.

Researchers in Spain and England recently found that the worms of the greater wax moth can break down polyethylene, which accounts for 40% of plastics. The team left 100 wax worms on a commercial polyethylene shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it. To confirm that the worms’ chewing alone was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers made some worms into paste(糊状物) and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of their mass — apparently broken down by enzymes (酶) from the worms’ stomachs. Their findings were published in Current Biology in 2017.

Federica Bertocchini, co-author of the study, says the worms’ ability to break down their everyday food — beeswax — also allows them to break down plastic. ＂Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in polyethylene, the carbon-carbon bond, is there as well, ＂she explains, ＂The wax worm evolved a method or system to break this bond. ＂

Jennifer DeBruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify the cause of the breakdown. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?

Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team’s findings might one day help employ the enzyme to break down plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process — not simply ＂millions of worms thrown on top of the plastic.＂

1.What can we learn about the worms in the study?

A. They take plastics as their everyday food.

B. They are newly evolved creatures.

C. They can consume plastics.

D. They wind up in landfills.

2.According to Jennifer DeBruyn, the next step of the study is to 　　　　　　　 .

A. identify other means of the breakdown

B. find out the source of the enzyme

C. confirm the research findings

D. increase the breakdown speed

3.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the chemical might 　　　　　　　 .

A. help to raise worms

B. help make plastic bags

C. be used to clean the oceans

D. be produced in factories in future

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To explain a study method on worms.

B. To introduce the diet of a special worm.

C. To present a way to break down plastics.

D. To propose new means to keep eco-balance.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Plastic-Eating Worms

Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that winds up in landfills(垃圾填埋场)，and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. qSo far there is no effective way to get rid of it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms.

Researchers in Spain and England recently found that the worms of the greater wax moth can break down polyethylene, which accounts for 40% of plastics. The team left 100 wax worms on a commercial polyethylene shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it. To confirm that the worms' chewing alone was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers made some worms into paste(糊状物) and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of their mass--apparently broken down by enzymes(酶)from the worms' stomachs. Their findings were published in Current Biology in 2017.

Federica Bertocchini, co-author of the study, says the worms' ability to break down their everyday food-beeswax--also allows them to break down plastic "Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in polyethylene, the carbon-carbon bond, is there as well, "she explains. "The wax worm evolved a method or system to break this bond. "

Jennifer Debruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify the cause of the breakdown. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?

Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team’s findings might one day help employ the enzyme to break down plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process-not simply "millions of worms thrown on top of the plastic.”

1.What can we learn about the worms in the study?

A. They take plastics as their everyday food.

B. They are newly evolved creatures.

C. They can consume plastics.

D. They wind up in landfills.

2.According to Jennifer DeBruyn, the next step of the study is to 　　　 .

A. identify other means of the breakdown

B. find out the source of the enzyme

C. confirm the research findings

D. increase the breakdown speed

3.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the chemical might　　　 .

A. help to raise worms

B. help make plastic bags

C. be used to clean the oceans

D. be produced in factories in future

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Imagine an area 34 times the size of Manhattan. Now imagine it covered ankle-deep in plastic waste—a total of about 19 billion pounds of garbage. 1..

“We’re being overwhelmed(淹没) by our waste,”said Jenna Jambeck, an environmental engineer who led the 2015 study that determined this astonishing number. 2., unless something is done to stop the tide of garbage.

Plastic—a widely-used material—has in many ways been a benefit to humans but it has also caused a growing problem. Today, plastics are the No.1 type of garbage found in the sea. Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit that organizes an annual coastal cleanup event worldwide, said plastic waste makes up around 85 percent of the garbage collected from beaches and oceans.

Ocean Conservancy says plastics are believed to threaten(威胁)at least 600 different wildlife species(物种). 3.; a growing body of evidence suggests humans are consuming plastics through the seafood we eat. A research suggests some plastics could be poisonous to humans, and could potentially increase the risk of health problems.

4.. At the Economist World Ocean Summit this week, ten nations announced to reduce plastic sea liter as part of UN Environment's CleanSeas campaign. 5.Corporations also have a role, as do individuals. We can start by thinking twice before using single-use plastic products—and when we do use them, we should take care to properly throw them off or recycle.

A.The following is what we should do

B.And it’s not just wildlife that’s threatened

C.And this figure is likely to double by 2025

D.But it’s not just countries that need to do their part

E.By 2050,that figure is expected to rise to 1000 pieces

F.That’s how much plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year

G.All of us have an important role to play in dealing with the problems

高二英语七选五简单题查看答案及解析

With no better way to express feelings of love and _____ , it' s easy to see why students turn to the flower shop on Teachers' Day.

A. glory　　 B. inspiration

C. appreciation　　 D. guidance

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

More than one million single-use straws (吸管), most of them plastic, are used in the United States each day. They end up in waterways, harm sea animals, and break down into micro-plastics. Quantities of places have passed plastic-straw bans as a way to start handling the global plastic waste problem.

Straw materials: advantages and disadvantages

1. Metal

Made of stainless steel, aluminum, or even titanium, metal straws have become popular. They draw some criticism for having a metallic taste and conducting heat from a hot drink, but they’re strong and can be reused.

2. Paper

Paper drinking straws, which date from the late 1800s, often absorb liquid over time and can leave a taste or fibers in drinks. They’re the most popular throwaway choice in places with plastic-straw bans.

3. Glass

Though glass straws may be more breakable and thus less portable than reusable straws of other materials, they hold up well to washing and reuse. Some straws are made to look artistic, with colors and blown-glass designs.

4. Bamboo

This natural material can be sustainably produced and is a plant-based replacement of plastic straws. Bamboo straws are easily disposed of and turned into fertilizer. They are reusable but can be hard to clean completely and may absorb flavors.

1.What is the major problem with plastic straws?

A.Function. B.Flavor.

C.Weight. D.Pollution.

2.Which of the following belongs to single-use straws?

A.Metal straw. B.Paper straw.

C.Glass straw. D.Bamboo straw.

3.What is the advantage of the bamboo straw?

A.It can become fertilizer. B.It is easy to clean.

C.It is portable and bendable. D.It has different designs.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Nations in the UN have agreed that the world needs to completely stop plastic waste from entering the oceans. The UN resolution(决议) has no timetable. But ministers at an environment summit believe it will set the course for much tougher policies and send a clear signal to business.

Under the resolution, governments would establish an international task force(特遣小组) to advise on fighting what the UN's oceans chief has described as a world crisis. One controversial issue is the wish to include businesses on the global task force. Ministers say the problem will not be solved without business, but green groups point out that some firms in the plastics industry have been against restrictions for decades. Vidar Helgesen, a leading voice in the talks, told BBC News, “Business is listening to markets and seeing how marine litter(海洋垃圾) is a growing popular concern. It's possibly the fastest－growing environmental problem and it's therefore a fast－growing problem for business. We need to bring on board those companies that want to change things, and then look at taxes and regulations to make more companies act.”

Certainly, there has been resistance from plastics firms to the bans. One UN delegate, who did not want to be named, stated that journalists in some countries were being paid by the plastics industry to write stories about job losses following the plastic bag ban. But they did not mention the jobs being created in alternatives, such as labour－intensive basketwork, which provides work for the rural poor. But some governments are standing firm, and the meeting has witnessed individual nations declaring tougher action against single－use plastic bags.

The UN's spokesman Sam Barratt told BBC News, “Of course we would have liked to have gone further, but this meeting's made real progress. There's now a sense of urgency and energy behind the issue that we haven't quite seen before. What is obvious, though, is that the UN can't solve this problem on its own. We need to do it in partnership with governments, businesses and even individuals.”

1.What can we know about the UN resolution on plastic waste?

A. Plastic waste should be banned on land too.

B. Plastic waste should be recycled by business.

C. The UN made exact time to stop it entering oceans.

D. The UN may make stricter policies in the future.

2.What can we infer from what Vidar Helgesen said?

A. Business doesn't see the problem of marine litter.

B. Fastest－growing marine litter is a new problem.

C. Governments should force companies to act by policy.

D. Most companies want to stop marine life from disappearing.

3.Why did some companies pay journalists to write articles about job losses?

A. To express their satisfaction with governments.

B. To struggle against the strict plastic bag ban.

C. To show difficulties in labour－intensive basketwork.

D. To make governments stand firm against plastic bags.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A. The UN is committed to handling ocean plastic waste

B. The UN tries to protect the marine life

C. We should solve the plastic waste problem

D. We should ban plastic waste completely

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析