Uint7
II,Basic Listening Practice
Script
M,Now we have satellite and high-powered microscope,it’s easy to think we know everything about the world; but we still don’t understand EI Nino.
W,Right,Scientists all over the world over are even uncertain about the cause of the warm Pacific current that brings storms or drought—the mysterious EI Nino.
Q,Which of the following is true according to the conversation?
2,Script
M,Everyone is talking about environmental problem,acid rain,the greenhouse effect,holes in the ozone layer,We should think positively,What can we do to improve things?
W,I agree,We could do a lot more to harness the sun’s energy for heating and lighting in our homes,In Japan 43,000 solar roofs were installed in 2002.
Q,How do the man and the woman view the environment?
3,Script
W,We lived in Beijing some years ago,It was always difficult to keep the house clean with wind from the north blowing sand from the desert at us.
M,That’s why the Chinese government has been encouraging people to plant trees along the edges of the Gobi Desert,Now those trees act as wind barriers.
Q,What did the government encourage people to do?
4,Script
M,Many old refrigerators and cars are environmental hazards because they contain CFCs that destroy the ozone layer.
W,Yes,but government or organizations are helping people to safely dispose of old refrigerators or,in the case of cars,to upgrade their air conditioning.
Q,What are government departments helping people to do?
5,Script
M,Hey,that’s an aerosol spray you’re using on your hair! Build a bomb or set fire to the apartment to kill us quickly instead of making holes in the ozone,so we die of cancer,
W,Cool it,man,This spray doesn’t contain CFC s,And you’d better read a little more,In 2003 the hole in the ozone layer shrank by 20 percent,so there’s no reason to panic.
Q,What does the man mean?
Keys,1.B 2.D 3,A 4.A 5.C
III,Listening In
Task 1,We should have proper respect for nature!
Script
Martha,Do you think most people in your culture respect nature?
Ed,I think so,Umm…more now than before.
Martha,What do you think is the most serious environment problem in the world today?
Ed,Today…I think damage to the ozone layer is a big problem; and another problem is pollution in big cities and things like that.
Martha,How do you learn about environmental problems?
Ed,Umm…through school,A lot of clubs promote environmental safely,and some TV programs,too,They talk about environmental safely and stuff like that.
Martha,Do you think students should learn more about the environment at school?
Ed,I think so,So,as they grow older,they can be more aware of all the problems that are going on,And also to prevent more problems from occurring,
Martha,If you could create a new law to help the environment,what would it be?
Ed,A new law for the environment? Umm…I’d probably say that when people throw away their cigarette butts,they have to throw them into the garbage bin,not just throw them everywhere because it’s just littering and I hate that,So they should be fined if they throw them on the floor on the ground.
Martha,That’s a good idea,What do you personally do to help protect the environment?
Ed,I’ m so against littering,I never litter,If I see somebody litter,I get really angry,So I always throw my trash into the garbage bin.
While being interviewed by Martha,Ed said more people in his culture respect nature ever before,When asked about the most serious environmental problem in the world today,he mentioned the damaged ozone layer and the pollution in big cities.
Ed learned about environmental problem at school,A lot of clubs and some TV programs promote environmental safely,He believes that students should learn more about the environment at school,Then they can be more aware of all the problems and prevent more problems from occurring.
When asked about a new law he would like to create to help the environment,he said that when people throw away their cigarette butts,they have to throw them in the garbage bin,They should be fined if they throw them on the floor.
Personally,Ed is so set against littering that he never litters,He always throws his trash into the garbage bin.
Task 2,A Work Qualification Test
Script
According to a report by Australian researchers,the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica will probably start closing within five years,They say it may be completely closed within fifty years,The ozone layer protects the Earth from dangerous radiation from the sun,The hole in the ozone layer was discovered over Antarctica almost thirty years ago,At the time,it was three times the size of Australia.
The report found that ozone-destroying gases in the upper atmosphere were at or near their highest levels in the year2000,But since then,there has bee continuous progress made toward the recovery of the ozone layer,
Satellite information showed that levels of ozone-destroying gases in the atmosphere are slowly decreasing,At its largest this year,the ozone hole covered more than 15 million square kilometers,That is down from a yearly average of 23 million square kilometers over the last six years.
Chlorofluorocarbons,or CFCs,are responsible for destroying part of the ozone layer over Antarctica,CFCs have been widely used since the1930s in cooling devices such as refrigerators and air conditioners,CFCs remain in the atmosphere for years.
Government scientist say the level of chlorine in the atmosphere is decreasing because of restrictions on the use of chlorofluorocarbons,The chemicals were restricted under an international agreement called the Montreal Protocol in 1987,Under the Protocol,developing countries promoted to cut their use of chlorofluorocarbons in half by the year 2005,They also agreed to an eighty-five percent cut by the year 2oo7.
Keys,FTTFT
For Reference
It was three times the size of Australia.
They promised to cut their use of CFCs in the half by 2005 and agreed to an 85 percent cut by 2007.
Task3,A Mild EI Nino
Script
The EI Nino weather condition has returned,However,official at the United States National Weather Service say EI Nino is weaker than usual this year,EI Nino is a change in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean,It happens every four or five years.
Normally,water temperatures in the western Pacific Ocean increase near the end of the year,This cause more rainfall in Indonesia,Australia and other nearby place,At the same time,cold ocean water cause less rainfall in the eastern Pacific Ocean,near South America,The opposite happens during EI Nino,Pacific Ocean temperatures increase near South America,causing unusually high amounts of rainfall there,In contrast,EI Nino causes dry weather in Indonesia and Australia.
A strong EI Nino can severely affect the weather all over the world,The last powerful EI Nino was in 1997 and 1998,It caused major floods in many places,EI Nino also led to extremely dry weather in some other areas,Reports say the weather caused the deaths of about 24,000 people.
So experts say having a weaker EI Nino this year is good news,Meteorologists say rainfall has been higher than usual in South America,The experts say the effects of EI Nino will begin to show in November in the United States,The northern states may have a warmer winter,But,scientists say EI Nino will not be strong enough to prevent this year’s powerful storms in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the passage,how often does EI Nino happen?
What normally happens in the western Pacific Ocean?
What did the EI Nino in 1997 and 1998 cause?
What is NOT mentioned as a result of this year’s EI Nino?
What is the central idea of the passage?
Kes,1C 2.A3,D 4.B 5.C
For Reference
Pacific Ocean temperatures increase near South America,causing unusually high level of rainfall there,Dry weather results in Australia.
IV,Speaking Out
MODEL 1 Our globe is in danger
John,How is your Grandma getting along during this usually hot weather?
Nora,Over the last few years,Granny has been complaining that the hot,humid weather is killing her,She believes the weather has changed.
John,What she means is the climate’s long-term conditions; weather refers only to day-to-day conditions.
Nora,Yeah,she says summer is hotter,and winter wetter,But I tried to comfort her,saying,“It’s all in your mind,Granny.”
John,She’s right,you know,The greenhouse effect does bring global warming and rain.
Nora,How can I explain global warming and greenhouse gases to a 97-year-old Granny?
John,Tell her the earth now is like a real greenhouse made of glass panels that let in light and trap heat.
Nora,Think she’ll want to know that carbon monoxide from earth makes greenhouse gases?
John,Everybody should know what cause global warming; otherwise we won’t stop it.
Nora,I’ll tell Granny not to burn any more wood or coal,or to use spray on the hair.
John,OK,joke about it,but it won’t be so funny when the polar icecaps melt and oceans rise.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A,How are you getting along during this usually hot weather?
B,Not well at all,Over the last few weeks the hot,humid weather is killing me,I believe the climate has changed.
A,Yeah,the summer is hotter,and winter wetter.
B,Do you know why all this has happened?
A,The greenhouse effects bring global warming and rain.
B,What do you mean by greenhouse effects?
A,The earth is now like a real greenhouse made of glass panels that let light in and trap heat,You know,carbon monoxide from earth is a greenhouse gas.
B,I see,Everybody should know what cause global warming; otherwise we won’t stop it.
A,The important thing is that human beings should take steps to reduce global warming.
B,What can we do then? Perhaps we should not burn any more wood or coal.
A,Right,Also we should try to produce less CFCs or Freon.
B,How can we achieve that?
A,Don’t use aerosol spray on your hair,and depend less on air-conditioners and refrigerators..
B,But it’s hard to give up all this.
A,But we must take action before polar icecaps melt and oceans rise.
MODEL2 Rainforests will soon be only a memory.
Script
Susan,Hey,Chris,there is an environmental group on campus asking for donations to save the rainforests.
Chris,So what?
Susan,So what?! Don’t you want to save the rainforests?
Chris,But there’re no rainforests in our country,They need hot,tropical climates.
Susan,Come on,A rain forest is any forest where heavy rainfall leads to dense vegetation,Tropical rainforests can be found in hoe,tropical areas,but there are also cool rainforests,including one in southeast Alaska.
Chris,How did you know that?
Susan,Well,I’ve just read a book on rainforests,You know,140nillion people live in the world’s rainforests,and 35 percent of the world’s plant and animal species exist only in rainforests.
Chris,Wow,I’m impressed,So what else have you learned?
Susan,Most of the world’s rainforests are in danger of destruction by loggers,farmers and developers,They are disappearing at a rate of 1000 acres a minute!
Chris,It’s terrible!
Susan,Yeah,we’ve got to find a way to save them,Now would you like to give a donation?
Chris,Sure.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A,Most of the world’s rainforests are in danger of destruction by loggers,farmers and developers,They are disappearing at a rate of 100 acres a minute!
B,What a tragedy!,Many of the world’s plant and animal species exist only in rainforests.
A,We really need to save the beautiful forests.
B,Yeah,we’ve got to find a way to save them.
A,Do you know our mayor is making a call to plant trees?
B,Yeah,we do have to plant more trees,I hear China doesn’t have a lot of forests compared with many countries.
A,That’s true,I’ve just read an article about afforestation,China’s forest coverage rate was 18.21percent last yea,ranking only 130th in the world.
B,No wonder we have to plat more trees.
A,Don’t lose heart,Progress has been remarkable,In 2000 the rate was just 16.55 percent.
B,Any other good news?
A,China has stepped up its tree-planting efforts,Now it’s the world’s No.1 planter of trees.
B,Wow,I’m impressed.
MODEL3 What a terrible sandstorm!
Script
Susan,Hey,John,You’re back,A few days ago,a big sandstorm hit our city
John,Oh,that’s bad.
Susan,The air was full of dirt and sand and dust,I had to wear a scarf around my head,
John,The dust,as I know,comes from Mongolia,And from my reading in science,I’ve heard the dust often comes after a long period of drought.
Susan,This is a serious problem in many parts of the world,and unfortunately our city is one of them.
John,And if the drought continues,the soil is easily airborne,And then if the wind comes,the soil can be lifted up on the cold are that rises up,and it can travel very long distances.
Susan,Normally,when there’s a wind,it can clear the air,and you have beautiful weather,But when the dust is brought in with the wind,then you can’t breathe,you can’t see well,and it’s dangerous for driving,or for walking.
John,Yeah,You know,when the dust is lifted up it can go as high 3,000 meters,And it’s not just China that has problems,but many other countries,For example,the middle of Australia sometimes has dust storms,and some of the dust goes up very high,goes across the ocean,and falls down on New Zealand.
Susan,Not a very nice neighbor.
John,Is there a solution to the problem?
Susan,We need to plant more trees and grass so that the soil can stay where it is.
John,No wonder the government is launching a new afforestation program in a bid t address the environmental problem.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A,I’m so glad to be back home,again,Oh,what a clear blue sky!
B,Yes,the wind has cleared the air,I hope you still remember the situation a couple of years age; that is,when you were here,Each spring a big sandstorm struck our city.
A,Oh,that was bad,That air was filled with sand and dust,I had to wear a scarf around my head.
B,I had to cover my mouth and nose with a handkerchief,And facial makes sold well,The dust came from the north,and it often rose after a long dry spell.
A,If the drought continued,the soil was easily airborne,And when the wind came,the soil was swept up on the cold air,and it could travel very long distances.
B,When the dust was brought in with the wind,we could hardly breathe,we couldn’t see well,and it was dangerous for driving.
A,How did your town solve the problem?
B,Not only our town,In fact,people in the whole province planted a lot of trees and grass so that the soil would stay where it is.
A,I see,The government launched an afforestation project to deal with the sandstorm,The green shelter belt is playing a role.
V,Let’s Talk
Script
Li,Hi Professor Wang,I’m Li Lin,a correspondent from the University Newspaper,The staff and students here are getting more and more interested in the relationship between the environment and development,What do you think is the most serious environmental problem at present? What measures should we adopt to improve the environment and develop the economy at the same time?
Wang,There are many environmental problems,air pollution,water pollution,desertification,over-fishing,destruction of natural habitats,acid train,over-consumption of wild animals and plants,etc,But lying at the center of all those problems,as I see it,is the contradiction between economic growth and the environment.
Since the United Nations Earth Summit in 1992,more and more people and governments have adopted a new idea; that is,“sustainable development”,This means today’s economic growth should not wipe out he resources and options for future generations,Planning and development should ensure not only economic growth,but also social advancement and environment health,In other words,some economic behavior must be restricted or controlled,Instilling principles of development into government planning,resource management and economic policy is the most important step China could take to solve its environmental problems.
China has already taken some remarkable steps to reduce damage to the environment,For instance,following the huge floods of 1998,the government banned logging in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in order to protect forests and reduce the risk of floods.
Still,the basic contradiction between environment and development persists,Much work is to be done before we can achieve the aim of a balance between economic growth and the environment.
Environment Problems
air pollution,water pollution,desertification,over-fishing,destruction of natural habitats,acid train,over-consumption of wild animals and plants,etc.
Central problems
the contradiction between economic growth and the environment.
A New Idea
sustainable development; it means:
Today’s economic growth should not wipe out he resources and options for future generations.
Planning and development should ensure not only economic growth,but also social advancement and environment health.
some economic behavior must be restricted or controlled
What China Could Do
Instill principles of sustainable development into government planning,resource management and economic policy
What China Has Done
China has already taken some remarkable steps to reduce damage to the environment.
e.g,Following the huge floods of 1998,the government banned logging in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River
The Aim
A balance between economic growth and the environment.
Debate
SAMPLE
A,In my opinion,we must give priority to economic growth,At present China’s economy is not strong enough,and the per-capita GDP is much smaller than those of advanced countries.
B,I beg to differ,Compared with 30 years ago,the Chinese economy has developed a great deal,and at the same time it has produced a lot of pollution,It is high time we gave environmental conservation serous consideration.
A,It seems to me that it’s more urgent for us to improve people’s life,If we don’t boost our economy,we can’t raise the living standards..
B,I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that environmental problems are already affecting people’s lives,Didn’t you hear that the poisonous substances factories dump into rivers are killing fish and causing cancer among people?
A,Well,you have a point there,but we should be aware that an economically backward nation is also militarily weak,and therefore it tends to be bullied by stronger countries.
B,If China wants to follow the trend toward economic globalization,it has to meet the international environmental criteria,Even if you can make a lot of products,they can’t be exported if they are environmentally unfriendly.
A,OK,people we’d better combine out point of view and strike a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation.
B,That certainly makes sense,What we need is sustainable development.
A,To achieve this goal,we have to burn less coal,petroleum and wood because they can’t e reproduced easily.
B,Right on,we can rely more on solar energy,We can also make more use of water power if the dams we build don’t present great environmental hazards.
A,Also,we should not build so many roads because they occupy so much farmland.
B,Yeah,we should turn more to water transportation,By transporting more cargo along rivers and the coast,we can ease the burden on highway transportation.
VI,Further Listening and Speaking
Task1,Thick Cloud of Pollution Covering Southern Asia
Script
A United Nations study says that a thick cloud of pollution covering southern Asia threatens the lives of millions of people,Scientists say the pollution could increase lung disease and cause early deaths,The cloud is also damaging agriculture and affecting rainfall levels,It has affected many countries in southern Asia,The pollution cloud is three kilometers high,Scientists say it can move halfway around the world in a week.
The cloud is the result of forest fires,the burning of agricultural waste,and huge increases in the burning of fuels by vehicles,industries and power stations.
Pollution from millions of bad cooking stoves hs made the problem worse,Many poor people burn of fuels wood and animal waste in such stoves.
Scientists say this combination could be changing winter rainfall levels in Asia,They say rainfall has increased over the eastern coast of Asia,But it has dropped sharply over parts of northwestern Asia,The report says the cloud could reduce rainfall over northwestern Pakistan,Afghanistan,and western China by up to forty percent.
Harmful chemicals from the cloud are mixing with rainfall,This acid rain damages crops and trees and threatens public health,Scientists are concerned that the pollution will intensify during the next thirty years as the population of Asia increase to an Estimated 5,000 million people.
What is the true of the cloud of pollution?
What is NOT the cause of the cloud of pollution?
What does the cloud of pollution bring about?
Why will the pollution intensify in the next 30 years,according to the passage?
What do you think is the best title for the passage?
Keys,1.D 2.B 3.A 4.C 5.C
Task 2,Mountain regions face a number of dangers.
Script
Mountain people around the world are in great danger of the negative effects of the worsening environment,according to a UN report.
As global warming and deforestation accelerate and technology makes wilder places more accessible,environmental and social pressures on the world’s remotest regions increases.
The UN has found that many mountainous regions—inhabited by one out of five of the world’s people—are barely recognizable when they are compared to what they ere like 60 years ago,This is mostly because forests were cut to make way for cattle grazing and agriculture.
The authors of the UN study expect 98 percent of its mountain areas to experience severe climate change by 2055,Biological losses are expected to be heavy,The mountains of Europe,part of California and the northwest Andes in South America are among the most threatened mountain areas in the world and should be given priority in conservation.
The UN is anxious to raise awareness of the problem facing mountain areas because they are inhabited by some of the most vulnerable people,These people could lose their culture and their livelihood with even the smallest shifts in climate.
At the same time,many mountain regions are losing people,Thousands of villages in Europe are deserted most of the year,In other areas like Nepal,people are drifting to the cities in search of work.
Task3,Digging a Hole
Script
A fellow stopped at a rural gas station and,after filling his tank,he bought a soft drink,He stood by his car to drink his cola ad watched two men working along the roadside.
One worker would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on,The other worker came along behind and filled in the hole,While one was digging a new hole,the other was about 25 feet behind filling in the old hole.
“Hold it,hold it,” the fellow said to the men.,Can you tell me what’s going on here with this digging?”
“Well,we work for the country government,” one of the men said.
“But one of you is digging a hole and the other is filling it up,You’re not accomplishing anything,Aren’t you wasting the country’s money?”
“You don’t understand,mister,” one of the men said,learning on his shovel and wiping his brow.,Normally,there’s three of us,me,Joe,and Mike,I dig the hole,Joe sticks in the tree and Mike here puts the dirt back.”
“Yeah,” piped up Mike.,Now Joe is sick but that doesn’t mean we can’t work,does it?”
For Reference
One worker would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on,The other worker came along behind and filled in the hole.
2,He asked them,“Can you tell me what’s going on here with this digging?”/He asked them what was going on there with that digging.
Because one of them was digging a hole and the other was filling it up,They were not accomplishing anything.
Normally there were three of them,the worker who answered him,Joe and Mike,The first man dug the hole,Joe stuck in the tree,and Mike put the dirt back.
News Report
Santa’s Hometown in Danger
Script
Weather experts may have found a new problem caused by global warming,one which many people will pay attention to,There are signs that Santa’s home in the North may be in trouble because of warmer temperatures.
The Finnish town of Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle,which many Europeans say is the home of Santa Claus,has had its warmest winter in 40 years,As a result,there has been much less snow than usual—meaning no snowmen,no snowballs and possible not enough snow for Santa to ride his sleigh on.
More important for local residents,it may mean fewer tourists,as well,Santa’s wintry hometown normally attracts thousands of visitors each year,and millions of dollars.
Anne Pelttari-Bergman,the town’s tourist director,worries that the town could be in trouble if snow levels do not return to normal,She explains:,Snow is really important for us,of course,For Santa Claus,for Christmas tourism,and also for our winter tourism because winter is our best season,It is really important for us.”
Weather experts and town residents are hoping this warm winter is a one-time thing,Few people can imagine a holiday when even Santa does not have a white Christmas.
II,Basic Listening Practice
Script
M,Now we have satellite and high-powered microscope,it’s easy to think we know everything about the world; but we still don’t understand EI Nino.
W,Right,Scientists all over the world over are even uncertain about the cause of the warm Pacific current that brings storms or drought—the mysterious EI Nino.
Q,Which of the following is true according to the conversation?
2,Script
M,Everyone is talking about environmental problem,acid rain,the greenhouse effect,holes in the ozone layer,We should think positively,What can we do to improve things?
W,I agree,We could do a lot more to harness the sun’s energy for heating and lighting in our homes,In Japan 43,000 solar roofs were installed in 2002.
Q,How do the man and the woman view the environment?
3,Script
W,We lived in Beijing some years ago,It was always difficult to keep the house clean with wind from the north blowing sand from the desert at us.
M,That’s why the Chinese government has been encouraging people to plant trees along the edges of the Gobi Desert,Now those trees act as wind barriers.
Q,What did the government encourage people to do?
4,Script
M,Many old refrigerators and cars are environmental hazards because they contain CFCs that destroy the ozone layer.
W,Yes,but government or organizations are helping people to safely dispose of old refrigerators or,in the case of cars,to upgrade their air conditioning.
Q,What are government departments helping people to do?
5,Script
M,Hey,that’s an aerosol spray you’re using on your hair! Build a bomb or set fire to the apartment to kill us quickly instead of making holes in the ozone,so we die of cancer,
W,Cool it,man,This spray doesn’t contain CFC s,And you’d better read a little more,In 2003 the hole in the ozone layer shrank by 20 percent,so there’s no reason to panic.
Q,What does the man mean?
Keys,1.B 2.D 3,A 4.A 5.C
III,Listening In
Task 1,We should have proper respect for nature!
Script
Martha,Do you think most people in your culture respect nature?
Ed,I think so,Umm…more now than before.
Martha,What do you think is the most serious environment problem in the world today?
Ed,Today…I think damage to the ozone layer is a big problem; and another problem is pollution in big cities and things like that.
Martha,How do you learn about environmental problems?
Ed,Umm…through school,A lot of clubs promote environmental safely,and some TV programs,too,They talk about environmental safely and stuff like that.
Martha,Do you think students should learn more about the environment at school?
Ed,I think so,So,as they grow older,they can be more aware of all the problems that are going on,And also to prevent more problems from occurring,
Martha,If you could create a new law to help the environment,what would it be?
Ed,A new law for the environment? Umm…I’d probably say that when people throw away their cigarette butts,they have to throw them into the garbage bin,not just throw them everywhere because it’s just littering and I hate that,So they should be fined if they throw them on the floor on the ground.
Martha,That’s a good idea,What do you personally do to help protect the environment?
Ed,I’ m so against littering,I never litter,If I see somebody litter,I get really angry,So I always throw my trash into the garbage bin.
While being interviewed by Martha,Ed said more people in his culture respect nature ever before,When asked about the most serious environmental problem in the world today,he mentioned the damaged ozone layer and the pollution in big cities.
Ed learned about environmental problem at school,A lot of clubs and some TV programs promote environmental safely,He believes that students should learn more about the environment at school,Then they can be more aware of all the problems and prevent more problems from occurring.
When asked about a new law he would like to create to help the environment,he said that when people throw away their cigarette butts,they have to throw them in the garbage bin,They should be fined if they throw them on the floor.
Personally,Ed is so set against littering that he never litters,He always throws his trash into the garbage bin.
Task 2,A Work Qualification Test
Script
According to a report by Australian researchers,the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica will probably start closing within five years,They say it may be completely closed within fifty years,The ozone layer protects the Earth from dangerous radiation from the sun,The hole in the ozone layer was discovered over Antarctica almost thirty years ago,At the time,it was three times the size of Australia.
The report found that ozone-destroying gases in the upper atmosphere were at or near their highest levels in the year2000,But since then,there has bee continuous progress made toward the recovery of the ozone layer,
Satellite information showed that levels of ozone-destroying gases in the atmosphere are slowly decreasing,At its largest this year,the ozone hole covered more than 15 million square kilometers,That is down from a yearly average of 23 million square kilometers over the last six years.
Chlorofluorocarbons,or CFCs,are responsible for destroying part of the ozone layer over Antarctica,CFCs have been widely used since the1930s in cooling devices such as refrigerators and air conditioners,CFCs remain in the atmosphere for years.
Government scientist say the level of chlorine in the atmosphere is decreasing because of restrictions on the use of chlorofluorocarbons,The chemicals were restricted under an international agreement called the Montreal Protocol in 1987,Under the Protocol,developing countries promoted to cut their use of chlorofluorocarbons in half by the year 2005,They also agreed to an eighty-five percent cut by the year 2oo7.
Keys,FTTFT
For Reference
It was three times the size of Australia.
They promised to cut their use of CFCs in the half by 2005 and agreed to an 85 percent cut by 2007.
Task3,A Mild EI Nino
Script
The EI Nino weather condition has returned,However,official at the United States National Weather Service say EI Nino is weaker than usual this year,EI Nino is a change in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean,It happens every four or five years.
Normally,water temperatures in the western Pacific Ocean increase near the end of the year,This cause more rainfall in Indonesia,Australia and other nearby place,At the same time,cold ocean water cause less rainfall in the eastern Pacific Ocean,near South America,The opposite happens during EI Nino,Pacific Ocean temperatures increase near South America,causing unusually high amounts of rainfall there,In contrast,EI Nino causes dry weather in Indonesia and Australia.
A strong EI Nino can severely affect the weather all over the world,The last powerful EI Nino was in 1997 and 1998,It caused major floods in many places,EI Nino also led to extremely dry weather in some other areas,Reports say the weather caused the deaths of about 24,000 people.
So experts say having a weaker EI Nino this year is good news,Meteorologists say rainfall has been higher than usual in South America,The experts say the effects of EI Nino will begin to show in November in the United States,The northern states may have a warmer winter,But,scientists say EI Nino will not be strong enough to prevent this year’s powerful storms in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the passage,how often does EI Nino happen?
What normally happens in the western Pacific Ocean?
What did the EI Nino in 1997 and 1998 cause?
What is NOT mentioned as a result of this year’s EI Nino?
What is the central idea of the passage?
Kes,1C 2.A3,D 4.B 5.C
For Reference
Pacific Ocean temperatures increase near South America,causing unusually high level of rainfall there,Dry weather results in Australia.
IV,Speaking Out
MODEL 1 Our globe is in danger
John,How is your Grandma getting along during this usually hot weather?
Nora,Over the last few years,Granny has been complaining that the hot,humid weather is killing her,She believes the weather has changed.
John,What she means is the climate’s long-term conditions; weather refers only to day-to-day conditions.
Nora,Yeah,she says summer is hotter,and winter wetter,But I tried to comfort her,saying,“It’s all in your mind,Granny.”
John,She’s right,you know,The greenhouse effect does bring global warming and rain.
Nora,How can I explain global warming and greenhouse gases to a 97-year-old Granny?
John,Tell her the earth now is like a real greenhouse made of glass panels that let in light and trap heat.
Nora,Think she’ll want to know that carbon monoxide from earth makes greenhouse gases?
John,Everybody should know what cause global warming; otherwise we won’t stop it.
Nora,I’ll tell Granny not to burn any more wood or coal,or to use spray on the hair.
John,OK,joke about it,but it won’t be so funny when the polar icecaps melt and oceans rise.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A,How are you getting along during this usually hot weather?
B,Not well at all,Over the last few weeks the hot,humid weather is killing me,I believe the climate has changed.
A,Yeah,the summer is hotter,and winter wetter.
B,Do you know why all this has happened?
A,The greenhouse effects bring global warming and rain.
B,What do you mean by greenhouse effects?
A,The earth is now like a real greenhouse made of glass panels that let light in and trap heat,You know,carbon monoxide from earth is a greenhouse gas.
B,I see,Everybody should know what cause global warming; otherwise we won’t stop it.
A,The important thing is that human beings should take steps to reduce global warming.
B,What can we do then? Perhaps we should not burn any more wood or coal.
A,Right,Also we should try to produce less CFCs or Freon.
B,How can we achieve that?
A,Don’t use aerosol spray on your hair,and depend less on air-conditioners and refrigerators..
B,But it’s hard to give up all this.
A,But we must take action before polar icecaps melt and oceans rise.
MODEL2 Rainforests will soon be only a memory.
Script
Susan,Hey,Chris,there is an environmental group on campus asking for donations to save the rainforests.
Chris,So what?
Susan,So what?! Don’t you want to save the rainforests?
Chris,But there’re no rainforests in our country,They need hot,tropical climates.
Susan,Come on,A rain forest is any forest where heavy rainfall leads to dense vegetation,Tropical rainforests can be found in hoe,tropical areas,but there are also cool rainforests,including one in southeast Alaska.
Chris,How did you know that?
Susan,Well,I’ve just read a book on rainforests,You know,140nillion people live in the world’s rainforests,and 35 percent of the world’s plant and animal species exist only in rainforests.
Chris,Wow,I’m impressed,So what else have you learned?
Susan,Most of the world’s rainforests are in danger of destruction by loggers,farmers and developers,They are disappearing at a rate of 1000 acres a minute!
Chris,It’s terrible!
Susan,Yeah,we’ve got to find a way to save them,Now would you like to give a donation?
Chris,Sure.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A,Most of the world’s rainforests are in danger of destruction by loggers,farmers and developers,They are disappearing at a rate of 100 acres a minute!
B,What a tragedy!,Many of the world’s plant and animal species exist only in rainforests.
A,We really need to save the beautiful forests.
B,Yeah,we’ve got to find a way to save them.
A,Do you know our mayor is making a call to plant trees?
B,Yeah,we do have to plant more trees,I hear China doesn’t have a lot of forests compared with many countries.
A,That’s true,I’ve just read an article about afforestation,China’s forest coverage rate was 18.21percent last yea,ranking only 130th in the world.
B,No wonder we have to plat more trees.
A,Don’t lose heart,Progress has been remarkable,In 2000 the rate was just 16.55 percent.
B,Any other good news?
A,China has stepped up its tree-planting efforts,Now it’s the world’s No.1 planter of trees.
B,Wow,I’m impressed.
MODEL3 What a terrible sandstorm!
Script
Susan,Hey,John,You’re back,A few days ago,a big sandstorm hit our city
John,Oh,that’s bad.
Susan,The air was full of dirt and sand and dust,I had to wear a scarf around my head,
John,The dust,as I know,comes from Mongolia,And from my reading in science,I’ve heard the dust often comes after a long period of drought.
Susan,This is a serious problem in many parts of the world,and unfortunately our city is one of them.
John,And if the drought continues,the soil is easily airborne,And then if the wind comes,the soil can be lifted up on the cold are that rises up,and it can travel very long distances.
Susan,Normally,when there’s a wind,it can clear the air,and you have beautiful weather,But when the dust is brought in with the wind,then you can’t breathe,you can’t see well,and it’s dangerous for driving,or for walking.
John,Yeah,You know,when the dust is lifted up it can go as high 3,000 meters,And it’s not just China that has problems,but many other countries,For example,the middle of Australia sometimes has dust storms,and some of the dust goes up very high,goes across the ocean,and falls down on New Zealand.
Susan,Not a very nice neighbor.
John,Is there a solution to the problem?
Susan,We need to plant more trees and grass so that the soil can stay where it is.
John,No wonder the government is launching a new afforestation program in a bid t address the environmental problem.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A,I’m so glad to be back home,again,Oh,what a clear blue sky!
B,Yes,the wind has cleared the air,I hope you still remember the situation a couple of years age; that is,when you were here,Each spring a big sandstorm struck our city.
A,Oh,that was bad,That air was filled with sand and dust,I had to wear a scarf around my head.
B,I had to cover my mouth and nose with a handkerchief,And facial makes sold well,The dust came from the north,and it often rose after a long dry spell.
A,If the drought continued,the soil was easily airborne,And when the wind came,the soil was swept up on the cold air,and it could travel very long distances.
B,When the dust was brought in with the wind,we could hardly breathe,we couldn’t see well,and it was dangerous for driving.
A,How did your town solve the problem?
B,Not only our town,In fact,people in the whole province planted a lot of trees and grass so that the soil would stay where it is.
A,I see,The government launched an afforestation project to deal with the sandstorm,The green shelter belt is playing a role.
V,Let’s Talk
Script
Li,Hi Professor Wang,I’m Li Lin,a correspondent from the University Newspaper,The staff and students here are getting more and more interested in the relationship between the environment and development,What do you think is the most serious environmental problem at present? What measures should we adopt to improve the environment and develop the economy at the same time?
Wang,There are many environmental problems,air pollution,water pollution,desertification,over-fishing,destruction of natural habitats,acid train,over-consumption of wild animals and plants,etc,But lying at the center of all those problems,as I see it,is the contradiction between economic growth and the environment.
Since the United Nations Earth Summit in 1992,more and more people and governments have adopted a new idea; that is,“sustainable development”,This means today’s economic growth should not wipe out he resources and options for future generations,Planning and development should ensure not only economic growth,but also social advancement and environment health,In other words,some economic behavior must be restricted or controlled,Instilling principles of development into government planning,resource management and economic policy is the most important step China could take to solve its environmental problems.
China has already taken some remarkable steps to reduce damage to the environment,For instance,following the huge floods of 1998,the government banned logging in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in order to protect forests and reduce the risk of floods.
Still,the basic contradiction between environment and development persists,Much work is to be done before we can achieve the aim of a balance between economic growth and the environment.
Environment Problems
air pollution,water pollution,desertification,over-fishing,destruction of natural habitats,acid train,over-consumption of wild animals and plants,etc.
Central problems
the contradiction between economic growth and the environment.
A New Idea
sustainable development; it means:
Today’s economic growth should not wipe out he resources and options for future generations.
Planning and development should ensure not only economic growth,but also social advancement and environment health.
some economic behavior must be restricted or controlled
What China Could Do
Instill principles of sustainable development into government planning,resource management and economic policy
What China Has Done
China has already taken some remarkable steps to reduce damage to the environment.
e.g,Following the huge floods of 1998,the government banned logging in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River
The Aim
A balance between economic growth and the environment.
Debate
SAMPLE
A,In my opinion,we must give priority to economic growth,At present China’s economy is not strong enough,and the per-capita GDP is much smaller than those of advanced countries.
B,I beg to differ,Compared with 30 years ago,the Chinese economy has developed a great deal,and at the same time it has produced a lot of pollution,It is high time we gave environmental conservation serous consideration.
A,It seems to me that it’s more urgent for us to improve people’s life,If we don’t boost our economy,we can’t raise the living standards..
B,I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that environmental problems are already affecting people’s lives,Didn’t you hear that the poisonous substances factories dump into rivers are killing fish and causing cancer among people?
A,Well,you have a point there,but we should be aware that an economically backward nation is also militarily weak,and therefore it tends to be bullied by stronger countries.
B,If China wants to follow the trend toward economic globalization,it has to meet the international environmental criteria,Even if you can make a lot of products,they can’t be exported if they are environmentally unfriendly.
A,OK,people we’d better combine out point of view and strike a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation.
B,That certainly makes sense,What we need is sustainable development.
A,To achieve this goal,we have to burn less coal,petroleum and wood because they can’t e reproduced easily.
B,Right on,we can rely more on solar energy,We can also make more use of water power if the dams we build don’t present great environmental hazards.
A,Also,we should not build so many roads because they occupy so much farmland.
B,Yeah,we should turn more to water transportation,By transporting more cargo along rivers and the coast,we can ease the burden on highway transportation.
VI,Further Listening and Speaking
Task1,Thick Cloud of Pollution Covering Southern Asia
Script
A United Nations study says that a thick cloud of pollution covering southern Asia threatens the lives of millions of people,Scientists say the pollution could increase lung disease and cause early deaths,The cloud is also damaging agriculture and affecting rainfall levels,It has affected many countries in southern Asia,The pollution cloud is three kilometers high,Scientists say it can move halfway around the world in a week.
The cloud is the result of forest fires,the burning of agricultural waste,and huge increases in the burning of fuels by vehicles,industries and power stations.
Pollution from millions of bad cooking stoves hs made the problem worse,Many poor people burn of fuels wood and animal waste in such stoves.
Scientists say this combination could be changing winter rainfall levels in Asia,They say rainfall has increased over the eastern coast of Asia,But it has dropped sharply over parts of northwestern Asia,The report says the cloud could reduce rainfall over northwestern Pakistan,Afghanistan,and western China by up to forty percent.
Harmful chemicals from the cloud are mixing with rainfall,This acid rain damages crops and trees and threatens public health,Scientists are concerned that the pollution will intensify during the next thirty years as the population of Asia increase to an Estimated 5,000 million people.
What is the true of the cloud of pollution?
What is NOT the cause of the cloud of pollution?
What does the cloud of pollution bring about?
Why will the pollution intensify in the next 30 years,according to the passage?
What do you think is the best title for the passage?
Keys,1.D 2.B 3.A 4.C 5.C
Task 2,Mountain regions face a number of dangers.
Script
Mountain people around the world are in great danger of the negative effects of the worsening environment,according to a UN report.
As global warming and deforestation accelerate and technology makes wilder places more accessible,environmental and social pressures on the world’s remotest regions increases.
The UN has found that many mountainous regions—inhabited by one out of five of the world’s people—are barely recognizable when they are compared to what they ere like 60 years ago,This is mostly because forests were cut to make way for cattle grazing and agriculture.
The authors of the UN study expect 98 percent of its mountain areas to experience severe climate change by 2055,Biological losses are expected to be heavy,The mountains of Europe,part of California and the northwest Andes in South America are among the most threatened mountain areas in the world and should be given priority in conservation.
The UN is anxious to raise awareness of the problem facing mountain areas because they are inhabited by some of the most vulnerable people,These people could lose their culture and their livelihood with even the smallest shifts in climate.
At the same time,many mountain regions are losing people,Thousands of villages in Europe are deserted most of the year,In other areas like Nepal,people are drifting to the cities in search of work.
Task3,Digging a Hole
Script
A fellow stopped at a rural gas station and,after filling his tank,he bought a soft drink,He stood by his car to drink his cola ad watched two men working along the roadside.
One worker would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on,The other worker came along behind and filled in the hole,While one was digging a new hole,the other was about 25 feet behind filling in the old hole.
“Hold it,hold it,” the fellow said to the men.,Can you tell me what’s going on here with this digging?”
“Well,we work for the country government,” one of the men said.
“But one of you is digging a hole and the other is filling it up,You’re not accomplishing anything,Aren’t you wasting the country’s money?”
“You don’t understand,mister,” one of the men said,learning on his shovel and wiping his brow.,Normally,there’s three of us,me,Joe,and Mike,I dig the hole,Joe sticks in the tree and Mike here puts the dirt back.”
“Yeah,” piped up Mike.,Now Joe is sick but that doesn’t mean we can’t work,does it?”
For Reference
One worker would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on,The other worker came along behind and filled in the hole.
2,He asked them,“Can you tell me what’s going on here with this digging?”/He asked them what was going on there with that digging.
Because one of them was digging a hole and the other was filling it up,They were not accomplishing anything.
Normally there were three of them,the worker who answered him,Joe and Mike,The first man dug the hole,Joe stuck in the tree,and Mike put the dirt back.
News Report
Santa’s Hometown in Danger
Script
Weather experts may have found a new problem caused by global warming,one which many people will pay attention to,There are signs that Santa’s home in the North may be in trouble because of warmer temperatures.
The Finnish town of Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle,which many Europeans say is the home of Santa Claus,has had its warmest winter in 40 years,As a result,there has been much less snow than usual—meaning no snowmen,no snowballs and possible not enough snow for Santa to ride his sleigh on.
More important for local residents,it may mean fewer tourists,as well,Santa’s wintry hometown normally attracts thousands of visitors each year,and millions of dollars.
Anne Pelttari-Bergman,the town’s tourist director,worries that the town could be in trouble if snow levels do not return to normal,She explains:,Snow is really important for us,of course,For Santa Claus,for Christmas tourism,and also for our winter tourism because winter is our best season,It is really important for us.”
Weather experts and town residents are hoping this warm winter is a one-time thing,Few people can imagine a holiday when even Santa does not have a white Christmas.
