Unit1 Beware and take care薛定谔猫态
Reading
Fighting the hidden enemy
— a war we must win
An enemy appeared without warning, attacking its unsuspecting victims with efficiency. This silent and invisible enemy moved swiftly through communities and secretly crossed borders.The world soon learnt that the enemy we faced was Covid- 19.
Covid-19 is caused by a new strain of coronavirus. Once entering the body, the virus multiplies inside the cell quickly and infects neighbouring cells. Common symptoms can include fever, tiredness, a dry cough, a headache, loss of taste or smell. However, in some cases, the virus causes the body’s own immune system to overreact, resulting in the body killing its own healthy cells. Consequently, the disease can become worse, causing damage to the body’s organs and tissues.
Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease that can be transmitted easily and swiftly from person to person. This typically happens when people take in respiratory droplets and particles from an infected person.
They can also catch Covid-19 by touching a surface or an object contaminated with the virus, and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes. Research shows that there are certain settings that allow the virus to spread more easily. For instance, it favours cool, dry conditions and crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation. What makes this disease even more dangerous is that infected people who show no symptoms may become unknowing carriers and spreaders of the virus.
In early 2020, the threat posed by Covid-19 came to be fully recognized on a global scale. It spread rapidly across the world, affecting millions of people. More dangerously, new and even more infectious variants of the virus, such as the Delta and Omicron variants, gradually began to evolve in various parts of the world, presenting an increased threat to the health of the world’s population.
To beat this silent enemy, the world pulled together. Governments joined forces with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies so that vaccines could be produced, distributed and administered in record time. Doctors and nurses stepped forward to join the fight and went wherever they were needed, risking their own lives to tirelessly serve and care for patients. Community workers and volunteers worked round the clock to deliver food and medicines to residents. Ordinary people from all walks of life united in helping those affected by the pandemic. Simple acts of kindness and generosity were everywhere. In the darkest days when Covid-19 was doing its worst, t
he human spirit shone at its brightest.
While the fight against Covid-19 is a global effort, there are preventive measures that everyone can take to help control the spread of the disease. Firstly, personal hygiene is
key. Clean your hands with soap and water thoroughly. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available,and avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands. At home or at work, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects. Secondly, when in public places, remember to wear a face mask, practise social distancing and avoid large crowds. Thirdly, receive a Covid-19 vaccine to help your body build up immunity against the virus. Finally, seek medical attention if you show any of the symptoms or have reason to believe that you have been exposed to the virus. By staying alert and following government advice and regulations, we not only protect ourselves, but also help protect our fellow citizens. Our fight against Covid-19 has shown us that we are now living in a human community with a shared future. Only by working together, while accepting our individual responsibilities, can we solve both national and global problems. We need to support each other so that we can march confidently, arm in arm, into a better and more secure future.
Extended reading
皇甫平事件
Say no to drugs
Good morning, everyone. As a police officer who has spent many years working in the front line of the fight against drugs, I have witnessed, all too often, the destructive impact that drugs can have on individuals, families and the wider community. I have seen how drugs can destroy people’s physical and mental well-being and ruin young lives before they even begin. I have seen how families are torn apart after a family member has become addicted to drugs. I have also seen how tirelessly the forces of law and order work together in fighting against drugs. I will not exaggerate the scale of the problem, as the facts speak for themselves. According to the 2021 World Drug Report, it is estimated that around 275 million people used drugs worldwide and over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders in the last year. These shocking figures indicate that drug abuse is a very serious global problem. Therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to say no to drugs.
Drug abuse hurts an individual drug user both physically and mentally. The most serious health conditions associated with drug abuse include heart problems, respiratory problems, kidney failure, liver damage and a weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection. Moreover, drugs interfere with a person’s ability to make sensible decisions. Consequently, people under the influence of drugs are no longer in control of their own mind and likely to put themselves or others in
great danger. They also suffer from memory loss and mood disorders like depression or anxiety.
Apart from its harm to individuals, drug abuse also destroys families and impacts
society as a whole. Drug users sometimes lie and steal to fuel their habit, while ignoring the responsibilities they have to their families. This can lead to not only financial hardship but also the breakdown of once strong family relationships and the loss of stability within the family. The impact drug abuse has on society is also enormous. Under the influence of drugs, drug users may exhibit violent behaviour and sometimes even commit criminal acts, threatening public safety. They are willing to do anything to get their hands on drugs. Also, because drug users need a regular supply of drugs, the criminal underworld quickly develops, eating away at the fabric of society.
Knowing the serious damage that can be caused through the use of drugs, you may be asking yourself: why would anybody be foolish enough to start taking drugs? There is no simple answer to this question, but there are well-identified risk factors for drug abuse. Some people experiment with drugs simply out of curiosity, some regard drug use as an escape from the stresses of everyday life, and others start to use drugs just because people around them are drug users.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect yourself from drug use. First of all, drug education
is of vital importance. You should learn more about drugs, especially new designer drugs, which are incredibly dangerous. The more you know about the terrible consequences of taking drugs, the more likely you are to stay away from them. Secondly, you need to choose where you go and who you spend time with very carefully. Make sure you surround yourself with friends who you can really count on and turn to for support. Last but not least, should you ever come under pressure to use drugs, you must immediately seek assistance from an adult who you look up to, such as a family member, a teacher or a doctor.
linbo3In conclusion, I hope my message is clear—say no to any kind of drug. The most effective way to avoid all the problems caused by the use of drugs is not to use them in the first place.
Unit 2 Building the future
Reading
Renewable energy: a gift for the future
There was once a village surrounded by fertile fields with farmers tending their crops and farm animals grazing lazily below a mighty mountain. Then coal was discovered, and soon titanic-sized e
arth-digging machines circled the village. Villagers eagerly accepted the high-paid jobs the mining company provided, bringing a temporary economic boom. Meanwhile, the machines cut through everything in their path to access the coal buried beneath. Many years later, all that remained was a deserted village and an enormous hole.
The scenario is tragic, but it only partly describes the damaging effects fossil fuels have on the environment when they are mined. Actually, once burnt, they produce a large quantity of carbon dioxide, which in turn traps heat and causes global warming. Humans are clearly facing a critical moment, so a move towards clean, renewable energy is inevitable. Renewable energy sources, which include solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, biomass and geothermal energy, are perfect alternatives to fossil fuels. One of the reasons is that their carbon dioxide emissions tend to be lower. A study found that renewable energy sources emit about 50g or less of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour over their lifetime, compared to about 1,000g for coal. Besides, fossil fuels are non-renewable, whose reserves are estimated to dry up one day in the future. In contrast, renewable energy sources are basically inexhaustible and will be available to us for a few billion more years if our planet remains safe and healthy.
Countries around the world are racing towards a low-carbon future by investing in renewable energy
sources. Renewable energy is now gradually being integrated into infrastructures, such as transport, communication and power supply systems. China is one of the countries embracing the renewable energy revolution. China manufactures state-of-the-art solar panels and wind turbines, and is the global leader in the production of batteries to power electric vehicles and store renewable energy on power grids. Renewable energy consumption accounts for more than 20 per cent of its total energy consumption, and this figure is increasing. Over the past decade, China has been ahead in the development and application of clean energy technologies.
So, with these advantages and developments, why not completely replace fossil fuels with renewable energy? The truth is that producing power from renewable energy sources can be challenging. Renewable energy sources are not available everywhere and at any given moment. For instance,tidal energy is only available in coastal areas; solar and wind energy cannot produce power 24/7. A greater challenge is storing any extra energy in batteries for later use. Most current batteries do not have a storage capacity large enough to meet our daily power demands. Certain high-capacity batteries present problems, such as high manufacturing costs and related environmental damage.For instance, mining for the rare metals used in the batteries is expensive,and when not properly recycled, the batteries leak dangerous chemicals into the environment.
2013年禽流感With these challenges in mind, a future with renewable energy may be difficult to predict. However,it is possible. Renewable energy sources exist in all kinds of places, including space. Space-based solar power projects aim to collect solar energy in outer space and distribute it everywhere it is needed on the Earth. A solar collector would be placed in a location where there is constant sunlight to capture higher levels of solar energy for longer periods. Scientists are also working hard to solve the energy storage problems. Thermal batteries, for instance, can store the extra renewable energy as heat up to the extremely high temperature of 1,000℃ in an inexpensive storage medium like sand or water. Compared with common batteries, these thermal batteries are
considerably cheaper, and have a longer life as well as a higher storage capacity. Better still, they are completely recyclable.
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Without doubt, renewable energy will form a big part of our future. Looking forward, we should invest in new technologies and innovative thinking that open the door to a whole new world where we decrease reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable energy—a welcome gift for our future—will help us build a greener and healthier world. Extended reading
Global warming:islands in hot water
The Pacific Ocean covers around one third of the Earth’s surface. Scattered across this ocean are thousands of islands. In recent years, the people of these islands have noticed tides getting higher and storms getting worse. And they wonder—is their world about to change? Sadly, the fact is that the islands in the Pacific, especially low-lying coral ones, are suffering the serious effects of global warming.
As global temperatures increase, so do sea levels. Increasing temperatures causes ice sheets and glaciers at the North and South Poles to melt, releasing additional water into the ocean. Warm water also takes up more room than cool water, so as the ocean warms, sea levels rise further. Scientists expect sea levels worldwide may rise by 0.6 to 1.1 metres or more by 2100 if the planet continues to warm. On the Pacific islands, the most obvious sign of rising sea levels is that at high tide, water moves further inland to flow into houses and over roads. In fact, beaches or even whole islands are disappearing: five of the Solomon Islands have already vanished beneath the waves since 1947! Increasing sea levels also contaminate the islands’ freshwater supplies. When salty seawater seeps through the ground and gets into wells, the water becomes useless for drinking and irrigation. Besides, growing sea levels interfere with some islands’ natural reshaping processes. Usually, waves gradually remove sand from one side of an island and dump new sand on the other side. Unf
ortunately, however, rising waves accelerate the process, and this certainly causes problems for anyone who lives on the side that is being washed away.
Meanwhile, increasing global temperatures can have disastrous consequences in other ways. Extreme temperatures generate extreme rainfall patterns. Consequently, the islands go without life-sustaining rainfall for months, leading to crop failure and reduced freshwater reserves. Then suddenly too much comes at once, and precious soil and homes are washed away by the floods. For example, on the hilly Cook Islands, storms have given rise to landslides that carry islanders’ homes down the hillsides. Additionally, the annual tropical cyclones are becoming stronger and happening more frequently, resulting in more severe flooding and landslides. What is more, as the ocean warms, many coral reefs, which act as natural barrier and are home3d
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