Unit 2
Task 1:
【答案】 June 5th，the United Nations，1972，world leaders and citizens how to protect the environment， San Francisco, California，\，\，most people now live，more than 75 percent，the former vice president，music concerts，parades，tree plantings，representatives from many environmental organizations
【原文】
Every year on June fifth many countries celebrate World Environment Day. The United Nations established this special day in nineteen seventy-two to get people to think about taking care of the planet. Faith Lapidus tells us more.
“Public events for World Environment Day are taking place from June first through June fifth. The events and conferences help teach world leaders and citizens how to protect the environment.
“Every year World Environment Day is celebrated in a different city. This year it is being held in San Francisco, California. This is the first time since the beginning of World Environment Day that the conference is being held in the United States. The main message of World
Environment Day this year is ‘Plan for the Planet’. The events and conferences will show how to have ‘Green Cities’. This means that people will talk about ways that cities can have healthy environments.
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“Most people in the world live in cities. This makes them especially important areas of environmental concern. Cities use more than seventy-five percent of the world's natural
resources such as water and gasoline. World Environment Day will center on how people in cities can work together to help save the planet.
“San Francisco is holding public talks to discuss pollution reduction, clean energy sources and the importance of healthy parks and gardens. Special experts are among the speakers. For example, former vice-president Al Gore will talk about climate change. There also are fun events such as music concerts, movies, art shows, parades, bicycle rides and tree plantings. Local farmers and restaurant owners 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 this conference and share ideas. Representatives from many environmental organizations also are attending. The United Nations hopes to create an international agreement that countries and citizens will follow to help improve the Earth's environment.”
Task 2:
【答案】 A. 1) d ^ 2) a
3) b 4) c B.
1) Occupational noise 2) Aircraft noise 3) Traffic noise $
【原文】
The sense of sound is one of our most important means of knowing what is going on around us. Sound has a wasted product, too, in the form of noise. Noise has been called unwanted sound. Noise is growing and it may get much worse before it gets and better.
Scientists, for several years, have been studying how noise affects people and animals. They are surprised by what they have learned. Peace and quiet are becoming harder to find. Noise pollution—the crashing, squeaking, banging, hammering of people—is no joke. It is a threat that should be looked at carefully. Sound is measured in units called “decibels”. At a level of 140 decibels people feel pain in their ears.
Automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, factories, bands—all these things make noise. They bother not only our ears, but our minds and bodies as well. There is a saying about it being so noisy that you can’t hear yourself think. Doctors who study noise believe that we must sometimes hear ourselves think. If we don’t we may have headaches, other aches and pains, or even worse mental problems. Noise adds more tension to society that already faces enough stress. But noise is not a new problem. In ancient Rome, people complained so much about noise that the government stopped chariots from moving through the streets at night!
Noise can be separated into a few general groups. The following examples are taken from hearings before the US Senate Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution in 1970.
Occupational noise—Factory workers who always hear noise have poorer hearing than other groups.
Aircraft noise—Around airports or on air routes the noise of airplanes taking off and landing causes the greatest complaints.
Traffic noise—Away from the noise of planes, traffic sounds break in on our peace and quiet. Trucks and motorcycles cause the most problems.
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Task 3:
【答案】 1) F 2) F 3) T 4) F 5) T \\ 6) F 7) F
8) T 9) T
【原文】
We usually think of pollution as a harmful waste substance that threatens the air and water. But some people have become concerned about another kind of pollution. It can be everywhere, depending on the time of day. And it was not thought of as a substance. It is light.
The idea of light pollution has developed with the increase of lights in cities. In many areas, this light makes it difficult or impossible to observe stars and in the night sky. In 1998, the International Dark-Sky Association formed. This organization wants to reduce light pollution in the night sky. It also urges the effective use of electric lighting.
There are a number of reasons why light pollution is important. One has become clear at the Mount Wilson near Los Angeles, California. Mount Wilson Observatory was home to the largest telescopes in the world during the first half of 1900.
During that period, Los Angeles grew to become one of America's biggest cities.
Today, light from Los Angeles makes the night sky above Mount Wilson very bright. It is no longer an important research center because of light pollution. /
Light pollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research telescopes in other important observatories. They include Lick Observatory near San Jose, California and Yerkes Observatory near Chicago, Illinois.
Light pollution is the result of wasted energy. Bright light shining into the sky is not being used to provide light where it is needed on Earth. Poorly designed lighting causes a great deal of light pollution. Lights that are brighter than necessary also cause light pollution.
Recently, two Italian astronomers and an American environmental scientist created a world map of the night sky. The map shows that North America, Western Europe and Japan have the greatest amount of light pollution.
Most people in America are surprised to find out that they are able to see our own galaxy, the Milky Way, with their own eyes. But about three fourths of Americans cannot see the Milky Way because of man-made light.
Objects in the night sky are resources that provide everyone with wonder. And light pollution threatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being seen.
Task 4:
【答案】 A.
Israel and Jordan，365，the lowest point，saltiest，are important to Jews, Christians and Muslims，Minerals，The strange beauty of the sea B.
Purpose of the project: To help save the Dead Sea from shrinking. —
Countries to initiate the project: Israel and Jordan.
Cause of the shrinking: Water that used to flow from the Jordan River into the Dead Sea has been redirected for other uses in the area.
Specific measures: A pipeline of more than 300 kilometers long will be built to pump water from the Red Sea through both countries into the Dead Sea.
Duration of the project: At least three years. Cost of the project: 1,000 million dollars.
Message sent by this project: The environment, ecology and nature are more important than borders or political conflicts.
C. 1) T ~ 2) T
【原文】
Israel and Jordan recently announced that they would work together to help save the Dead Sea from shrinking. Government officials said the joint project would help the sea, protect the area's unusual wildlife and increase the number of visitors to the area. The announcement was made during the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development earlier this month in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Dead Sea is on the border between Israel and Jordan. It is 365 meters below sea level. That is the lowest point on Earth. The Dead Sea is the saltiest large body of water in the world.
The area around the Dead Sea has ancient places that are important to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Minerals in the Dead Sea are used for health treatments. The strange beauty of the sea brings many visitors to the area.
But the Dead Sea is shrinking by almost one meter each year. Most of the water that flows into the Dead Sea comes from the Jordan River. However, water flowing from the Jordan River has been redirected for other uses in the area. Officials say within the next 50 years, the Dead Sea could shrink to less than half of its current size.
To prevent that, Israel and Jordan plan to build a pipeline more than 300 kilometers long. The pipeline would pump water from the Red Sea through both countries into the Dead Sea. After the pipeline is built, the officials hope to build a canal and a salt removal System that will provide fresh water to Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians.
The pipeline will take at least three years to build. The project will cost as much as 1,000 million dollars. Israel and Jordan hope to pay for it with help from other countries. The project is expected to begin after a nine-month study is completed.
^ Israel and Jordan had hoped to cooperate closely on a number of issues after they signed a peace agreement in 1994. However, tensions have increased between them since the current Palestinian uprising began two years ago.
Officials from Israel and Jordan described the water project as a major step forward. Experts say the agreement sends a message that the environment, ecology and nature are more important than borders or political conflicts.
Task 5:
【答案】 A.
1) 27 percent, higher ocean temperatures，activities by people，60 percent 2) developing countries，off the coast of northeastern Australia，off the Philippines，the Caribbean islands，South America %
B.
Coral reefs support 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 have become popular stops for travelers. Corals are even important for medical research. C. 1) F ？
2) T 3) T
【原文】
Environmental experts are concerned about the world's coral reefs. A recent study found that twenty-seven percent of all coral reef systems have been destroyed. Experts believe higher ocean temperatures and activities by people are to blame. The study warns that sixty percent of the reef systems could be permanently lost if nothing is done to stop the problem.
Corals are groups of small organisms called polyps. These polyps live within a skeleton made of a substance called limestone.
Corals are found in warm waters. Millions of corals grow together to form coral reefs. Coral reefs are some of the oldest natural systems in the world. The reefs support many kinds of sea life. They can be to important to local and national economies. The reefs also protect coastal communities in storms.
The World Wildlife Fund paid for the independent report. The group warns that the
destruction of coral reefs will result in severe losses to the world economy. Peter Bryant works with the Endangered Seas Program of the World Wildlife Fund. Mister Bryant notes that most of the reef systems are in developing countries. He says the presence of coral reefs produces money for many economies.
Coral reefs support fishing activities and protect inland waterways. They also have become popular stops for travelers. Many people like to swim underwater to see coral reefs. Mister Bryant estimates that the world's coral reefs are worth thirty-thousand-million dollars a year.
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The largest in the world is the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of northeastern Australia. Coral reefs also are found in waters off the Philippines, Indonesia, the Caribbean islands, the United States and South America.
Corals are even important for medical research. Mister Bryant says more than half of all new cancer drug studies involve sea creatures. For example, he notes there is a reef in the Caribbean with organisms that form the basis of the AIDS drug A-Z-T.
The World Wildlife Fund say coral reefs should be declared protected areas. That way, human activities could be more closely supervised. The group says governments must take responsibility for the future of their coastal communities.
《现代大学英语听力4》听力原文及题目答案Unit-2
