現(xiàn)代大學英語聽力4 UNIT2匯總

1、Unit 2 Task June the United leaders andcitizens how to protect the the Green people now than 75 former vicemusic from manyenvironmental 文】 Every year on June fifth many countries celebrateWorld Environment Day. The United Nations established this special day in nineteenseventy-two to get people to t

2、hink about taking care of the planet. Faith Lapidus tellsmore. “Public events for World Environment Day are taking place from June firstthrough June fifth. The events and conferences help teach world leaders and citizens hoto protect the environment. Day is celebrated in adifferent city. This year i

3、t is being held in San Francisco, California. This is the fisince the beginning of World Environment Day that the conference is being held in theUnited States. The main Environment Day this year is Plan for thePlanet. The events and conferences will show how to have Green Cities. This meansthat peop

4、le will talk about ways that cities can have healthy environments. “Most peopin the world live in cities. This makes them especially important areas of environmentaconcern. Cities use more than seventy-five percent of the worlds natural resources sucas water and gasoline. World Environment Day will

5、center on how people in cities canwork together to planet. “San Francisco is holding public talks to discusspollution reduction, clean energy sources and the importance of healthy parks andgardens. Special experts are among the speakers. For example, former vice-president AlGore will talk about clim

6、ate change. There also are fun events such as music concerts,movies, art shows, parades, bicycle rides and tree plantings. Local farmers and restaurowners will serve food that has been naturally grown. “The Mayor of San Francisco,Gavin Newsom, invited city leaders from all over the world to attend t

7、his conference anshare ideas. Representatives from many environmental organizations also are attending.The United Nations hopes to create an international agreement that countries and citizewill to help improve the Earths 1 d 2 a 3 b 4c B. 1 Occupational noise 2 Aircraft noise 3 sense of soundis one

8、 of our most important means of knowing what is going on around us. Sound has awasted product, too, in the form of noise. Noise has been called unwanted sound. Noisegrowing and it may get much worse before it gets and better. Scientists, for several yehave been studying how noise affects people and

9、animals. They are surprised by whatthey have learned. Peace and quiet are becoming harder to find. Noise crashing, squeaking, banging, hammering It is a threat that should be looked at carefully. Sound is measured in units called“decibels”. At a decibels people feel pain in their ears. Automobiles,

10、trucks,buses, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, things make noise. Theybother not only our ears, but our minds and bodies as well. There is a saying about itbeing so that you cant hear yourself think. Doctors who study noise believe thatwe must sometimes hear ourselves think. If we dont we may have hea

11、daches, otheraches and pains, or even worse mental problems. Noise adds more tension to society thatalready faces enough stress. But noise is not a new problem. In ancient Rome, peoplecomplained so much about noise that the government stopped chariots from movingthrough the streets at night! Noise c

12、an be separated into a few general groups. Thefollowing examples are taken from hearings before the US Senate Subcommittee on Airand Water Pollution in 1970. workers who always hearnoise have poorer hearing than other groups. Aiports or on airroutes the noise of airplanes taking off and landing caus

13、es the greatest complaints. Tr from the noise of planes, traffic sounds break in on our peace and quiet.Trucks and motorcycles cause the most 1 F 2 F 3 T 4 F 5 T6 F 7 F 8 T 文】 We usually think of pollution as a harmful waste substance thatthreatens the air and water. But some people have become conc

14、erned about another kindof pollution. It can be everywhere, depending on the time of day. And it was not thoughof as a substance. It is light. The idea of light pollution has developed with the incrlights in cities. In many areas, this light makes it difficult or impossible to observeand in the nigh

15、t sky. In 1998, the International Dark-Sky Association formed. Thisorganization wants to reduce light pollution in the night sky. It also urges the effectuse of electric are a number of reasons why light pollution isimportant. One has become clear at the Mount Wilson near Los Angeles, California.Mou

16、nt Wilson Observatory was home to the largest telescopes in the world during thefirst half of 1900. During that period, Los Angeles grew to become one of Americasbiggest cities. Today, light from Los Angeles makes the night sky above Mount Wilsonvery bright. It is no longer an important research cen

17、ter because of light pollution. Lpollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research telescopes in other impoobservatories. They include Lick Observatory near San Jose, California and YerkesObservatory near Chicago, pollution is the result of wasted energy.Bright light shining into the sk

18、y is not being used to provide light where it is needed on Earth. Poorly designed lighting causes a great deal of lightpollution. Lights that are brighter than necessary also cause liion.two Italian astronomers and an American environmental scientist created a world map ofthe night sky. The map show

19、s that North America, Western Europe and Japan have thegreatest amount of light pollution. Most people in America are surprised to find out ththey are able to see our own galaxy, the Milky Way, with their own eyes. But about threfourths of Americans cannot see the Milky Way because of man-madesin th

20、e night sky are resources that provide everyone with wonder. And light pollutionthreatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being and 365，the lowest important to Jews, Christians and strange beauty of the sea B. Purpose of the project: To helpsave the Dead Sea from shrinking. Countries to initi

21、ate the project: Israel and Jordan.Cause of the shrinking: Water that used to flow from the Jordan River into the Dead Seahas been redirected for other uses in the area. Specific measures: A pipeline of more t300 kilometers long will be built to pump water from the Red Sea through both countriesinto

22、 the Dead Sea. Duration of the project: At least three years. Cost of the project:million dollars. Message sent by this project: The environment, ecology and nature aremore important than borders or political and Jordanrecently announced that they would work together to help save the Dead Sea fromsh

23、rinking. Government officials said the joint project would help the sea, protect theareas unusual wildlife and increase the number of visitors to the area. The announcemewas made during the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development earlierthis month in Johannesburg, South Africa. The De

24、ad Sea is on the border between Israeland Jordan. It is 365 meters below sea level. That is the lowest point on Earth. The DeSea is the saltiest large body of water in the world. The area around the Dead Sea hasancient places that are important to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Minerals in the DeadSe

25、a are used for health treatments. The strange beauty of the sea brings many visitorsthe area. But the Dead Sea is shrinking by almost one meter each year. Most of the watethat flows into the Dead Sea comes from the Jordan River. However, water flowing fromthe Jordan River has been redirected for oth

26、er uses in the area. Officials say within tnext 50 years, the Dead Sea could shrink to less than half of its current size. To prevthat, Israel and Jordan plan to build a pipeline more than 300 kilometers long. Thepipeline would pump water from the Red Sea through both countries into the Dead Sea.Aft

27、er the pipeline is built, the officials hope to build a canal and a salt removal System that will provide fresh water to Jordanians, Israelis andPalestinians. The pipeline will take at least three years to build. The project will comuch as 1,000 million dollars. Israel and Jordan hope to pay for it

28、with help from othecountries. The project is expected to begin after a nine-month study is completed. Israand Jordan had hoped to cooperate closely on a number of issues after they signed apeace agreement in 1994. However, tensions have increased between them since thecurrent Palestinian uprising be

29、gan two years ago. Officials from Israel and Jordandescribed the water project as a major step forward. Experts say the agreement sends amessage that the environment, ecology and nature are more important than borders orpolitical conflicts. A. 1 27 percent, higher ocean activities by percent 2 devel

30、oping the coast of northeasternoff the Caribbean America B. Coral reefssupport many kinds of sea life. Coral reefs also protect coastal communities in storms.Coral reefs support fishing activities and protect inland waterways. Coral reefs also hbecome popular stops for travelers. Corals are even imp

31、ortant for medical research. C.F 2 T 3 Environmental experts are concerned about the worlds coral reefs. Arecent study found that twenty-seven percent of all coral reef systems have beendestroyed. Experts believe higher ocean temperatures and activities by people are toblame. The study warns that si

32、xty percent of the reef systems could be permanently lostnothing is done to stop the problem. Corals are groups of small organisms called polypsThese polyps live within a skeleton made of a substance called limestone. Corals arefound in warm waters. Millions of corals grow together to form coral ree

33、fs. Coral reefsare some of the oldest natural systems in the world. The reefs support many kinds of selife. They can be to important to local and national economies. The reefs also protectcoastal communities in storms. The World Wildlife Fund paid for the independent report.The group warns that the

34、destruction of coral reefs will result in severe losses to theworld economy. Peter Bryant works with the Endangered Seas Program of the WorldWildlife Fund. Mister Bryant notes that most of the reef systems are in developingcountries. He says the presence of coral reefs produces money for many econom

35、ies.Coral reefs support fishing activities and protect inland waterways. They also havebecome popular stops for travelers. Many people like to swim underwater to see coralreefs. Mister Bryant estimates that the worlds coral reefs are worth thirty-thousand-million dollars a year. The largest in the w

36、orld is the Great Barrier Reef off the coasnortheastern Australia. Coral reefs also are found in waters off the Philippines, Indonthe Caribbean islands, the United States and South America. Corals are even important for medicalresearch. Mister Bryant says more than half of all new cancer drug studie

37、s involve seacreatures. For example, he notes there is a reef in the Caribbean with organisms that fthe basis of the AIDS drug A-Z-T. The World Wildlife Fund say coral reefs should bedeclared protected areas. That way, human activities could be more closely supervised.The group says governments must

38、 take responsibility for the future of their coastalcommunities. Task A. The group claims responsibility for hundreds of actsof destruction in the United States in the past five years, with the destruction estimamore than 30 million dollars. Since 1996, members of the group have claimed to havedamag

39、ed or burned hundreds of new homes, tree- cutting companies, federal offices andanimal and plant research laboratories. They say their goal is to stop development andother activities they consider harmful to nature. They say their property attacks are aat industry and rich people who profit from the

40、 destruction of the natural environment.The Earth Liberation Front says it will use any direct action necessary to carry out itgoals. But it says it is opposed to harming animals or humans. Traditional environmentagroups in the United States reject the groups methods. B. 1 a studentstate of New with

41、 officials investigating the Earth Liberation Front 2environmental group usually leaves very little For years, American law enforcement officials have been trying to solve a series ofenvironmental crimes. The crimes are linked to a group known as the Earth LiberationFront. The group claims responsib

42、ility for hundreds of acts of destruction in the UniteStates during the past five years. The destruction has caused more than thirty milliondollars worth of damage. Federal investigators say they are finally closer to solving tcrimes. Recently, a seventeen-year-old student reportedly admitted settin

43、g a series offires in the state of New York. He was charged in connection with acts of damagebelieved to be carried out by the Earth Liberation Front. The student is the son of a NYork City police officer. He reportedly made the admission during a secret court hearinAs part of a deal, the student ag

44、reed to cooperate with officials investigating the EarLiberation Front. He could face up to twenty years in prison. This is the first time thmember of the group has admitted being responsible for environmental crimes linked tothe Earth Liberation Front. Three other suspects in the property attacks w

45、ere negotiatiwith federal officials. Since Nineteen-Ninety-Six, members of the group have claimed tohave damaged or burned hundreds of new homes, tree-cutting companies, federal officesand animal and plant research laboratories. They say their goal is tostop development and other activities they con

46、sider harmful to nature. They say theproperty attacks are aimed at industry and rich people who profit from the destructionthe natural environment. The Earth Liberation Front says it will use any direct actionnecessary to carry out its goals. But it says it is opposed to harming animals or humanTrad

47、itional environmental groups in the United States reject the groups methods. TheEarth Liberation Front includes environmental extremists who operate independently ofeach other. Federal investigators say their lack of structure has made them difficult tstop. And they say the group usually leaves very

48、 little evidence behind. A few weeks agthe group claimed responsibility for burning several new homes in Mount Sinai, NewYork. It has also claimed responsibility for destructive acts in Colorado, Arizona, Oreand Wisconsin. Task A. renewable next ten 1,500 past 20 3 a 90 percent support B. A number o

49、f people who live on or visit the Cape say Cape Cod is a nationaltreasure should not be open to industry. They argue that building the windmills wouldhurt fish and birds in the area, and it would hurt tourism. They say the windmills willthe beauty of looking out to sea from the says windpower will l

50、ead the growth in the use of renewable energy in the United States andCanada over the next ten years. Renewable energy also includes forms like power fromthe sun. Navigant Consulting in the United States carried out the study. Energycompanies helped pay for much of the research. The use of wind ener

51、gy has grown in theUnited States, but remains less than one percent of all the energy produced. Lisa Frantled the study. She says the researchers expect additions of as much as one-thousand-fivhundred megawatts from wind power projects each year. That is about equal to theenergy production of one nu

52、clear power station. The study says there have been majorimprovements in the performance of all renewable energy technologies in the past twentyyears. For example, the study reports a ninety percent drop in the price of electricityproduced from wind. In the nineteen-eighties a kilowatt hour of wind

53、power cost aboutthirty-eight cents. Now, a kilowatt hour is closer to three cents. The study found thatgovernment support must continue and grow to permit renewable energies to compete inthe power industry. However, some renewable energy companies face criticism. In fact,wind energy producers usuall

54、y have to deal with opposition from communities they try toenter. Currently, a wind energy company is trying to set up business in Cape Cod,Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. The Cape Wind company wants toplace more than one-hundred windmills in nearby waters. The windmills are hundre

55、ds ofmeters tall. Cape Wind says the project could provide Cape Cod with seventy-five percent ofits electricity needs. And, it would not create pollution. But, a number of people whoon or visit the Cape say they do not want the windmills. They say Cape Cod is a nationatreasure that should not be ope

56、n to industry. They argue that building the windmillswould hurt fish and birds in the area. And, they say it would hurt tourism. They say thwindmills will ruin the beauty of looking out to sea from the coast. Environmental grouhowever, look at the situation differently. They ague that a source of en

57、ergy that doescause pollution would protect natural environments like Cape1 For him, pollution is the way environment is being misused, the actions which consumethe environment, like the overuse of artificial fertilizers and over-cropping in develoagriculture. And the harmful substances like the was

58、te from motor cars and factories arless important. 2 They see pollution as a social problem, and the root cause of pollutithe way we organize our society and the incredible waste of resources. B. 1 Housewivescan avoid buying things that they dont need. 2 They can also cut down on the amount ofpackag

59、ing and try not to buy dyed toilet paper to reduce water pollution. 3 People canavoid buying drinks in non-returnable bottles. 4 They can reduce consumption by makingtheir own food instead of Matthew: Christopher, most countries nowappear to become increasingly concerned with the issue of pollution

60、and its control. Hodo you see this problem? Christopher: What I see as pollution is the way the environmenis being mishandled. Um. obviously there are certain waste products which are vomitedout of motor cars or out of factories, either into the sea or into the river ways and sBut, you know, they ar