时间:2019-01-11 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2008年(七月)


英语课

Experts say one-third of the oceans' coral reefs face extinction 1 by the middle of the century if nothing is done to save them. The reefs are home to a vast array of sea creatures, which experts say would also be endangered by the loss of the reefs. VOA's Jessica Berman reports.
 
Coral reef


A group of thirty nine leading coral experts from around the world sounded the alarm in the first-ever global assessment 2 of coral reefs.


Corals are tiny sea creatures that lay their skeletons down to form large reefs that have been built over millions of years.


Kent Carpenter of Old Dominion 3 University in Virginia led the study, published this week in the journal Science, on the threat to the world's coral reefs, which are produced in tropical and sub-tropical seas in coastal 4 waters.


Carpenter says steps must be taken now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5 and stop over-fishing and pollution of the oceans.
 
Kent Carpenter


"If we do not do those things, then, at the current level of how things are going, we will probably lose our coral reefs by the middle of this century," Carpenter said. "So, 2050 is the date that many people are predicting that coral reefs will cease to exist."


Carpenter says, as ocean temperatures rise, corals throw off algae 6 attached to them that are essential for their survival.


"Normally, when you see a coral, it's tan or green or some colorful color," he said. "But when they expel their algae inside of them, then they become white. And this is a phenomenon known as bleaching 7. Another consequence of higher temperatures is increased disease, and this can cause mass die off."


Carpenter says the coral reefs at greatest risk of extinction are the most common - the branching or staghorn coral.


According to the report, the Caribbean has the greatest number of threatened coral species.
The report also lists corals within the Pacific's Indo-Malay-Philippine Archipelago as threatened because of large concentrations of people.


Experts say more than 25 percent of marine 8 species depend upon the reefs for their survival.


Carpenter says humans also depend upon coral reefs.


"They are important for food and important for other types of livelihoods," he said. "So, if we lose the ecosystems 9, we lose not only the biodiversity, but we also lose the capability 10 of people to obtain income and food from coral reefs."


However, Carpenter says he and other marine biologists believe the coral reefs can be rescued through targeted conservation efforts and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Earlier this week, a U.S. government report said nearly half of coral reefs in U.S. government territory are in poor or fair condition.


 



n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种
  • The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
  • The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图
  • Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
  • In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里,当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。
adj.海岸的,沿海的,沿岸的
  • The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
  • This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
排放物( emission的名词复数 ); 散发物(尤指气体)
  • Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
  • Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。
n.水藻,海藻
  • Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
  • Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。
漂白法,漂白
  • Moderately weathered rock showed more intense bleaching and fissuring in the feldspars. 中等风化岩石则是指长石有更为强烈的变白现象和裂纹现象。
  • Bleaching effects are very strong and show on air photos. 退色效应非常强烈,并且反映在航空象片上。
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )
  • There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样,从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句
n.能力;才能;(pl)可发展的能力或特性等
  • She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
  • Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。
学英语单词
Adelphan-Esidrex
anesthesiologies
anterior superior iliac spine
Antitaurus
BDV (breakdown voltage)
beading line
Bhesa
bias cutter
broken flange detector finger
browster
c-number
calixes
charge-stroage varactor
co-ordinate formula
colonialize
colour discrimination lamp
contingency perspective
conventional ignition system
copper oxide meter
cross-over track
curling dies
cut down expenses
Cynanchum gracilipes
daishowas
darkie
deepa
ever created
facients
Fargesia qinlingensis
feu-farmer
fixed end wall
fluence
fluxing medium
fosen
full address jump
gaudet
give a good example
graphic output unit
Guir, C.
gun-emplacements
hagseed
Hathor capital
helium absorption chamber
high-bay
histologic lesion
Holland cigar
ice cream cake
inferior wings
interim interdict
IP fax
jammed out
JIRA,J.I.R.A.
Judayyidah
kyoga
laraine
laser video
low-frequency region
mallet finger
marriage brokerage
matsen
microvitrain
misquoter
Muscoidea
Naejangdo
Namsan Park
neoprene rubber
newpoints
no-load lose
objective of water conservancy planning
oleate
oriental and ethiopian realm
Pabetangan
phonetic transcriptions
pier mirrors
plant waste
plastic substances
points of inflection
prior to the expiration of the term
proveditor
repaire
rough and tumble
rule with a heavy hand
S.&S.R.
sceats
science fiction
screwing tap
secretarial education
sparks up
spreading rate
squadronist
strain crystallization
superexchange interaction
sus out
suturae occipitomastoidea
symbiogenetic
tattletale gray
the-naze
tranquillisings
United Ireland
wheat-germ oil
winemerchant
wire communication line