The Internet’s carbon footprint is as bad as air travel. While the Internet’s carbon footprint is difficult to measure precisely, estimates place it at over two per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions—the same as the aviation industry.

Information may appear to spread around the world unseen to our eyes, but it actually passes through enormous data centres placed strategically about the globe, which store, organise and deliver everyone’s data. These data centres are extremely energy intensive—in the EU, they consume close to three per cent of its total energy usage. They also require lots of water to prevent their computers from overheating. In the US, about a fifth of data centres draw water from already stressed water sources. 

A typical spam email(垃圾邮件) emits around 0.03g of CO2 emissions, though longer messages read on a laptop can go all the way up to 26g. Now multiply that by 333 billion—roughly the number of emails that get sent every day in 2022. That puts all those work emails into perspective. One study found that if every British adult sent one less “thank you” email a day, it would save 16,433 tonnes of carbon a year.

One study recently predicted that the ICT industry could account for up to a fifth of the world’s energy consumption by 2025. However, there are actions that we as individuals can take to reduce our digital carbon footprint.

For instance, to reduce your carbon footprint from emails, you need to unsubscribe from marketing and other spam emails, and only subscribe to newsletters that you still regularly read. Have regular data checks where you delete old contact lists and other documents that no longer have any use. Keep a clean inbox and delete emails that you no longer need.

1.Why does the author mention air travel in the first paragraph?

A To advise people not to travel by air.

B To inform the disadvantages of the Internet.

C To explain the Internet’s carbon footprint.

D To stress the importance of air travel.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第一段第一句的“The Internet’s carbon footprint is as bad as air travel”以及“the same as the aviation industry”可知，本段提及air travel是为了说明使用互联网产生的碳足迹。故选C。

2.What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about data centres?

A Its wide popularity.

B Its major functions.

C Its massive energy consumption.

D Its complex mode of operation.

解析：选C。C段落大意题。根据第二段的“These data centres are extremely energy intensive(这些数据中心非常耗能)”以及“They also require lots of water to prevent their computers from overheating.(他们还需要大量的水来防止电脑过热)”可知，本段主要描述这些数据中心巨大的能源消耗。故选C。

3.What does the underlined sentence mean?

A Work emails are of great importance.

B Emails create enormous carbon emissions.

C People should treat work emails seriously.

D Emails should only be used for work.

解析：选B。B句意理解题。根据划线句子前面的“Now multiply that by 333 billion—roughly the number of emails that get sent every day in 2022(把这个数字乘以3330亿——大约是2022年每天发送的电子邮件数量)”以及后一句“if every British adult sent one less ‘thank you’ email a day, it would save 16,433 tonnes of carbon a year(如果每个英国成年人每天少发一封“感谢”电子邮件，每年就能减少16433吨碳排放)”可知，作者写这句话主要是想表达电子邮件确实制造了大量的碳排放。故选B。

4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A Education.

B Health.

C Technology.

D Science.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据全文内容可知，本文主要描述人们使用互联网的习惯所带来的碳排放量，以及人们可以如何减少碳排放量，与科技相关。因此，我们可以在“科技”版块读到本文。故选C。