Unit 2
Task 1:
【答案】
June 5th，the United Nations，1972，world leaders and citizens how to protect the environment， San Francisco, California，"Plan the Planet"，"Green Cities"，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.
“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.

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.
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.

Task 6:
【答案】
A.
The group claims responsibility for hundreds of acts of destruction in the United States in the
past five years, with the destruction estimated at more than 30 million dollars. Since 1996, members of the group have claimed to have damaged or burned hundreds of new homes, tree- cutting companies, federal offices and animal and plant research laboratories. They say their goal is to stop development and other activities they consider harmful to nature. They say their property attacks are aimed at industry and rich people who profit from the destruction of the natural environment. The Earth Liberation Front says it will use any direct action necessary to carry out its goals. But it says it is opposed to harming animals or humans. Traditional environmental groups in the United States reject the group's methods.
B.
1) a 17-year-old student，the state of New York，cooperate with officials investigating the Earth Liberation Front
2) environmental extremists，the group usually leaves very little evidence behind

【原文】
For years, American law enforcement officials have been trying to solve a series of environmental crimes. The crimes are linked to a group known as the Earth Liberation Front. The group claims responsibility for hundreds of acts of destruction in the United States during the past five years. The destruction has caused more than thirty million dollars worth of damage.
    Federal investigators say they are finally closer to solving the crimes. Recently, a seventeen-year-old student reportedly admitted setting a series of fires in the state of New York. He was charged in connection with acts of damage believed to be carried out by the Earth Liberation Front. The student is the son of a New York City police officer. He reportedly made the admission during a secret court hearing. As part of a deal, the student agreed to cooperate with officials investigating the Earth Liberation Front. He could face up to twenty years in prison.
    This is the first time that a member of the group has admitted being responsible for environmental crimes linked to the Earth Liberation Front. Three other suspects in the property attacks were negotiating with federal officials.
    Since Nineteen-Ninety-Six, members of the group have claimed to have damaged or burned hundreds of new homes, tree-cutting companies, federal offices and animal and plant research laboratories. They say their goal is to stop development and other activities they consider harmful to nature. They say their property attacks are aimed at industry and rich people who profit from the destruction of the natural environment.
    The Earth Liberation Front says it will use any direct action necessary to carry out its goals. But it says it is opposed to harming animals or humans. Traditional environmental groups in the United States reject the group's methods.
    The Earth Liberation Front includes environmental extremists who operate independently of each other. Federal investigators say their lack of structure has made them difficult to stop. And they say the group usually leaves very little evidence behind.
    A few weeks ago, the group claimed responsibility for burning several new homes in Mount Sinai, New York. It has also claimed responsibility for destructive acts in Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and Wisconsin.
Task 7:
【答案】
A.
renewable energy，the next ten years，1 percent，1,500 megawatts，past 20 years，38 cents，3 cents，a 90 percent drop，government support
B.
A number of people who live on or visit the Cape say Cape Cod is a national treasure should not be open to industry. They argue that building the windmills would hurt fish and birds in the area, and it would hurt tourism. They say the windmills will ruin the beauty of looking out to sea from the coast.
C.
1) T
2) F
【原文】
A study says wind power will lead the growth in the use of renewable energy in the United States and Canada over the next ten years. Renewable energy also includes forms like power from the sun. Navigant Consulting in the United States carried out the study. Energy companies helped pay for much of the research.
The use of wind energy has grown in the United States, but remains less than one percent of all the energy produced.
Lisa Frantzis led the study. She says the researchers expect additions of as much as one-thousand-five-hundred megawatts from wind power projects each year. That is about equal to the energy production of one nuclear power station.
The study says there have been major improvements in the performance of all renewable energy technologies in the past twenty years. For example, the study reports a ninety percent drop in the price of electricity produced from wind. In the nineteen-eighties a kilowatt hour of wind power cost about thirty-eight cents. Now, a kilowatt hour is closer to three cents.
The study found that government support must continue and grow to permit renewable energies to compete in the power industry.
However, some renewable energy companies face criticism. In fact, wind energy producers usually have to deal with opposition from communities they try to enter.
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 to place more than one-hundred windmills in nearby waters. The windmills are hundreds of meters tall. Cape Wind says the project could provide Cape Cod with seventy-five percent of its electricity needs. And, it would not create pollution.
But, a number of people who live on or visit the Cape say they do not want the windmills. They say Cape Cod is a national treasure that should not be open to industry. They argue that building the windmills would hurt fish and birds in the area. And, they say it would hurt tourism. They say the windmills will ruin the beauty of looking out to sea from the coast.
Environmental groups, however, look at the situation differently. They ague that a source of energy that does not cause pollution would protect natural environments like Cape Cod.
Task 8:
【答案】
A.
1) For him, pollution is the way environment is being misused, the actions which consume the environment, like the overuse of artificial fertilizers and over-cropping in developing agriculture. And the harmful substances like the waste from motor cars and factories are less important.
2) They see pollution as a social problem, and the root cause of pollution is the way we organize our society and the incredible waste of resources.
B.
1) Housewives can avoid buying things that they don't need.
2) They can also cut down on the amount of packaging and try not to buy dyed toilet paper to reduce water pollution.
3) People can avoid buying drinks in non-returnable bottles.
4) They can reduce consumption by making their own food instead of buying it.

【原文】
Matthew: Christopher, most countries now appear to become increasingly concerned with the issue of pollution and its control. How do you see this problem?
Christopher: What I see as pollution is the way the environment is being mishandled. Um... obviously there are certain waste products which are vomited out of motor cars or out of factories, either into the sea or into the river ways and so on. But, you know, they are what people say is pollution. More important things, I think, in terms of pollution, are the way that the environment in general is being misused. Things like agriculture, where artificial fertilizers and over-cropping and so on literally consume the environment. It is all picked up, collected, and transported from the land in terms of food or fibers and then ends tip in the sea at some stage, either through sewage or through waste products. I think that they are probably more significant.
Matthew: Right. Michael, can you tell me though whether.., urn.., as I get the feeling, this is a problem which has been blown up by the media, because people wish to avoid some of the more difficult problems to do with being a consumer society,...and, in a sensei trying to solve many aspects of the pollution problem is rather a sort of cleaning up process without getting to the root of the problem?
Michael: Well, pollution is a symptom really rather than the cause.
Matthew: Mmm.
Michael: But of itself it does produce many quite serious results. In fact we do not really know what the long-term effects of many pollutants are going to be, but most forms of pollution can be solved.., urn.., fairly easily and usually by technical means. Now the difficulty with other environmental problems is that many of them have no technical solution and this is where the difference arises between those who are advocating technical solutions to problems which they see almost purely in terms of pollution and those who see the real problems of society as a whole, the way we organize it, the incredible waste of resources that is endemic in this society.
Matthew: This seems a very complex problem. Jane, how can individuals of the public, housewives, children at school, anyone.., help to prevent pollution?
Jane: Well, I think there are lots of things people can do in the home or at school or in the office. Mm... when it comes to tackling the problems on a major basis, I mean it's question of continual lobbying and pressuring, writing to newspapers, etc. But I think there are many things that people.., particularly housewives can do in the house, like urn.., for instance, just not buying things that have no use after the package has been opened,.., um... to really make a note of the sort of stuff that goes into the rubbish bin, that's very, very important; you can cut down on the amount of packaging.., on the amount of, for instance, water pollution like buying um... toilet paper that's dyed... um.., and all this sort of thing that people can cut down on. You can make a greater .effort not to buy drinks in non-returnable bottles; to make your own food, such as jams and drinks which are quite easy to do, rather than just going out and buying and consuming more and more. And if you put this into practice in all walks of life, in the home and at school and in the office, this is a very, very good, major contribution to helping solve some of the more immediate problems of pollution.
Matthew: So in a sense, perhaps you are saying that it's the way we consume things that is creating pollution, by the litter they cause or perhaps by the fact that we use so much oil, and therefore there will be a number of oil tankers on the sea, and that means there will be accidents and oil spillage and so on, so that we have to stop consuming, is it...or...?
Jane: I think that is a very big part of it actually... Certainly, you know, when you get down to the more technical sides of pollution, of atmospheric pollution caused by certain industrial processes, there's not a great deal that an individual can do other than cause a fuss about it, which I hope most people, you know, would consider doing. But certainly on a day by day household basis, much of the problems of pollution are certainly caused by either just complete thoughtlessness and waste or by problems of overconsuming natural resources. And in all the products that arrive at the housewife's table, the more refined and pre-packed and disposable it is, the more pollution it will have caused in its manufacture and it's likely to cause in its disposal
Task 9:
【答案】
I. Energy transition (definition)
A change of one major resource of energy to another.
II. First energy transition: From wood to coal
A. Wood as major fuel
1. Usages: Heat homes, cook food, and produce basic items.
2. Major advantages: It was cheap and easy to get and easy to burn.
B. Coal as major fuel
1. Advantages over wood:
a. It burns for a long time.
b. It burns at a higher temperature.
2. Good effects on many Western countries in the 1800s and the early 1900s:
a. The industry developed.
b. People lived a better life.
3. Disadvantages revealed after 50 years of use:
a. Air pollution.
b. High costs, because it is not renewable.
III. Second energy transition: From coal to petroleum
A. Apparent advantages over the previous fuel:
1. It was cheap.
2. It was easy to get.
3. The supply around the world seemed to be large.
B. Reasons for people to favor the new resource:
1. People's need for a better life.
2. Industrial development: The introduction of the internal combustion engine needed liquid fuel.
C. Good effects on people's lives;
It allowed people to travel by car, to heat their homes more efficiently, to buy a greater variety of things, and to purchase more things at lower prices.
D. Disadvantages disclosed after 50 years of use:
1. As a fossil fuel, it is not renewable.
2. The price goes up.
3. It causes environmental pollution.
IV. Conclusion
A. The pattern in the previous energy transitions:
1. The transition is made in order to improve the quality of people's lives.
2. A new energy resource seems to have more advantages than the old energy source, and fewer disadvantages.
B. The third energy transition:
1. Time: The late 20th century and early 21st century.
2. The important things to consider: The effects of this energy transition and the advantages and the disadvantages of the new fuel.

【原文】
Most industrialized nations have gone through two major energy transitions, and some nations are now making a third major energy transition. By energy transition we mean a change of one major resource of energy to another.
The first major energy transition was from wood to coal. For many centuries people used wood as a primary source of energy. By burning wood people were able to heat their homes, cook their food, and produce basic items. By using wood societies were able to support themselves and take care of their needs. Most early societies grew up near a sufficient supply of wood. The main advantage of wood was that it was cheap and easy to get and easy to bum.
During the early 1800s, probably around the year 1820, some towns and villages began to make transition from wood to coal as the basic source of energy. About that time, people thought that coal would have more advantages than wood. Wood is a renewable fuel, which means that it grows back. This is, an advantage. But most wood is not as efficient a source of energy as coal. Most wood doesn't burn for very long, and most wood doesn't burn at very high temperatures.
It was found that coal could generally burn longer than wood. And it burned at a higher temperature. These were good points for industry because early in the 1800s industry began to develop very rapidly and a long-burning and hot-burning fuel was needed for the machines that were being used.
Coal seemed to have another advantage. There was a lot of it, and it was easy to get. By digging just below the surface of the ground and by using simple tools, coal could be taken from the ground easily. In the 1800s transportation became more developed too, so coal could be shipped to faraway places. It was no longer necessary to live near a source of energy.
Coal was used as a primary source of energy in many Western countries in the 1800s and the early 1900s. The transition from wood to coal seemed to have an overall effect. Industry developed. People were able to get more things, they were able to build bigger homes, and they were able to spend less time making what they needed for their daily lives. Most people would say that, in general, people's standard of living went up. People seemed to have lived a better life.
After 50 years of using coal some disadvantages seemed obvious. One disadvantage was air pollution. Industrial centers of the early 1900s were often covered with a thick layer of smoke. Using coal was seen as somewhat unsafe and unhealthy.
Another disadvantage of using coal was its rising costs. As more coal was used, it became harder to get. It became necessary to dig farther down in the ground in order to get the coal. Because coal was more difficult to get, the cost went up. And coal is a fossil fuel. It comes from under the ground. It doesn't renew itself. When it's gone, it's gone.
At about the same time some of the disadvantages of coal became clear, petroleum began to reach the market. Petroleum became attractive because it was cheap and easy to get. Most people didn't know of any disadvantages in using petroleum.
So the second transition was made—from coal to petroleum.
The reason for changing from coal to petroleum was that people thought that their standard of living would be better. They thought their lives would be better by changing to this new energy source. And, once again, the change was connected to developments in industry.
 In the early 1900s, the internal combustion engine—the kind of engine used in most automobiles-was developed. An internal combustion engine needs liquid fuel. Petroleum was an excellent liquid fuel. It was fairly cheap and easy to get, and the supply around the world seemed to be quite large. In addition, other machinery was developed that used petroleum, so gradually, many industrialized societies changed over to petroleum.
Using petroleum greatly affected people's lives. It allowed people to heat their homes more efficiently, to buy a greater variety of things, and to purchase more things at lower prices because production costs were reduced. And there was less visible pollution. So, in general, the transition from coal to petroleum seemed to be worthwhile.
Of course, like using wood or coal, using petroleum has some disadvantages. And, as in the case of the change to coal, it's easier to see the disadvantages 50 years after the transition. One disadvantage of using petroleum is that it is a fossil fuel—it doesn't renew itself—so eventually—it will run out. There is a limited supply. And, as the supply decreases, the price goes higher.
And, like burning wood or coal, burning petroleum also produces air pollution. This pollution isn't safe for people, particularly in industrial areas and in big cities.
So, if we look at these energy transitions—first, from wood to coal, and then from coal to petroleum, we see a simple pattern. The transition is made in order to improve the quality of people's lives. And the transition is made because a new energy resource seems to have more advantages than the old energy source, and fewer disadvantages.
During the late 20th century and early 21st century, many countries will be making another major energy transition. The transition this time will be from petroleum to another source of energy. As with earlier transitions, it will be important to consider the effects and the advantages and the disadvantages.