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Laura Stone is the founder of Sydney by Kayak（皮划艇）, a company that offers guided kayak tours of Sydney Harbor in Australia. Not only did their business increase during the COVID-19, but one of their tours is actually more popular than ever.

A few years ago, Laura was paddling in the harbor when she noticed trash floating in the water. For reference, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) estimates that about 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year, causing big problems for wildlife and local plants. Laura was so shocked by the garbage in the water that she decided to dedicate a few paddles each week to trash cleanup. Incredibly, her clients were immediately on board with the idea, so Sydney by Kayak now leads four to five garbage-collecting tours every week!

At the start of the COVID-19, Laura thought her business would drop off as many others had. Instead, desperate for purpose and a way to get outdoors, people flocked to her “Clean Up Kayak” tours. They now routinely take about 441 pounds of garbage out of the harbor each week! “We’ve been quite surprised, even through the COVID-19, we’ve been very busy,” Laura said. “Because they can’t travel, people are looking for something to do. That is not just good for them, but also good for the environment.”

Each tour begins with participants preparing with some working tools. Some people come back many times for the satisfaction of collecting trash from the harbor. Julie Greening, for example, has done about 10 tours so far and says “every little bit is worth it”. “We’re 7 billion people on this planet, so everyone does a little, but of course it’s going to help,” she said. “It’s got to.”

1.What is the main business of Laura’s company?

A It sells Kayak and paddles.

B It provides the kayak guide.

C It serves tourism information.

D It organizes outdoor activities.

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据文章第一段Laura Stone is the founder of Sydney by Kayak（皮划艇）, a company that offers guided kayak tours of Sydney Harbor in Australia.可知，劳拉•斯通所创立的公司提供澳大利亚悉尼港的皮艇导游服务。故选B。

2.Laura got the idea of doing a cleanup on the water _______.

A after she read a report about the pollution

B after she heard of the appeal of the UNEP

C when she talked with her clients on a tour

D when she witnessed the floating trash in water

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据文章第二段A few years ago, Laura was paddling in the harbor when she noticed trash floating in the water.以及Laura was so shocked by the garbage in the water that she decided to dedicate a few paddles each week to trash cleanup.可知，几年前，劳拉在港口划船时，发现水中漂浮着垃圾。她被水里的垃圾吓坏了，她决定每周划桨去清理垃圾。故选D。

3.What surprised Laura most during the COVID-19?

A Her business continued dropping off sharply.

B People gave up rest to help clean up the garbage.

C Her business increased due to her garbage-collecting idea.

D About 441 pounds of garbage were cleaned up per week.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第三段 Instead, desperate for purpose and a way to get outdoors, people flocked to her “Clean Up Kayak” tours. 以及We’ve been quite surprised, even through the COVID-19, we’ve been very busy可知，劳拉本以为自己的生意会像其他人一样下滑。结果正好相反，人们蜂拥到她的“清洁皮艇”之旅，她的生意出奇的好。故选C。

4.What does the last paragraph imply?

A Garbage cleaning tools are very popular in Sydney.

B People actively participate in the garbage-collecting.

C The public have had a sense of environmental protection.

D The idea of garbage cleaning wins support among the people.

解析：选C。推理判断题。根据文章最后一段内容可知，有些人为了从港口收集垃圾而回来很多次，他们表示哪怕就是收集那么一点垃圾都是值得的，因为这个星球上有70亿人口，所以每个人都做了一点，都会有所帮助，这是必须的。由此推断公众已经有了环保意识。故选C。