New research shows that there will still be about 710 million metric tons of plastic by 2040 even if the whole world takes action now. That means a heavy build-up of plastic around the world. A rapid growth in plastic production has made the problem worse. And many countries fail to safely deal with or recycle plastic waste.

Millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, polluting the seas, messing beaches and endangering wildlife. Plastic particles (颗粒) have been found in soil, in the air and even in the most far-away areas of the earth. Some plastic is eaten by fish and other sea animals, and then they enter the food chain (食物链).

Researchers found that there are no short cuts to cutting down on plastic pollution. Instead, change is needed across the whole chain, from the production of plastic to after-use (recycling and reusing), to stop the spread of plastic pollution.

"There are billions of people without collection services right now. You can't recycle or deal with something you haven't collected," said Dr Winnie Lau, co-author of the research. In many developing countries such as India, waste pickers make a living by collecting plastic and actually their work is a key part of being able to solve this problem. However, most people just ignore their great influence.

The Nissan LEAF is an environmentally friendly car. It uses energy stored in its rechargeable batteries(充电电池)as power. This electric car can go 80 miles per hour on the freeway(高速公路).

The LEAF costs $32, 780. It seats five adults and can travel about 100 miles on a single charge. This 5- door, 5-seat, hatchback(掀背式轿车) has the right size and range(行程) for many who drive under 100 miles every day, or for families with more than one car. For others, the car isn't the best choice because of its short range.

内容提示：

1）Reuse the paper;

2）Use cloth bags instead of plastic bags;

3）Turn off the lights when we leave the classrooms.

注意：

1）必须包括全部提示要点，可适当发挥;

2）词数80- 100, 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Now more and more people realise the importance of protecting the environment. As a result, what can we do to protect the environment?

……

If everyone makes an effort to protect our environment, it will become better and better.

Are there too many of us on Earth? Now, many people say overpopulation is the biggest danger to Earth. There is only so much space. The amount of food, water and energy on Earth is also quite limited (有限的). So the planet can hardly support more people, can it?

The answer to this question may be "Yes." David Satterthwaite, an environmental scientist, points out that the problem is not about the number of people on the planet. Instead, it's about the amount of their consumption (消耗)."The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed (贪心), "he explains.

As it stands now, the world's population is over 7.8 billion. According to the United Nations, it could reach 9.7 billion in 2050, and over 11 billion in 2100. The population in the future is predictable and most of the growth will be in today's underdeveloped countries. The influence of adding several billion people to these countries might not be huge. Traditionally, people in these countries consume little. A much greater environmental footprint on our planet is left by people in higher-income(更高收入) countries.

However, the world is changing all the time. People in low income countries may break their tradition. If they consume as much as people in high-income countries do, the influence of the population growth in the future could be much larger. So, if we want Earth to support a larger human population, all of us should try to limit our consumption and also, our greed.

The progress of technology in farming, electricity production and many other fields may help Earth support more people. Scientists also have discovered many Earth-like planets. Perhaps some of us may be able to live away from Earth in the future. But space technologies still have a long way to go. Earth is our home town and we should take care of it.

Imagine one day, the water taps(水龙头) in your house stop running. You have to buy water from shops. And still there isn't enough water for everyone. Your mother has to save the family's shower water to do other things. Would you be able to stand that kind of life?

Probably not! But that's what kids in Yemen(也门) are experiencing. Experts say Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water. According to a report, the capital, Sana'a, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025.

Because of the shortage(短缺), the government often cuts the water supply(供应). Hannan, an 18-year-old girl from Lahej, told The Times," In a good week we'll have a water supply all week. But then the following week there will be water only for a day or two. .

Hannan said only rich people have enough water to use. They can buy water from shops or from the water trucks. Private companies own the trucks. They travel around the city every day to sell water at very high prices. "A lot of people can't afford it," she said.

The average(平均) person in Yemen uses 100 to 200 cubic (立方的) metres of water every year. That is far below the international water poverty (贫困) line of 1, 000 cubic metres.

The government is thinking of making use of seawater. But it will cost a lot and it may not happen soon enough to help the people of Yemen.